Yesterday at the Federal Migration Service in Moscow, Russia, future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. was presented a passport making him a Russian citizen.

“Thank you very much to everybody,” said Jones after Tuesday’s ceremony. “It feels nothing better than to be a citizen of the United States of America and Russia. I had no clue, no thoughts in life of ever becoming a Russian citizen, so this is much bigger than me, much bigger than life. I’m a person who’s here to be happy, to enjoy people, to help people make it a better place, to encourage other people to come to Russia, because Russia is good, and the people of Russia are good.

“So thank you once again. This is one of the most happiest days of my life.”

Then Roy kissed his passport, slipped it into his jacket pocket, gave the thumbs up sign and said “Ah.”

Realpolitik aside, and from the less than sublime to the more than ridiculous, it has been reported on several websites that 46-year-old Roy Jones (62-8, 45 KOs) and 35-year-old Enzo Maccarinelli (40-7, 32 KOs) will fight for the vacant WBA World cruiserweight title in Moscow on December 12.

That news, such as it is, has been distributed far and wide, with considerably more jawboning than due diligence.

Having spoken this morning with Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, Executive Vice President of the WBA, he told me in no uncertain terms that Jones and Maccarinelli fighting for the WBA title is a “false rumor.”

How and why these rumors get started is a subject for another day, as it the eagerness of writers to take the ball and run with it, even if the ball is deflated.

This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.