For the guys that say Roy Jones Jr ducked challenges in his prime...

[Jim Jeffries]

Michael Nunn for one. And please don't tell me this would've been an easy win for Roy.

[THE REED]

lets not get ridiculous with the taximan and postal workers... for the first 20 fights of anyones career, they fight bums...

He fought bernard for his first title at 160, him and bernard were BOTH green, and BOTH improved after there fights... to put it into perspective bernard didnt lose for the next 12 years and had the longest string of MW title defenses in MW history.. AFTER he lost to Roy.

Moved up and fought the #2 p4p fighter in the world... at the time James Toney was the #1 guy at SMW, and Joe Calzaghe was #8.... he fought James Toney, and moved up to do so...

As far as LHW...

Ring Rankings at Light Heavyweight in 1998 before he unified all 3 belts.

1. Roy Jones Jr.
2. Dariusz Michalczewski
3. Reggie Johnson
4. Graciano Rocchigiani
5. Lou Del Valle
6. Eric Harding
7. Montell Griffin
8. Michael Nunn
9. Antonio Tarver
10. David Telesco


Ring Rankings at Light Heavyweight in 2003 his last year as Champion.

Roy Jones Jr., Champion

1. Antonio Tarver
2. Julio Cesar Gonzalez
3. Dariusz Michalczewski
4. Glen Johnson
5. Eric Harding
6. Clinton Woods
7. Silvio Branco
8. Montell Griffin
9. Richard Hall
10. Mehdi Sahnoune

Both lists are practically Roy's resume.

Moved up and Beat a HW... coming from MW...

Then after that he moved back down, and AGAIN fought the BEST LHW to regain the title...

Maybe some of his competition at times wasnt stellar.. but he did accomplish a lot in his career... point blank period.

[deevel79]

Whether Roy ducked them or not is up for debate. Fact is, the biggest/ toughest fights for Roy for whatever reason, just didnt happen.

[Ishy Aytan]

Whether Roy ducked them or not is up for debate. Fact is, the biggest/ toughest fights for Roy for whatever reason, just didnt happen.

Only because he made his wins look easy... Thats the only reason why you think he didnt fight in tough fights.

[deevel79]

lets not get ridiculous with the taximan and postal workers... for the first 20 fights of anyones career, they fight bums...

He fought bernard for his first title at 160, him and bernard were BOTH green, and BOTH improved after there fights... to put it into perspective bernard didnt lose for the next 12 years and had the longest string of MW title defenses in MW history.. AFTER he lost to Roy.

Moved up and fought the #2 p4p fighter in the world... at the time James Toney was the #1 guy at SMW, and Joe Calzaghe was #8.... he fought James Toney, and moved up to do so...

As far as LHW...

Ring Rankings at Light Heavyweight in 1998 before he unified all 3 belts.

1. Roy Jones Jr.
2. Dariusz Michalczewski
3. Reggie Johnson
4. Graciano Rocchigiani
5. Lou Del Valle
6. Eric Harding
7. Montell Griffin
8. Michael Nunn
9. Antonio Tarver
10. David Telesco


Ring Rankings at Light Heavyweight in 2003 his last year as Champion.

Roy Jones Jr., Champion

1. Antonio Tarver
2. Julio Cesar Gonzalez
3. Dariusz Michalczewski
4. Glen Johnson
5. Eric Harding
6. Clinton Woods
7. Silvio Branco
8. Montell Griffin
9. Richard Hall
10. Mehdi Sahnoune

Both lists are practically Roy's resume.

Moved up and Beat a HW... coming from MW...

Then after that he moved back down, and AGAIN fought the BEST LHW to regain the title...

Maybe some of his competition at times wasnt stellar.. but he did accomplish a lot in his career... point blank period.

One thing is for sure. He certainly didnt fight the best possible opposition while in his prime. There should've been no reason why a prime Roy Jones fought a substitute teacher/boxer, sanitation worker/boxer, policeman/boxer, and one more civil service worker which i cant remember right now, all while in his prime.

That's the one i was missing. The postal worker. Thanks!

[Ishy Aytan]

They were discussed and he was called out

HAHA... NO!

Eubank nor Benn ever called out Roy.

[deevel79]

Only because he made his wins look easy... Thats the only reason why you think he didnt fight in tough fights.

Yes you're right, but im not talking about his performance in the fights that he did take. Im talking about the opposition that he didnt face for whatever reasons.

[Dynamite Kid]

Other than a prime Calzaghe who was he meant to fight? And Calzaghe clearly stated that he had no intention of fighting Roy.

Please keep in mind that Roy was not about to leave the US to fight, which is obviously justifiable since his olympic robbery.

Benn,Collins,Liles,Nunn, Darius,Eubank,Hopkins 2 there were plenty of good fights out there for Jones.

[Ishy Aytan]

Yes you're right, but im not talking about his performance in the fights that he did take. Im talking about the opposition that he didnt face for whatever reasons.

Exactly who? Michael Nunn... Who else? Seriously who did he not fight. He fought everyone he had to at Light Heavy.

I cant see who else he was ment to fight.

[slicksouthpaw16]

I think that the fighters like Michalczewski and the other Europeans are just as guilty as Jones is for why these fights didn't happen, they didn't want to come over here and Roy didn't want to go over there. I do believe he avoided a Hopkins rematch though but outside of that i can't see anyone that he clearly ducked. People probably believe he avoided people because of how dominant he looked. Hill, Tarver, Ruiz, Reggie Johnson, Hopkins, Toney, Harding ect are some good fighters and have been at the top for a long time. I think if he had struggled with them a bit, then he wouldn't get as criticized.