What was the beginning of Roy Jones decline?

Going up in weight so high and then going back down , I dont think you can play with it like that at elite level .

After he failed his drugs test. What is it Joe Calzaghe said, he didn't look like so much like "Superman" after that. Wonder why. He still looked pretty damn good to me right up until the first Tarver fight. Its interesting though that you and another poster commented about this time frame. I believe the other posted noted the Telesco fight which was either right before or right after Hall if memory serves.

After he failed his drugs test. What is it Joe Calzaghe said, he didn't look like so much like "Superman" after that. Wonder why.

More votes, more opinions!

Yeah I agree. Small signs were definitely there. Just the "Wow" moment was the first Tarver fight. Yeah, he was 2 months away from 35 years old. Pretty much the age where all greats like Whitaker and Chavez showed they were past it too. The greatest boxers, the one's who last the longest in their prime, 34-36 is their limit. So nothing out of the ordinary happened to Roy, he was bound to lose like that sooner or later within that age range. Hopkins is just an extraordinary fighter, as well as several other fighters who fought past 35-36 with a lot of success. Foreman, Duran did it too , Martinez is currently doing it, Mayweather could fight up to 38-39 successfully I believe but he's already showing signs of slipping.

After Tarver knocked him out

I've been hearing this crap for years about RJJ. Roy should of retired after the ruiz fight, but he was arrogant, hard-headed, and basicly body dumb. Roy didn't understand when he put on 20 pounds of muscle(AND I DON'T WANT TO HERE HE WALKS AROUND AT 185, SO HE JUST PUT ON 10 POUNDS. NOT THE SAME). See where roy screwed up was when you start to train. You lose BODY FAT. which gets you down to your fighting weight. Roy at 185 went down first losing the fat. Then gaining the pure muscle. Which changes your body chemistry. Which isn't a problem if you stay put. "holyfield". Now this is where that superman crap got to Roy's head. Roy is a "reflex timing fighter". Meaning that with his athletic ability,vision,reflexes,and timing. Roy would anticipate down to the millisecond his opponents movement, and either catch them with check-hooks, lead rights, or be gone by the time their punch was coming back. this comes from years of knowing your body, and how your body response in different situation. Roy needed years to take the muscle off correctly at his age, but he believed the hyped that he was superman. When you don't take muscle off correctly, or in a short time frame. these are the symptoms: loss of reflexes,loss of muscle coordination,loss of reaction timing,loss of stamina, ROY JONES RUINED HIS BODY WHEN HE WENT BACK TO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT. This is why once you go to heavy weight. You stay put. OH and by the way my cousin is a personal trainer, so this is how I know all this. after reading this, i guess its safe to say, he got old overnight...lol

Fighting at 193 and 175 pounds in the same year. He lost a lot of pure muscle. I was going to say this too

The real reason I've been hearing this crap for years about RJJ. Roy should of retired after the ruiz fight, but he was arrogant, hard-headed, and basicly body dumb. Roy didn't understand when he put on 20 pounds of muscle(AND I DON'T WANT TO HERE HE WALKS AROUND AT 185, SO HE JUST PUT ON 10 POUNDS. NOT THE SAME). See where roy screwed up was when you start to train. You lose BODY FAT. which gets you down to your fighting weight. Roy at 185 went down first losing the fat. Then gaining the pure muscle. Which changes your body chemistry. Which isn't a problem if you stay put. "holyfield". Now this is where that superman crap got to Roy's head. Roy is a "reflex timing fighter". Meaning that with his athletic ability,vision,reflexes,and timing. Roy would anticipate down to the millisecond his opponents movement, and either catch them with check-hooks, lead rights, or be gone by the time their punch was coming back. this comes from years of knowing your body, and how your body response in different situation. Roy needed years to take the muscle off correctly at his age, but he believed the hyped that he was superman. When you don't take muscle off correctly, or in a short time frame. these are the symptoms: loss of reflexes,loss of muscle coordination,loss of reaction timing,loss of stamina, ROY JONES RUINED HIS BODY WHEN HE WENT BACK TO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT. This is why once you go to heavy weight. You stay put. OH and by the way my cousin is a personal trainer, so this is how I know all this.

What are you talking about Roy is still in his prime :D

it was after the virgil hill fight. everyone he fought after that was a total bum that he should have knocked out within the first 3 rounds.

after the beatdown sir joe calzaghe of wales administered to him

I can't think of the guys name but the bald dude he fought right before Clinton woods he was slowing down some but it wasn't bad at all.

bouncing around bewteen weights started his decline.

all you got to do is watch jones/woods and then jones/tarver I. night and day difference. the weight loss killed him.

I first noticed it right after Ruiz

eh...the weight loss accelerated his physical decline, but the second tarver fight ruined his mind...the way he fought Johnson was like he just didn't have anything left mentally...and to make it worse he got flattened again...

He was slowing down in the early 2000's but similar to how Floyd was slowing down slightly in 2007 compared to earlier years. After the Ruiz fight, with the weight loss, that's when he started declining big time. You could see it in the first Tarver fight.

Its an interesting one. Yes losing the weight didnt help him but it was the KO by Tarver that did it. I also think Johnson KOing him had a lot to do with it.

......................he got old, just like everyone else does. except Me!