Was Roy Jones Jr in his prime when he got knocked out by Antonio Tarver?

[HitmanTommy]

??????????????

[betmen]

Roy was 35 years old and his movement and speed dip dramatically after going back and forth fighting in LHW-HW.

so No..

[LeOoze]

Obviously not

[djtmal]

He was slightly past his prime he gets mad respect for outgutting Tarver in that first fight but does Tarver get full credit for beating him absolutely.

[-Kev-]

He was no doubt past his prime. Jones’ style was superhuman, it was amazing to watch. But that style was not going to hold up in his mid to late 30s. It was just too much. He relied on athleticism and reflexes to get out of the way and for his offense too. I do not recall Jones’ being much a “blocker”, his defense was his elusiveness.

Look at Pernell Whitaker, how old was he when he was at the top of the P4P (#3 by The Ring) and welterweight lists (#1 by The Ring) but lost to DLH and Trinidad? In that span, he was 33-35. He even looked mediocre vs Pestryaev in between. That’s just not a good age for fighters who rely on reflexes and superhuman athleticism.

Athletes in almost all sports are past prime at 34-35. In boxing, those ages are even worse for boxers. When RJJ first fought Tarver he was 34. When he lost in the rematch, he was 35.

Some fans see some boxers fight into their late 30s and early 40s successfully and think that because it has been done, that everyone should be able to do it.

Boxing is a very physical sport. It is the most physically demanding sport on the muscles and bones, of all sports in the world. If you can’t see this with your own eyes, this was proven by a study.

https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/sportSkills

The study was conducted by sports scientists from the United States Olympic Committee “who study the science of muscles and movement”.

So, while it is difficult for some fans to understand the degree of difficulty in boxing, and how physically demanding it is on the human body, it is scientifically proven to be the most physically demanding sport in the world.

To box competitively at the top for even 15 years is amazing. The toll that takes on the body and brain is incredible. So many boxers end up having mental issues.