Where Does Roy Jones Jr Rank Amongst the ATGs?

[KiloTeague]

He was the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons.

Many heavyweight champions were former middleweights, such as Tommy Burns, Ezzard Charles, Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Ellis...

Chris Byrd used to fight at 160 lbs and under as an amateur (at the same age as RJJ fought as a middleweight in the pros). Ruiz started as a light heavyweight.

"Champions" like Ruiz are slower and sloppier than the past heavyweight greats and he isn't exactly a big heavyweight either which is why Roy Jones and James Toney were able to easily outbox him.

Not that it wasn't a good win for Jones but I don't see it as the huge achievement that some people do. Beating a Klitschko or Lennox Lewis, now that would've been earth-shattering but obviously not possible due to the difference in size.

I agree that simpy getting a win over Ruiz isn't Earth Shaddering. But coming from 160 to dominate him every round was earth shaddering. Toney won a slug match and he probably outweighed Ruiz. Roy dominated him, and even stood his ground and backed Ruiz off of him to please the crowd meanwhile giving up 4o pounds.

Roy showed throughout his career that p4p he is the best. Its amazing for a guy giving up 40 lbs to a heavyweight champion to go in there and dominate him. Win in a very close fight......huge props. Dominate him from start to finish just as you have with every fighter you got into the ring with.............Neo, you are the one.

[leppard365]

If Jones took an extra month when dropping down weight from heavyweight back down, he would have won the two bouts he lost imo.

[MANGLER]

These ATG lists are complicated. I believe he's one of the greatest fighters ever, but I dunno where exactly to rank him.

[Ishy Aytan]

Chris Byrd used to fight at 160 lbs and under as an amateur (at the same age as RJJ fought as a middleweight in the pros). Ruiz started as a light heavyweight.

"Champions" like Ruiz are slower and sloppier than the past heavyweight greats and he isn't exactly a big heavyweight either which is why Roy Jones and James Toney were able to easily outbox him.

Not that it wasn't a good win for Jones but I don't see it as the huge achievement that some people do. Beating a Klitschko or Lennox Lewis, now that would've been earth-shattering but obviously not possible due to the difference in size.

Man ive just gotta disagree with you here.... Any Middleweight beating ANY Heavyweight is a big achievement.

This is one of Roy's fundemental highlights as a fighter.

[Ishy Aytan]

If Jones took an extra month when dropping down weight from heavyweight back down, he would have won the two bouts he lost imo.

Yeh i think so too.

[2-smooth]

Just wondering what the opinion was around here regarding Roy Jones Jr's ranking in the Top 50 ATG list. People always say resume is the most important aspect to consider when ranking ATGs, yet Jones' greatest wins are often cited as Toney (badly weight drained) and Hopkins (too inexperienced)??!

Discuss.

top 5

he was good in his day but i dont think he was ever on the level of floyd mayweather

i cant imagine floyd getting knocked cold by a journeyman like glen johnson

[TheGreatA]

Man ive just gotta disagree with you here.... Any Middleweight beating ANY Heavyweight is a big achievement.

This is one of Roy's fundemental highlights as a fighter.

I'm not saying it wasn't a big achievement but some act as if the win over Ruiz was career-defining and cemented his place as an ATG. It's the work that he did in the lower divisions against the likes of Toney, Hopkins, Griffin, Hill and Tarver that he is going to be remembered for.

A former middleweight going up in weight and beating a top 10 heavyweight like Ruiz is a big deal but lets not forget that Jones weighed around 200 pounds and looked quite natural at the weight, it's not as if he was giving away 50-60 lbs.

Ruiz also started at 175 but no one would say he was a natural light heavyweight by the time he fought Jones.

If Jones took an extra month when dropping down weight from heavyweight back down, he would have won the two bouts he lost imo.

That doesn't really make any sense to me. He was drained in the first Tarver fight but he actually won it and showed a lot of heart in doing so.

In the rematch, which was almost a year after the Ruiz fight, he looked good in the first round and got caught by a big left. I'd say that age got to him as it does to most fighters and going down in weight fastened the process (see Byrd and DLH for recent examples).

[Ishy Aytan]

top 5

he was good in his day but i dont think he was ever on the level of floyd mayweather

i cant imagine floyd getting knocked cold by a journeyman like glen johnson

This topic has nothing to do with Floyd so please refrain from mentioning him.

[2-smooth]

This topic has nothing to do with Floyd so please refrain from mentioning him.

.............err NO

[Sick/]

70 or the 80 range