Roy Jones Jr is the first MW champion in over 100 years to win a HW title

[mayweatherspace]

Roy Jones Jr's incredible display of explosive power + brutal knockouts

This is damn impressive. Is he one of the GOATs of boxing?


Jones is considered by many to be one of the best boxers of all time, pound for pound, and left his mark in the sport's history when he won the WBA heavyweight title in 2003, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years.

As of February 2018, Jones holds the record for the most wins in unified light heavyweight title bouts in boxing history, at twelve.

[BattlingNelson]

He just won trinkets. Had a great run at lhw though yes.

[Tom Cruise]

He wasn’t the champion though, he was a titlist.

Ezzard Charles never won the MW title due to the politics of the time, though he was certainly good enough to do so, and he stepped up and won the HW title.

[ShoulderRoll]

I always take this accomplishment with a grain of salt. It feels like there should be an asterisk in the history books.

He beat John Ruiz for an alphabet trinket. It's not like he beat the legit best heavyweight in the world.

[lparm]

Spinks was an Olympic mw champion that beat the legitimate hw champ of the world that’s more impressive

[HOUDINI563]

Need to put all this in context.

Jones won many titles in an era of MANY TITLES. MANY titles means many potential opportunities and being able to take an easier pathway to win a title.

[HOUDINI563]

Jones beat a top ten hwt contender not the hwt champion to win his paper title.

[phallus]

Roy Jones Jr's incredible display of explosive power + brutal knockouts

This is damn impressive. Is he one of the GOATs of boxing?


Jones is considered by many to be one of the best boxers of all time, pound for pound, and left his mark in the sport's history when he won the WBA heavyweight title in 2003, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years.

As of February 2018, Jones holds the record for the most wins in unified light heavyweight title bouts in boxing history, at twelve.

this is true, but i don't think we can compare "champions" now to champions 106 years ago when there was one belt.

He wasn’t the champion though, he was a titlist.

Ezzard Charles never won the MW title due to the politics of the time, though he was certainly good enough to do so, and he stepped up and won the HW title.

Spinks was an Olympic mw champion that beat the legitimate hw champ of the world that’s more impressive

i agree, this is more impressive than looking around for the alphabet titlist who looks the easiest to beat and fighting him, which is what the top guys do today. today's champions have padded records, they don't have to fight the best

[Curryfan85]

It was a good performance in that he was a small Lt. Heavyweight that beat a Top 10 Heavyweight. That is an accomplishment. Especially since he debuted at Jr.Middle/Middle in 1989.

It's nothing near what Michael Spinks pulled off, IMO.

[billeau2]

It was shopping for the perfect guy to beat and he found him. Ruiz was horrible. there was no way he could touch Jones and Jones knew it.

Ruiz's manager Stoney threw more punches during a typical Jawney fight than Ruiz did!