It's not an admission. It's a matter of collateral estoppel. The issue of whether he caused physical injury to Szabo and whether he acted in a reckless or intentional matter has been determined by a fact finder and cannot be re-litigated. Assuming he argued self defense at the criminal trial and that claim was rejected by the jury, he would also be precluded from arguing self defense in the civil trial as well.
Of course, from a practical perspective, the criminal conviction also means Jones' insurance will quickly disclaim coverage (if they haven't already) for an intentional act.
I’ve tried civil jury cases for 34 years and have never heard that one. But I’m always eager to learn, so please give me the leading NC case on this issue.