Why exactly did Roy Jones Jr not fight Lennox Lewis after defeating Ruiz?

[BKM-2010]

He was already very undersized in that weightclass and it's the only weightclass where a gigantic weight difference is legal so he'd be facing an ATG SHW.

[KickAzz]

cause Lewis was big and had skills and could punch like a mofo.

in the case of the ginger vs Floyd, all the ginger has is size... he's not as skilled, nor is he a tremendous puncher. the ginger is easy pickings for Floyd

[frosty-g]

in the case of the ginger vs Floyd, all the ginger has is size... he's not as skilled, nor is he a tremendous puncher. the ginger is easy pickings for Floyd

and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why roy jones jr chose not to face lennox lewis...
what?!

[AmericanEra]

Because Lennox Lewis is absolutely gigantic?

[joe strong]

This fight actually almost happened. Does anyone know why it didn't? At the time, Roy was just coming off a nice win against Ruiz and looked great and fighting Lewis was the next big fight. But instead he moved back down. Why?

source? he was never going to fight lennox. he said guys like lennox & the klitschkos were to big but there was talk of a fight with chris byrd but the tarver fight was more lucrative obviously...RJJ should have retired after the ruiz fight...he was never the same. he lost his reflexes & timing by moving up in weight & by getting older. what is his record since the ruiz fight?

[The Gambler1981]

Lennox is much bigger than Ruiz and much more skillfull.


Size is one thing to overcome as is skill, but overcoming size and skill is a motherfucker for a smaller man.

[Fetta]

I see what you did with this thread

[baya]

because tarver got into his head at the ruiz post fight press conference. I maintain that if roy never lost those what, 20lbs of muscle, at his age to go back down to LW he would have made more noise at HW. he was never the same roy after he lost that weight.

[billeau2]

Roy chose life....

you done took my words! I was going to say One word: "Homicide." Can you imagine, given how chinny Jones was at that time....how spectacular that KO would have been!

I remember the old days when the Jones heads would come out in full force and mmake all kinds of reasons why Jones would win a fight like this....some things do change.

[GeneralZod]

Jones wasn't built for heavyweight, smart to not take the fight.