Did Roy Jones ever beat a fighter in their prime?

[Dan...]

Your views are a bit different then mine, but i respect that. I can care less of how many weight divisions a fighter has fought at. Anyone call pull a Mayweather and pick weak opponents/title holders in each division, then claim to be a multi-division champ. To me, its about the caliber of fighters you face, not how many weight divisions u can fight at. If a fighter competes at only 2 weight classes his entire career, but in the process, cleans them both out, i find that more impressive than a fighter who moves up 3-4-5 weight classes, yet fights mediocre competition along the way.

I agree. So long as you know Roy picked the best SMW at the time and p4p fighter in James Toney and then effectively cleaned out LHW as well. Just remember that fighters like Montell Griffin (who himself holds wins over Toney) and Virgil Hill are far from being bums.

[deevel79]

I agree. So long as you know Roy picked the best SMW at the time and p4p fighter in James Toney and then effectively cleaned out LHW as well. Just remember that fighters like Montell Griffin (who himself holds wins over Toney) and Virgil Hill are far from being bums.

I never used the word "bum" I've only said that the majority of his competion was considered "mediocre" given the talent that RJJ possesed.

[THE REED]

Your views are a bit different then mine, but i respect that. I can care less of how many weight divisions a fighter has fought at. Anyone call pull a Mayweather and pick weak opponents/title holders in each division, then claim to be a multi-division champ. To me, its about the caliber of fighters you face, not how many weight divisions u can fight at. If a fighter competes at only 2 weight classes his entire career, but in the process, cleans them both out, i find that more impressive than a fighter who moves up 3-4-5 weight classes, yet fights mediocre competition along the way.

well then yes we do look at it differently... and roy didnt just pick the weak opponents going through the weight classes... bernard was the #1 contender for the vacant ibf, and although there were other good fighters at smw.. nobody was ranked higher than toney in that weight class... moving up again he basically cleaned out LHW... obviously theres the DM debate... I think it was both fighters who didnt make that happen... and ruiz wasnt lennox lewis, but do i blame him?



and abadger, going back down, is what completed his goal.. bob fitsimmons was the only guy to go from mw to hw, and then back down to LHW, roy wanted to match that record, had he never went back down and got that first win against tarver, his feat would of been inferior to that of fitsimmons.

[abadger]

well then yes we do look at it differently... and roy didnt just pick the weak opponents going through the weight classes... bernard was the #1 contender for the vacant ibf, and although there were other good fighters at smw.. nobody was ranked higher than toney in that weight class... moving up again he basically cleaned out LHW... obviously theres the DM debate... I think it was both fighters who didnt make that happen... and ruiz wasnt lennox lewis, but do i blame him?



and abadger, going back down, is what completed his goal.. bob fitsimmons was the only guy to go from mw to hw, and then back down to LHW, roy wanted to match that record, had he never went back down and got that first win against tarver, his feat would of been inferior to that of fitsimmons.

I learn something new every day.

[Dan...]

I never used the word "bum" I've only said that the majority of his competion was considered "mediocre" given the talent that RJJ possesed.

You basically said he picked and chose his opponents as he moved up weight classes which is flat out wrong. He beat the best guy at SMW then moved up and effectively cleaned out LHW. This is not the same as say Floyd beating Baldomir at 147 or Oscar beating Sturm at 160.

[deevel79]

Im sure alot had to do with Roy's contract with HBO. They were paying him big money as part of his contract for each match regardless of who he fought.

[abadger]

We all know Calzaghe has a better resume than Jones anyway.

Lacy > Anyone on Jones record

[deevel79]

You basically said he picked and chose his opponents as he moved up weight classes which is flat out wrong. He beat the best guy at SMW then moved up and effectively cleaned out LHW. This is not the same as say Floyd beating Baldomir at 147 or Oscar beating Sturm at 160.

Oscar beat Sturm at 160??? We must've saw 2 different fights! LOL.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

James Toney is the only stand out great victory. Toney was P4P number 1 or 2, and Jones took him to school. Cant take that away from him.

Other than that, he beat a lot of good solid level opponents like Griffin,Hill, Gonzalez etc.

Hopkins was a good win retrospectively considering what he went on to achieve but Bernard wasnt nearly as groomed as Roy when they fought.

Then he fought a lot of guys like Telesco, Richard Frazier and Eric Lucas who were just nowhere near his league and quite embarrassing mismatches.

[Dan...]

Oscar beat Sturm at 160??? We must've saw 2 different fights! LOL.

That has nothing to do with the point I am making. Roy beat the best guy at SMW and effectively cleaned out LHW. This is not "picking weak title holders in each division" as you put it. I simply provided you with two examples of what you are talking about and how they are different to Roy's situation.