On turning professional, he had already sparred with many professional boxers, including NABF champion Ronnie Essett, IBF world champion Lindell Holmes and Sugar Ray Leonard. Jones began as a professional on May 6, 1989, knocking out Ricky Randall in 2 rounds in Pensacola at the Bayfront Auditorium. For his next fight, he faced the more experienced Stephan Johnson in Atlantic City, beating him by a knockout in round eight. Jones built a record of 15-0 with 15 knockouts before stepping up in class to meet former world welterweight champion Jorge Vaca in a Pay Per View fight on January 10, 1992. He knocked Vaca out in round one to reach 16 knockout wins in a row. After one more KO, Jones went the distance for the first time against future world champion Jorge Castro, winning a 10-round decision in front of a USA Network national audience.

On November 18, 1994, he was set to face undefeated IBF super middleweight champion James Toney, #1 ranked “pound for pound” contender. Toney had gone undefeated in 46 bouts and was rated the best in the world. The Jones/Toney fight was ultra-hyped, and Jones for the first time in his career was the underdog. Over the course of the 12-round unanimous decision, Jones demonstrated his greatness. He danced circles around Toney, scoring a flash knockdown in the third round. Ring magazine called Jones performance the most dominant of any big fight in 20 years.