Boxing Champ is Power's New Owner
Pensacola's own Roy Jones Jr., Olympic silver medalist and world light heavyweight boxing champion, recently announced his company, Hard Knocks, Inc. purchased the Pensacola Power for an undisclosed amount. A major sponsor of the Power during its phenomenal inaugural season, Jones adds his international repute to the Power's winning lineup. The team clinched the 2001 Southern Division championship with an 80 regular season and led the league in fan support, with attendance surpassing even that of teams in cities many times larger than Pensacola.
Frank Cornacchione of Hard Knocks, Inc. will be the Power's General Manager. "This is a wonderful opportunity for Roy to become involved in what many believe is the fastest growing sport in America. All of us at Hard Knocks are looking forward to being a part of the Power and the NWFL. We have a great relationship with the league and look forward to a very successful season,” he states.
Players and coaches are excited. "It's just like a thousand pounds lifted off your shoulders, because we're getting another opportunity to go back now on the financial side and start off fresh," said defensive back Tammy LowreyRidgley, a trainer with Jones, who with fellow Jones staffer and teammate Rose James first approached him about the team when postseason management problems arose. "Now we're going to be able to concentrate on football."
League owner Catherine Masters says she is "delighted that someone with [Jones's] worldwide reputation and outstanding accomplishments in sports sees our league and the sport of women's football as such a worthwhile enterprise."
The Power expands Jones's entrepreneurial network. He not only serves as the expert analyst on HBO's Boxing After Dark series and is a spokesperson for Jordan brand, but has an acting resume almost as long as his boxing record and recently formed an entertainment company (Body Head Entertainment) which has signed a number of artists to appear on its new record label. Jones is well loved in the Pensacola area for his support of the Gulf Coast community.
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