Measured Against All Time: Roy Jones Jr.

[!! Shawn]

Regarding Gerald McClellan, A fight between them would have been viable for a period of about never.

By the time Roy made himself a viable name with his win of Bernard Hopkins, he was no longer able to make the 160lb limit.

Gerald had bigger fish to fry than jumping up in weight for a non title fight with Roy Jones Jr. the guy with no belt at 168, and only one title win for a vacant belt.

By the time Roy beat Toney and made himself a real name, well lets just say there were 6 months left in Gerald's boxing career.

Eubank's was irrelevant to someone now at a p4p level such as Roy and Benn was a spent fighter.

[theres_only_one]

anyone else notice that jeff lacy apparently has 176 kos according to this article?

[Greatwhitehope]

What's left for him to do id bet Lacy, then beat Danny Green who will theoretically have a cruiserweight title by the time such fight rolls around, making it another title in another division. I'm sure that's what they're trying to set up for.

[jayhova29]

Very good article over all, but there are a few glaring errors in your reporting.

#1. Lou De Valle did not legitimately knock down Roy Jones Jr. Roy's back foot clearly slipped. To describe it as a "nasty left hand" is simply dishonest.

#2. Eubanks and Benn's careers were for the most part played out by the time Roy arrived on the scene at 168, and... they fought exclusively in England, had little to no name recognition state side, and would have been nearly impossible to make a deal with due to their bloated ego's.

#3. James Toney would have never been a viable rematch as he wouldn't have been able to make any reasonably contracted weight.

#4. Its clearly documented that Roy Jones Jr. suffered from Shane Mosley syndrome throughout a large part of his career. Nobody would fight him. They either demanded outlandish sums of money for what would have undoubtedly been a loss, or simply avoided the matter all together in favor of making their own meaningless title defenses (Dariusz Michalczewski)

Its really bad that you bring up Dariusz who was about as willing to unify titles as Sven Ottke was, actual less so, since Ottke actually managed to pick up two straps.

Michael Nunn was also not a viable option. A fight with Roy would not be marketable after his loss to James Toney, especially since Roy took apart Toney, and Nunn had severely diminished as a force in the division.

Same thing goes for Hopkins, he was quite about Roy until Roy moved far enough up in weight that negotiations would be difficult enough as to never result in a fight between the two.

Roy's situation is difficult because he demonstrated the willingness to take the most difficult fights on offer to him such as Toney and Hill, but at the same time, he was forced to fight less difficult opposition when the big names would not fight him.

At one time HBO attempted to take over match making for Roy Jones jr only discover what Roy had been claiming all long was true. Nobody was willing to fight him for any reasonable sum of money.

Granted you did mention some of this in passing at the end of the article, it is not given enough emphasis as timing is everything when talking about what fights are made.

Your more on point than the author is. Seriously, i was surprised he had Roy ranked as a all time great the way he came across. Unfortunately, in this business this is what loses do, it can take away from your greatness. I remember Roy was in an Interview saying "That its not as if I dont fight nobody I just make them look like nobody". And that was the case with Roy because in his prime, he was that great.

Whats really not mentioned in this article while he's deciphering all of Roy's achievements (OR LACK THEREOF) is that what made Roy so great was that in his prime, he was the epitome of boxing or the quote on quote the ability to hit, and not get hit. Fighter of the year is an outstanding accomplishment in itself. This man was fighter of the decade in the 90's. So by the time he even fought Ruiz he was a 1st ballot hall of famer. If i didnt know any better i wouldve thought the author is a Roy Jones hater.

[edgarg]

My opinion- for what it's worth- is that Roy Jones Jr. is the best boxer-fighter I've seen, in fact, at his best, purely spectacular.

[!! Shawn]

Your more on point than the author is. Seriously, i was surprised he had Roy ranked as a all time great the way he came across. Unfortunately, in this business this is what loses do, it can take away from your greatness. I remember Roy was in an Interview saying "That its not as if I dont fight nobody I just make them look like nobody". And that was the case with Roy because in his prime, he was that great.

Whats really not mentioned in this article while he's deciphering all of Roy's achievements (OR LACK THEREOF) is that what made Roy so great was that in his prime, he was the epitome of boxing or the quote on quote the ability to hit, and not get hit. Fighter of the year is an outstanding accomplishment in itself. This man was fighter of the decade in the 90's. So by the time he even fought Ruiz he was a 1st ballot hall of famer. If i didnt know any better i wouldve thought the author is a Roy Jones hater.

Fighter of the Decade in a Decade that included Pernell Whitaker.

[Mr. Philadel]

Very good article over all, but there are a few glaring errors in your reporting.

#1. Lou De Valle did not legitimately knock down Roy Jones Jr. Roy's back foot clearly slipped. To describe it as a "nasty left hand" is simply dishonest.

#2. Eubanks and Benn's careers were for the most part played out by the time Roy arrived on the scene at 168, and... they fought exclusively in England, had little to no name recognition state side, and would have been nearly impossible to make a deal with due to their bloated ego's.

#3. James Toney would have never been a viable rematch as he wouldn't have been able to make any reasonably contracted weight.

#4. Its clearly documented that Roy Jones Jr. suffered from Shane Mosley syndrome throughout a large part of his career. Nobody would fight him. They either demanded outlandish sums of money for what would have undoubtedly been a loss, or simply avoided the matter all together in favor of making their own meaningless title defenses (Dariusz Michalczewski)

Its really bad that you bring up Dariusz who was about as willing to unify titles as Sven Ottke was, actual less so, since Ottke actually managed to pick up two straps.

Michael Nunn was also not a viable option. A fight with Roy would not be marketable after his loss to James Toney, especially since Roy took apart Toney, and Nunn had severely diminished as a force in the division.

Same thing goes for Hopkins, he was quite about Roy until Roy moved far enough up in weight that negotiations would be difficult enough as to never result in a fight between the two.

Roy's situation is difficult because he demonstrated the willingness to take the most difficult fights on offer to him such as Toney and Hill, but at the same time, he was forced to fight less difficult opposition when the big names would not fight him.

At one time HBO attempted to take over match making for Roy Jones jr only discover what Roy had been claiming all long was true. Nobody was willing to fight him for any reasonable sum of money.
Granted you did mention some of this in passing at the end of the article, it is not given enough emphasis as timing is everything when talking about what fights are made.

people seem to forget that.......Dariusz also wanted to fight Roy until he witnessed a Roy Jones fight live......he went back to Germany and changed his mind ......but its true that Roy had trouble finding fights where his opponent wouldn't out price himself!!

[eason]

Roy Jones Jr. is one of the greatest fighters of All-time!

[Phatfarm1980]

RJJ was great but i'm not sure how great. After eeading this article it seems his record is abit watery.

Aside from hopkins, did he beat any great fighters?

[hookoutofhell]

RJJ was great but i'm not sure how great. After eeading this article it seems his record is abit watery.

Aside from hopkins, did he beat any great fighters?

tell me you're joking?