Jones Jr. at Middleweight, re: ducking

[Manju]

In his prime, I never thought Jones to be a ducker. The most oft-repeated name was Michalczewski, but he didn't seem that exciting and I recall him being unwilling to travel to the US. Personally, I never clamored for a repeat of the Hopkins and Tooney snoozefests.

If you add Hill, the Bodysnatcher, and Ruiz (considering he's a heavyweight) you have some high-level comp there but obviously not near the level such greats like Ali and Leonard had. Jones could've used some more names on his rez.

In retrospect, there seems to be an awful lot of fights in the Middleweight division that never occurred. Was the timing just a tad off, where they ducking Jones, or did Jones duck them? Here's the list:

1. Nigel Benn
2. Chris Eubanks
3. Julian Jackson
4. Gerald Mcclennan

What's the verdict?

[p4pking]

I don't really think you can fault anyone for those fights not happening. First off Julian Jackson was basically finished before Jones really came to prominence beating Toney, he lost twice to Mclellan by TKO around then I believe, and didn't fight anyone great after that. Mclellan and Jones were friends, maybe they would've fought each other eventually, maybe not... But either way needless to say that wasn't possible after the G-man fought Benn. As to why he didn't fight Benn or Eubank, I don't think either party wanted to travel, maybe Jones didn't for spite, being so horribly robbed in the Olympics. Benn basically came apart as a fighter after he fought MClellan anyways. Also who knows how much either really wanted to land a fight with Roy Jones. I really doubt either Benn or Eubank would've wanted a fight against him, imo Roy would have easily beaten both.

[Manju]

thanks p4pking, that's interesting. regarding travelling, since i've heard this issue come up a lot, especially regarding british fighters... isn't it customary, for better or for worse, to fight in the US b/c of the money? I don't hear Latin American fighters demanding a hometown advantage, but maybe thats b/c of their economies.

add to that, doesn't one usually come to the champions--or more specifically, the perceived superior or more popular fighter's--country if there's a conflict?

I find it hard to blame Jones for not going overseas. after all, he was the attraction and, i know this will sound a little jingoistic (but its reality), he was American.

[Taeth]

None of the Europeans would come over and Fight Roy... One time I believe it was before his fight with Bryant or another supermiddleweight when he was p4p #1 that Roy asked HBO to try and find a fight for him where it was 60-40% in his favor for most cases, and not a single guy from the UK would fight him in the States. Roy never duked anyone... its just these guys weren't willing to come over to get humiliated (like Ricky Hatton) for anything less than a 50/50 split. Benn would never fight Roy, and wouldn't have stood a chance, Eubanks would have foughten Roy for a 50/50 split ,but he didn't deserve it, Collins wouldn't truly consider fighitng Roy, And Calzaghe wasn't willing to fight Roy at 175, in the states, for 60/40 spli in Roy's favor. People will tell you that Roy priced himself out, but he hardly made unreasonable offers, and never offers that were considered totally absurd, the only person who really stood a chance against him either htan Hopkins and Calzaghe was McCellan anyways, and he was done after he fought Benn.

Even with Calzaghe and Hopkins people forget That Roy hit as hard as any middleweight, I say that he could land punches that could match Julian Jackson, he was faster than Leonard(or anyone p4p), He could pot shot like Mayweather, but put combinations together like Sugar Ray Robinson, He was very hard to hit, and he was always in great shape. I could see Calzaghe's persistence, and huge punch numbers to give Roy a little trouble, but his, Roy's, speed and power would overcome the Welshman. Hopkins definitely got better from that first encounter, but Roy was quite a bit better than him at that point and Roy also improved tenfold from his first title fight, and he had a broken hand that fight.

[Master]

Roy could have fought Michealcezki but just because he did not does not mean that he ducked them. They could have tried fighting him and no one accuses them of avoiding RJJ.

Eubanks had an opportunity to fight RJJ but he was making easy money with weaker opponents and he really lost his "killer" instinct after Watson.

[Pugilistic]

my knowledge on this is small but i'm sure that roy wasn't the one ducking, those fighters or some of them refused to fight him, jones would of beat them all

[Fenster]

None of the Europeans would come over and Fight Roy... One time I believe it was before his fight with Bryant or another supermiddleweight when he was p4p #1 that Roy asked HBO to try and find a fight for him where it was 60-40% in his favor for most cases, and not a single guy from the UK would fight him in the States. Roy never duked anyone... its just these guys weren't willing to come over to get humiliated (like Ricky Hatton) for anything less than a 50/50 split. Benn would never fight Roy, and wouldn't have stood a chance, Eubanks would have foughten Roy for a 50/50 split ,but he didn't deserve it, Collins wouldn't truly consider fighitng Roy, And Calzaghe wasn't willing to fight Roy at 175, in the states, for 60/40 spli in Roy's favor. People will tell you that Roy priced himself out, but he hardly made unreasonable offers, and never offers that were considered totally absurd, the only person who really stood a chance against him either htan Hopkins and Calzaghe was McCellan anyways, and he was done after he fought Benn.

Have you got any evidence to back this stuff up?

Or is it just something you're spouting that has been concocted by fans to excuse Roy for not making these fights?

[Drago]

In his prime, I never thought Jones to be a ducker. The most oft-repeated name was Michalczewski, but he didn't seem that exciting and I recall him being unwilling to travel to the US. Personally, I never clamored for a repeat of the Hopkins and Tooney snoozefests.

If you add Hill, the Bodysnatcher, and Ruiz (considering he's a heavyweight) you have some high-level comp there but obviously not near the level such greats like Ali and Leonard had. Jones could've used some more names on his rez.

In retrospect, there seems to be an awful lot of fights in the Middleweight division that never occurred. Was the timing just a tad off, where they ducking Jones, or did Jones duck them? Here's the list:

1. Nigel Benn
2. Chris Eubanks
3. Julian Jackson
4. Gerald Mcclennan

What's the verdict?

We can believe that the 4 mentioned above ducked roy or the other way round, i believe its the later, Collins said he was willing to travel to Roy Jones home to ask to fight him if he believed there was any chance roy would take it.