We have to believe Roy Jones got the wake-up call he's been needing last November. Antonio Tarver took Jones the distance, making one of the best fighters suddenly look old and tired. Tarver earned a draw on one judge's scorecard, while the other two awarded the victory to Jones by six- and five-round margins.

Tarver scored with his jab and was able to work Jones into corners and unleash flurries of punches. Only a few of those punches connected, but enough did to leave Jones's left eye swollen after the fight.

In the last rounds, Jones rallied -- pulling up the something extra great champions seem to have. He connected with rights to Tarver's body, and deserved the win, though many at ringside would have called the fight closer than two of the judges did.

Saturday night, count on Jones to win again. This is one the the last few times we'll see Roy Jones doing what he does best at the age of 35. Forget basketball and rap music. Jones is a boxer.

From the time he was robbed of the gold medal at the '88 Seoul Olympics, Jones has been incandescent. Convincing wins over Bernard Hopkins and James Toney cemented his reputation as he captured four belts from middleweight to heavyweight. Sure, there are quibbles about his career. His "humility" can be grating. Most of the guys he fought were bums. What would have been a great fight even four or five years ago, with Darius Michalczewski, never came off because Jones wouldn't go to Germany and Michalszewski wouldn't go to Pensacola. But Jones has to be ranked among the all-time greats.

Antonio Tarver is not a bad boxer. He, too, was an Olympian, although eight years after Jones. He earned the bronze at 178 pounds in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He took the light heavyweight title from Montel Griffin. But this didn't happen until well after Jones, avenging his disqualification loss to Griffin, took Griffin apart in one round and departed -- temporarily -- the light heavies for heavyweight bouts.

Tarver is a few months older than Jones, and has irritated Jones by showing up at his fights and calling Jones out. The two are said to dislike one another, though that may be hype. Jones's latest role has been that of boxing promoter -- promoting Winky Wright in his recent upset of Shane Mosely. Tarver, who like Jones lives in Florida, names his favorite golf partner as -- Winky Wright.

Jones is a heavy favorite, -600 to Tarver's +450, but this may be his next-to-last fight.