Why didn't Jones go up and fight Tyson or Holyfield

[WhatDisButtonDo]

I don't get this fascination with wanting to win a heavyweight with Roy Jones or Ward.
Nobody I know that likes Jones really cites it as a serious mark of his greatness.
Nobody is going to think of roy jones as a legit heavyweight champ..same for ward if he decides to do so, and is victorious.

[Boxing Goat]

Do the homework, there was a fight in place to fight Holyfield at one point and it fell through.

[DumpkinsPlus5]

He would've bee beaten to a pulp but that didn';t stop Wilfred, Floyd, Duran, Pernell, Oscar, and now Crawford from challenging themselves. Why does Roy get such a pass

Get a pass? Are you an idiot. Roy Jones was champion from 160-175. He's arguably a top 5 ATG in 3 weight classes. Everyone who knows boxing (meaning not you) excepts the fact that there's a limit to what a boxer should be expected to do.

By your logic, every non-heavyweight's end goal should be to become undisputed heavyweight champion, regardless of where they started.

[Butt stuff]

Cuz a good big man beats a great little man, and those guys were BETTER than good.

[champion4ever]

He did but priced himself out both times. He asked for $25mil against Evander Holyfield and $50mil against Mike Tyson.

[Sheldon312]

Get a pass? Are you an idiot. Roy Jones was champion from 160-175. He's arguably a top 5 ATG in 3 weight classes. Everyone who knows boxing (meaning not you) excepts the fact that there's a limit to what a boxer should be expected to do.

By your logic, every non-heavyweight's end goal should be to become undisputed heavyweight champion, regardless of where they started.

No, my point is that if you are going up you should fight one of the best. When Wilfred, Pernell, Oscar, Floyd, Holyfield, Toney, Ward, Pac, and now Crawford went up they fought the best. Fighting a Mike Tyson or Holyfield would've done wonders for Roy. He possibly could've won.

[bluepete]

Hate to think what Tyson would've done to him. They mightve abolished boxing.

[GOD-FR33]

No, no, and NO!

No, my point is that if you are going up you should fight one of the best. When Wilfred, Pernell, Oscar, Floyd, Holyfield, Toney, Ward, Pac, and now Crawford went up they fought the best. Fighting a Mike Tyson or Holyfield would've done wonders for Roy. He possibly could've won.

He didn't have a chance in hell, man. It is disrespectful to even suggest, honestly. Roy CANNOT take a punch. This is what we didn't know back in his prime when he was fighting taxi drivers and cops. He is not stupid and that's why he never moved up and fought either one of those guys.

[IronDanHamza]

He didn't have a chance in hell, man. It is disrespectful to even suggest, honestly. Roy CANNOT take a punch. This is what we didn't know back in his prime when he was fighting taxi drivers and cops. He is not stupid and that's why he never moved up and fought either one of those guys.

This guy is back even more ******ed than before.

He was open to fighting both of them.

The only guy he wasn't open to fighting was Lewis.

[Boxing Goat]

He wanted to fight Tyson.

Never materialised.

Lewis was never an option.

^ This.

Tyson was the biggest payday but had his own issues preventing him from facing Jones at the right time including fighting Cliff Etienne. Holyfield negotiations fell apart, I'm sure over money and Lennox was a no starter with his size and reach.

That said, Ruiz beat Holyfield and had a draw with him and at this point a win over Ruiz was about the same as beating Holyfield with the exception of the obvious name value. Ruiz was a solid win at the time akin to probably when Pacquiao beat the pi55 out of Oscar being the much smaller man.