Where does Roy Jones rank?

[Mugwump]

Jones was held back by his dad. Despite that he did wind up fighting some top guys Toney, Hopkins, Mccallum...I mean compared to slappy his resume is grand. I will never understand how people who idolize Jones are proud of his heavy weight fight against Ruiz. This fight was a departure that bifurcated his career disasteriously.

Jones and Mayweather both destroyed their careers by being too careful. I think they both have the same mentality.

Mayweather still has time to redeem himself. But you are right about Jones.

If you are going to make the jump to heavy - fight the best or don't fight at all.

You certainly don't hand-pick some gimme and then crow about this being the greatest victory in the history of boxing.

I mean, I like Roy. He had natural talent. Exciting. But his career lacked opponents of equal stature. Post-Toney I thought he underachieved. Massively.

[K-DOGG]

Jones, in my opinion, had the talent and ability to be top 10 pound for pound; but, as several on here have mentioned, he massively underachieved, as Mayweather has.

Perhaps they are mere products of their time, where an environment of multiple sanctioning bodies has watered down the sport.

After Toney, his best opponents were Sosa (bit of a gift too; but Merqui was a solid light-heavy), Griffin (fantastic rematch victory), Hill (old..but still dangerous), Johnson, and Tarver (not his best showing; but he did show grit). Also, I think it was commendable that he defeated top ranked contenders such as Harding and the like.

However, the opportunity to face and meet fighters such as Nunn, Benn, Eubank, Collins, Michelcheski, and even a young Calzaghe would have done so much more to enhance his resume.

Either way, I feel he was more interested in the Roy Jones Jr Show than establishing.....really establishing himself among the greats.

[billeau2]

Mayweather still has time to redeem himself. But you are right about Jones.

If you are going to make the jump to heavy - fight the best or don't fight at all.

You certainly don't hand-pick some gimme and then crow about this being the greatest victory in the history of boxing.

I mean, I like Roy. He had natural talent. Exciting. But his career lacked opponents of equal stature. Post-Toney I thought he underachieved. Massively.

Hey!! good to see you back MW! Roy did what amounted to a series of exhibition fights and someone forgot to tell Tarver that Roy was only playing!

[Mugwump]

Hey!! good to see you back MW! Roy did what amounted to a series of exhibition fights and someone forgot to tell Tarver that Roy was only playing!

Thanks b2.

Though I may roam, here is my home.

[Anthony342]

Jones, in my opinion, had the talent and ability to be top 10 pound for pound; but, as several on here have mentioned, he massively underachieved, as Mayweather has.

Perhaps they are mere products of their time, where an environment of multiple sanctioning bodies has watered down the sport.

After Toney, his best opponents were Sosa (bit of a gift too; but Merqui was a solid light-heavy), Griffin (fantastic rematch victory), Hill (old..but still dangerous), Johnson, and Tarver (not his best showing; but he did show grit). Also, I think it was commendable that he defeated top ranked contenders such as Harding and the like.

However, the opportunity to face and meet fighters such as Nunn, Benn, Eubank, Collins, Michelcheski, and even a young Calzaghe would have done so much more to enhance his resume.

Either way, I feel he was more interested in the Roy Jones Jr Show than establishing.....really establishing himself among the greats.

Yeah this right here. Great physical gifts in his prime, very talented. Some other big wins, like the above opponents would've done more to enhance his legacy. Probably top 10 head to head and top 25-30 in terms of resumes of all time greats. It took us 14 pages, but we finally got here.

[young_robbed]

However, the opportunity to face and meet fighters such as Nunn, Benn, Eubank, Collins, Michelcheski, and even a young Calzaghe would have done so much more to enhance his resume.

****, what about Gerald McClellan? That would have been great!

[Mugwump]

****, what about Gerald McClellan? That would have been great!

That would have been embarrassing. McClellan was always one skilled opponent away from a thrashing.

His defence was absolutely atrocious. He was technically limited, too. The G-Man had tremendous power. No doubts at all. But he was a brain-damage case from the outset.

The worst thing a fighter with no defence can possess is guts. It's a lethal combination. Riddick Bowe was exactly the same. It's no co-incidence he's also a shadow of his former self.

The excuse was always that Roy didn't want to see a friend get hurt. I think people haven't read enough into that opinion. Roy didn't want to fight Gerald not because of what ill fortune might bring Gerald, but because Roy knew he'd hit Gerald at will and could easily reach a point where Gerald was taking serious punishment and without intervention from the ref and doctor would continue until he was destroyed.

Gerald was Roy's worst nightmare. But not for the reasons usually cited.