just watched antonio tarver vs roy jones 2 for first time and..

roy jones looked sharp in 1st round and in 2nd round his punches looked sharp had it not been for that lucky punch i think roy jones would of gone on to stop tarver does anyone else think tarver was so lucky and was anyone else impressed with roy jones up until that 1 in a milion punch i was suprised how sharp he looked even after moving down in weight

In the first fight Roy definitely was weight drained but he gutted out a tough win (and yes, i think Roy won the first fight). He also looked sharp in the beginning of the second fight...but he got caught. Was it a lucky punch...to some extent maybe. But it also showed that Roy's incredible reflexes had already begun to slip (whether due to age or the damaging effects of having come down in weight). It is quite shocking to think he had so much trouble with Tarver. But i think it's a combination of styles, lingering effects of coming down from heavyweight, and age. There is no doubt that the Tarver knockout had lingering physical damage and lowered his confidence in his next bouts. To this day it's painful to watch that fight.

....it was one tough shot Roy took. Roy should have had his right hand up higher and tighter against his chin but hey these things happen.

I do dislike how Tarver thought he was God's gift to boxing after 1 freaking left cross.

I never thought the KO punch was a clear sign that Roy's reflexes had slipped. They were in close range right on top of each other, and Tarver threw a wild punch that Roy just never saw coming at all. Roy's skills had certainly diminshed, but that was just tough punch to avoid.

Roy actually fought better in Round 1 of the second fight than he did in any round in the first fight. He looked really sharp. I remember watching the first round and thinking that Roy was going to have a much easier time than he did in the first fight.

yeah i was impressed with jones. jones wasn't shot that night. he just got caught with a good punch. that punch destroyed his confindence and his loss of confidence ended his career.

That lucky punch stuff is just nonsense. Tarver threw the punch with bad intentions, it landed and knocked Roy out, and thats it. There is no "luck" to that, besides the "lucK" that is needed for ANY knockout.

Roy looked real sharp, but I think his reaction time and reflexes had gone down by that point with age. I think a younger Roy would have got out of that predicament and never would have left himself open and available for Tarver to land that bomb. That being said I believe Roy still had more than enough ability to hand Tarver his ass. I got that impression even in the 3rd fight that Roy could whoop Tarver if he would fight, but obviously Roy did just about everything except fight in that 3rd match.

Unbelievable upset though. I was one of the guys who believed the weightloss was the reason for his mediocre perfomrance in the first fight (and I still do), so I was prepared for a healthy Roy to destroy Tarver in the rematch. It was depressing and surreal to see Roy go down like that.

I must be the only human on the planet that thinks Roy lost the first fight...but I do think that he did.

Also...the lucky punch theory is horse shit...he caught Roy with a shot & that is that...happens all the time.

Tarver was the better man in both fights...but...BUT...I do think that he just got to Jones at the right time & the losses were also a result of a faltered RJJ due to the weight jumping game.

i don't think it was a lucky punch. i just think it was a good punch that changed roys career.

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Originally Posted by wacko3205

I must be the only human on the planet that thinks Roy lost the first fight...but I do think that he did.

Also...the lucky punch theory is horse shit...he caught Roy with a shot & that is that...happens all the time.

Tarver was the better man in both fights...but...BUT...I do think that he just got to Jones at the right time & the losses were also a result of a faltered RJJ due to the weight jumping game.

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Agreed.. a young mans style he has ! at about 36 forward you could see the reflexes were a bit slower, and when you fight with your hands at the waist , age is going to show up pretty good vs. the top level fighters !