2003 Roy Jones vs Lennox Lewis? What if Roy won! Would he be best ever?

[robertzimmerman]

Just included in the debates? Had Roy beat Lewis he would have to go down as the best ever. What fighter ever faced this disadvantage?

Roy - 5-11 193 pounds

Lewis - 6-5 - 250 pounds

I know its a impossible task, but just asking what if?

Don't forget a 10" reach disadvantage.

[robertzimmerman]

Roy would almost certainly be ranked in the top 10 p4p with a win over Lewis. He would not be among the very best though. Still too many holes in his resumée for that.

True, but a win over Lennox would had to have been one of the best wins in boxing history, if not THE best win under the circumstances.

Under traditional criteria, his overall resume would still have gaps on. But he'd surely get a pass off of most people, and you could have made a claim based on talent.

[robertzimmerman]

I am as a big a fan as it comes to Roy Jones, but at the same time I am a realistic one, and I'd have a tough time talking about Roy up there in the top 10 P4P with greats like Pep, Robinson, and Ali even if he did beat Lewis. There were to many unknowns at one point or another during Jones tenure as the best P4P fighter in the world. And regardless of who's fault it was at the time, whether or not the Jones Vs Michalczewski never happened and other fights like Jones Vs. Hopkins 2 prior to the year from Jones decline never came to fruition. It is these types of fights I think that needed to occur before we even talk about a Jones Vs Lewis fight that would have cemented his legacy as one of the best P4P Fighters of all time.

See if Jones had wiped out Dariusz and Hopkins the same way he toyed with fighters like Richard Hall and David Telesco, and had even just beaten Ruiz in 03' came bvack down to LHW like he did and beat Tarver and then retired, we'd be hard pressed not to talk about him being a top 10 P$P fighter of all time even without a win against Lewis. But when you leave those unknows there and just put a Lewis on his resume, I still have a hardtime seeing through the fights that needed to happen and never did to give Jones Jr that All time P4P Ranking in my own humble opinion

I respect your opinion mate, but if he'd have beaten Lennox clearly and then retired, we wouldn't have needed to have seen a rematch with Bernard or Dariusz. He would have been up there with the greatest, and may people would have declared him as THE greatest. Guys like Dariusz would have been completely insignificant. Beating Lennox would have been ridiculous. If Roy could have done that, then fairly or unfairly, people would have just assumed that he'd have beaten Dariusz easily. Not having fought Dariusz or a rematch with Hopkins, wouldn't have altered anyone's mindset. Also, the fact that Bernard wouldn't take the fight speaks volumes, and although Dariusz was a very good fighter, he was just content to defend his WBO belt.

[robertzimmerman]

I did say that he'd make the top 10. I dont think it's possible to make a case for him being up there with the very best. This is only one fight and although it would surely rank as one of the best wins by any boxer ever, that alone will not surpass the full career accomplishments of Robinson, Armstrong, Greb, Langford etc. IMO.

I hear you. But starting out at 154 and then beating one of the greatest HW's of all time in Lennox?

You couldn't really have argued against anyone who would have proclaimed him to be the G.O.A.T.

[robertzimmerman]

turning down a heavyweight title defense against Evander Holyfield, to drop back down to light heavy and fight a relative unknown makes absolutely no sense to me... unless he knew Holy might get him out of their.

He didn't turn down Evander.

Evander's attorney couldn't reach a compromise with Roy's advisor and Don King. And King wouldn't pay Evander money that was owed to him from a previous fight. Which is why he went on to fight Toney instead, even though there was no title at stake and the guarantee was for a lesser amount.

[robertzimmerman]

Three good wins and a bunch of cabbies wouldnt make you the best ever. The best ever didnt fight in this era. Learn to accept it. Man...some people's kids...

Starting out at JMW and then going on to beat one of the greatest HW's of all time, would certainly have given him a case to be considered the GOAT, despite the guys who he'd missed out on fighting earlier.

[Canelo and GGG]

Starting out at JMW and then going on to beat one of the greatest HW's of all time, would certainly have given him a case as to be known as the GOAT, despite the guys who he'd missed out on fighting earlier.

Thats true ,also he have Toney,Hopkins,Hill,Griffin,Mccallum so 5 good wins.

[robertzimmerman]

Thats true ,also he have Toney,Hopkins,Hill,Griffin,Mccallum so 5 good wins.

Yeah, and Tarver if he'd have gone back.

I know it's a fantasy, but if he had've beaten Lennox, I don't see how anyone could have had a real argument for him not to have being declared the greatest.