Former world champion and TV favorite Clarence “Bones” Adams (41-6-4, 19 KOs) will return to action after a three-year layoff on Friday night at promoter Joe Donofrio’s “Ring Kings at the Palace” free general admission show at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Adams says the lack of desire he felt after his controversial loss to Paulie Ayala in their first fight in August of 2001 has healed and he’s ready to rumble again.

Boxing since he was five years old, Adams challenged an all-time great for a world championship when he was just 18 years old and fared impressively. He finally won a world title, the WBA Super Bantamweight belt, almost seven years to the day later against Nestor Garza.

It’s been a long and noteworthy life in boxing for Adams, who despite a 16-year career is just 32 years old.

What made you want to come back?

The first Paulie Ayala fight, mentally it messed me up. I thought no matter what I did, I would lose. Mentally I was messed up, you know? I just wasn’t into it. It was my fault. Some people take a loss like that and come back stronger. I was like ‘how could they do that to me?’ I fought a couple fights after that, but I really wasn’t into it. I figured I would take some time off. I never said I retired, but I took time off to see if I still had the desire. I said to myself if I do still have it, I will come back, but I don’t want to embarrass myself by not being ready. So I took time off and decided I want to fight again. I’ve been training for three and a half to four months.

How have you been looking in the gym?

I feel like my skills are there, but my stamina isn’t quit where I want it to be. Everything seems to be good. I’m just taking it one step at a time, one fight at a time. Hopefully I’ll be back in the ring soon after this fight and stay busy.

So this is a serious campaign to win another world title, Bones Adams is really back?

I don’t want to ever fight if I’m not 100% serious about it.

What triggered your desire to get back in? Were you watching boxing and feeling the old itch?

I just started watching fights again and you know, fans would talk to me and I realized I still have a lot more to give to boxing.

Did you miss the attention and accolades of being a top fighter?

Yes and no. That isn’t why I came back. I love being a world champion and I love the attention, but that’s not what I miss. When people talk about great white fighters, I want them to mention Bones Adams in that sentence. I know I have the skills to box and punch. I can fight every which way there is. I need to come back and make sure everyone knows what a good fighter I was and do my best in there. I figure if I give it my all, I can quit some day and never come back. But knowing I wasn’t trying in my last three fights, I couldn’t live with myself. I kept thinking I should have done this and could have done that and didn’t.

In your career, you’ve gone on two losing streaks. Was the first losing streak a similar situation, where you just lost your desire?

My first loss was against (then IBF Champion and all-time great) Orlando Canizales when I was 17. I thought the fight was going to be in the US, but then they said no, we’re going to go to France instead. They said it was impartial over there, but I got over there and come to find out he had fought there a couple times. I got my jaw broken, but I was doing well in the fight until my dad stopped it. And then the next fight, my shoulder was hurting me, but I still took the fight and my shoulder got dislocated and they stopped it. Then for the next fight, they told me my shoulder was ok and it came out again. I finally had surgery on it and that’s when I went on a winning streak again.

Are you injury free now?

I feel really good right now. My only concern is my conditioning because I haven’t fought in three and a half years. I’ve been working out three and a half to four months. I do ok sparring, but sparring is different than a real fight.

What do you know about your opponent, Armando Cordoba?

This guy I’m fighting has got a lot of losses, but he‘s fought tough guys. He’s strong and comes to fight. It’s a tougher fight than I wanted to have my first fight back, honestly.

Fans interested in attending the Friday, October 20, 2006, event at the Palace of Auburn Hills, can download a free-of-charge general admission seat at http://donofrioboxing.com/fightnewsvoucher.html. Premium tickets are priced at $85.00 front row, $75.00 ringside, and $50.00 VIP and are on sale now at Palacenet.com, the Palace Box Office and all TicketMaster locations. Doors will open on fight night at 6:30 pm. The action starts at 8:00 pm.