Mike Jones Steps Up to Face Henry Bruseles

His name is non-discript, but his skills are not.

"We have a boxer-puncher who can basically do everything. He's tall, has a long reach, and he likes to keep moving and keep guys on the end of his jab," said Doc Nowicki, manager of undefeated Philadelphia welterweight (147 pounds) Mike Jones.

"Mike likes to keep moving. He likes to wear them down and knock them out. We're in the right weight class, which is huge," Nowicki said of the 5-foot-11 Jones. "Mostly all of the big names are right there. And you know what, he weighed in [on Friday night] at 146.5, and he didn't have a problem doing that. He's right there."

The 26-year-old Jones will be after his 17th knockout over the course of 19 victories without a loss, and his fifth stoppage in his past six fights when he enters the ring opposite Puerto Rico's Henry Bruseles on Saturday night at Bally's Park Place Hotel Casino in Atlantic City.


Jones-Bruseles is the fifth airing of Top Rank Promotions' 36-show, "Top Rank Live" series with Fox Sports and Fox Sports en Español.

The two-hour broadcast has aired at 10 p.m. ET on Fox Sports en Español on Saturdays, three times, monthly, and has had at least one monthly show originating directly from Mexico.

Jones is coming off of November's fifth-round knockout of hard-hitting 29-year-old Raul Pinzon (16-4, 15 KOs), of Colombia, who was stopped for the third straight time.

The 29-year-old Bruseles (28-3-1, 15 KOs) has won seven consecutive bouts since a January, 2005 eighth- round knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather.

"This is definitely a big step up for Mike. I've been asking for a step up for his last three fights, and he's going to be on national television with Fox against a fairly decent opponent," said Nowicki.

"This is probably, on paper, his best opponent. But I don't know if it's his toughest opponent. On paper, it certainly is. For him to look good on and shine on this would be a big compliment to him," said Nowicki. "I think there's a possibility of 30, 40 million people seeing him on television. Their eyes will, hopefully, all be opened, and they'll see who Mike Jones really is."

Jones is in a talented weight class that includes seven-division WBO king, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), who, like Jones, is promoted by Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank.

The division also includes Pacquiao's March 13 rival, Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), who is promoted by Arum as well.

Also in the weight class is WBA super champion, Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), and his May 1 opponent, Mayweather (40-25 KOs), as well as WBC king Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KOs), who will face Puerto Rican former world champion, Carlos Quintana (27-2, 21 KOs), on April 10.

There is also Germany's IBF champion, Jan Zaveck (28-1, 16 KOs), whose December, third-round knockout dethroned Isaac Hlatshwayo (29-2-1, 10 KOs) of Soweto, South Africa.

Nowicki said that he had attempted to set up bouts with 23-year-old Antwone "The Truth" Smith (17-1-1, nine KOs), of Miami, 22-year-old James "The King" De La Rosa (20-0, 12 KOs) of San Benito, Tex., and 29-year-old Delvin Rodriguez (24-4, 14 KOs), of Danbury, Conn., but that "all of these guys turned us down."

"So, now, we're on national television, and it's a Top Rank show, and we're fighting Henry Bruseles," said Nowicki, of Jones opponent (pictured at right). "But the sky's the limit. We'll take it one fight at at time. I'm not looking past this guy, but we are looking to fight bigger names."

On the Jones Bruseles undercard, 28-year-old, former world junior middleweight (140 pounds) Kendall Holt (25-3, 13 KOs) will face South Africa's 30-year-old Kaiser Mabuza (22-6-3, 13 KOs) in an IBF eliminator.

The winner of Holt-Mabuza could earn a shot at the winner of a March 6, unification bout in Connecticut between Colombian-born IBF titlist Juan Urango (22-2-1, 17 KOs) and 22-year-old, southpaw WBC champion, Devon Alexander (19-0, 12 KOs) of St. Louis, Mo., that is slated for March 6.

Also on the card is a 10-round, junior middleweights (154 pounds) matchup between Saul Roman (32-5, 27 KOs), of Tijuana, Baja, Calif., Mex., and, Philadelphia's Gabe Rosado (13-4, eight KOs).