Did Roy Jones ever learn the basics

[RightCross94]

You guys are morons, his father didnt just start teaching roy how to throw 4 hooks at once and how to put his hands behind his back and slip punches one day, he drilled him in basics and technique from when he was little, no matter how talented you are you need to have solid boxing skills to suceed, even guys like margarito and gatti who arent known as technical fighters still have decent basics and good skills

"basics" are stance, how to move, proper punch technique, guard etc....you dont suceed in boxing without knowing these things

[RightCross94]

I am CONSTANTLY perplexed as to why people constantly say RJ used his natural ability, didnt have the basics, etc etc...I really don't get that at all...Roy Jones could FIGHT, MAN! Roy Jones had very good technique, he was a very smart fighter, very intelligent in the ring, used text book maneuvers on thousands of occasions...I mean, people often act as though he just used these "natural talents," like he was born with them??? You have to LEARN HOW to fight, how to do the things RJ did in that ring... you dont just jump in there and do those things without being taught...and contrary to popular belief there is no set way to box, no book that teaches you how to do things, what punches u are supposed to throw etc etc...I know for a fact that Big Roy used to sometimes keep lil' Roy in the gym for more than four hours at a time, practicing moves and techniques...I was there for some of it, saw it with my own eyes...Roy Jones PERFECTED moves and maneuvers and techniques, he made many of them appear so effortless that some still mistakenly believe he was just born with these skills or something...people say "he never learned how to fight properly"....I mean, WHAT exactly does that even mean? What is "properly"???

exactly....you dont beat james toney without having some very good technical skills, even though roys speed helped him a hell of a lot in that fight, he still followed a good gameplan and used very good technique

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

no matter how talented you are you need to have solid boxing skills to suceed, even guys like margarito and gatti who arent known as technical fighters still have decent basics and good skills

"basics" are stance, how to move, proper punch technique, guard etc....you dont suceed in boxing without knowing these things

Glad you brought up Arturo....he had the rep of an unskilled tough guy brawler but the fact is that I did an ESPN Classic fight when he won over Tracy Harris Patterson (a good, skilled boxer in his own right) and Arturo's technique was VERY impressive in both of their 12 round battles...great jab, combination punching, punch placement, etc etc etc...

[krispy kreme]

Glad you brought up Arturo....he had the rep of an unskilled tough guy brawler but the fact is that I did an ESPN Classic fight when he won over Tracy Harris Patterson (a good, skilled boxer in his own right) and Arturo's technique was VERY impressive in both of their 12 round battles...great jab, combination punching, punch placement, etc etc etc...

He made good adjustments against Ward in their second fight too.

[Mr. Philadel]

No. He didn't need to.

thanks my dude.....I thought I was about to be the ONLY one to go against the grain.....Roy is my dude I'll never **** on him......but he NEVER learned the basics......look at how he defends against punches.......he goes to the ropes and cover up.......Calzaghe fought the SAME fight against Roy that he fought against B.Hop......B.Hop learned the basics because he wasn't as gifted as Roy.......Roy got away with breakin' the rules because he was so gifted with the reflexes like Ali was.....Ali would pull str8 back EVERYTIME......but he was so fast and his reflexes were so good that he could get away with that......his reflexes slowed and he became a sittin' duck coverin' up on the ropes......like Roy does these days!!

Ali and Roy are special athletes!!!

[Heru]

This is an amateur question. Of course he learned the basics, his punching technique, footwork, timing, are all exceptional. If he didn't learn the basics, he'd just be some fast boxer we don't talk about because he got knocked out in his 15th pro fight.

[ßringer]

Roy definitely learned the basics. There's no way anybody in this sport accomplishes anything without them ; let alone accomplishes what Roy has.

That's not his problem.

His problem is that along the way he became intoxicated with his natural athletic talents and began to rely on those much more than his fundamentals.

That's how I see it, anyway.

[-EX-]

Roy definitely learned the basics. There's no way anybody in this sport accomplishes anything without them ; let alone accomplishes what Roy has.

That's not his problem.

His problem is that along the way he became intoxicated with his natural athletic talents and began to rely on those much more than his fundamentals.

That's how I see it, anyway.

Agreed......if he didn't need the basics then anyone with fast hands and reflexes could win in boxing...

[ßringer]

Agreed......if he didn't need the basics then anyone with fast hands and reflexes could win in boxing...

To me ; Roy is very similar to a skilled boxer who fell in love with his punching power, sort of like Felix Trinidad did.

Only with Roy, it was his athletic talents and speed/reflexes, obviously.

Can't say I blame him ; I'd be intoxicated with my natural talent too if I were anywhere near the freak that Jones was in his prime.

[Pugilistic™]

Of course Roy learnt the basics, He wouldn't of been a very good fighter if he didn't.

The problem with Roy was because of his amazing speed, power and reflexes, he sort of abandoned the basics because he didn't really need them.

The problem with Roy now is not because he doesn't know the fundamentals but because he was brutally knocked out twice. That is the reason we have an over cautious, lay on the ropes for long periods of time and fight in spurts type of Roy Jones now.

His confidence was shattered after those defeats.