Roy Jones. Great read

[IamInuit]

Roy Jones Jr.’s<br>Long Goodbye

[chris6878]

Roy Jones Jr.’s<br>Long Goodbye

[Master]

What a brilliantly written article. Just fantastic and very moving which provided a superb insight into Roy Jones.

Things that interested me were his knees are shot, his dad physically abused him to be the best, Roy wanted desperately to fight Tyson,

[IamInuit]

Yeah I welled up a few times reading it. Bleacher is not known for their writing prowess but this is surly a gem.

[Master]

Yeah I welled up a few times reading it. Bleacher is not known for their writing prowess but this is surly a gem.

Roy has major dad issues that make Mayweathers story look like an episode of the Walton's.

[SlimTrae]

Old fighters don’t fade away,” the late Budd Schulberg wrote. “They just slowly die in front of our eyes.”

[chris6878]

Yeah I welled up a few times reading it. Bleacher is not known for their writing prowess but this is surly a gem.

My bad didnt know you had posted this link already.

But ye, I guess the moral of the story is, do what you loved until it kills you or you die. Glad to read that he has no money issues. I feel for his family.

Id love for roy to just comment on hbo and stop fighting, but whatever...his life

[IamInuit]

Yeah I welled up a few times reading it. Bleacher is not known for their writing prowess but this is surly a gem.

My bad didnt know you had posted this link already.

But ye, I guess the moral of the story is, do what you loved until it kills you or you die. Glad to read that he has no money issues. I feel for his family.

Id love for roy to just comment on hbo and stop fighting, but whatever...his life

Ah no sweat man.

Gives a nice inward look at Roy. He's the best fighter I have ever seen with my own eyes.

[ruthless rocco]

Hopkins was too dirty in the ring. Headbutts, low blows, hip punches, hitting on the break, faking injury--ALWAYS deliberate.
Roy was class. Hopkins a bitch pussy cheat.

[p4pking]

Also worth saying Roy Jones started boxing seriously as a child. Hopkins didn't(could be wrong here) until he was 20 something and in prison. Not saying Roy wasn't a good deal more physically gifted either, but lots of that had to come from having spent his entire life training. At the time they fought, he had clearly worked much harder, nobody is that much of a natural in a boxing ring.

[mikeeod]

Also worth saying Roy Jones started boxing seriously as a child. Hopkins didn't(could be wrong here) until he was 20 something and in prison. Not saying Roy wasn't a good deal more physically gifted either, but lots of that had to come from having spent his entire life training. At the time they fought, he had clearly worked much harder, nobody is that much of a natural in a boxing ring.

Roy did everything wrong, and that was his greatest strength. He was all instinct and ridiculous talent. It is why Roy will never be even a decent trainer-it's impossible to teach what he did.

Floyd, Whitaker, Hop, Hagler...etc., all of those guys had skill. Learned skill. They all had great jabs that they used often, fought in numerous ways/were multi-dimensional, and would use strategy in the ring.

Roy was ridiculously fast. No, his speed was ludicrous. He would break the rules and it didn't matter because his instinct, reflexes and speed were of another planet. Roy rarely used a jab, preferring to use his natural gifts to float around the ring and pot shot when openings presented themselves.

As he got older, Roy would save his legs by laying on the ropes, catching shots on his shell defense, and using his blazing speed and power to intimidate the other fighter into submission. Watch their first fight again. Roy didn't beat Hop because he was better/more skillful, he beat him due to speed and his unorthodox style...

[Master]

Also worth saying Roy Jones started boxing seriously as a child. Hopkins didn't(could be wrong here) until he was 20 something and in prison. Not saying Roy wasn't a good deal more physically gifted either, but lots of that had to come from having spent his entire life training. At the time they fought, he had clearly worked much harder, nobody is that much of a natural in a boxing ring.

Roy did everything wrong, and that was his greatest strength. He was all instinct and ridiculous talent. It is why Roy will never be even a decent trainer-it's impossible to teach what he did.

Floyd, Whitaker, Hop, Hagler...etc., all of those guys had skill. Learned skill. They all had great jabs that they used often, fought in numerous ways/were multi-dimensional, and would use strategy in the ring.

Roy was ridiculously fast. No, his speed was ludicrous. He would break the rules and it didn't matter because his instinct, reflexes and speed were of another planet. Roy rarely used a jab, preferring to use his natural gifts to float around the ring and pot shot when openings presented themselves.

As he got older, Roy would save his legs by laying on the ropes, catching shots on his shell defense, and using his blazing speed and power to intimidate the other fighter into submission. Watch their first fight again. Roy didn't beat Hop because he was better/more skillful, he beat him due to speed and his unorthodox style...

That my friend is called boxing skill of the highest order. Roy was more than just speed he had the skill to apply that and was literally untouchable.

A friend of mine asked me years ago when Roy was in his prime had Roy lost a fight yet. I said he had not lost a round never mind a fight. I then played the Pazienza fight and he said rewind that knock out again because he could not believe the final combinations.

I would have Roy's career over BHop, Sweet Pea or Floyd's.

[mikeeod]

Also worth saying Roy Jones started boxing seriously as a child. Hopkins didn't(could be wrong here) until he was 20 something and in prison. Not saying Roy wasn't a good deal more physically gifted either, but lots of that had to come from having spent his entire life training. At the time they fought, he had clearly worked much harder, nobody is that much of a natural in a boxing ring.

Roy did everything wrong, and that was his greatest strength. He was all instinct and ridiculous talent. It is why Roy will never be even a decent trainer-it's impossible to teach what he did.

Floyd, Whitaker, Hop, Hagler...etc., all of those guys had skill. Learned skill. They all had great jabs that they used often, fought in numerous ways/were multi-dimensional, and would use strategy in the ring.

Roy was ridiculously fast. No, his speed was ludicrous. He would break the rules and it didn't matter because his instinct, reflexes and speed were of another planet. Roy rarely used a jab, preferring to use his natural gifts to float around the ring and pot shot when openings presented themselves.

As he got older, Roy would save his legs by laying on the ropes, catching shots on his shell defense, and using his blazing speed and power to intimidate the other fighter into submission. Watch their first fight again. Roy didn't beat Hop because he was better/more skillful, he beat him due to speed and his unorthodox style...

That my friend is called boxing skill of the highest order. Roy was more than just speed he had the skill to apply that and was literally untouchable.

A friend of mine asked me years ago when Roy was in his prime had Roy lost a fight yet. I said he had not lost a round never mind a fight. I then played the Pazienza fight and he said rewind that knock out again because he could not believe the final combinations.

I would have Roy's career over BHop, Sweet Pea or Floyd's.

Roy was brilliant, no doubt. I think the fact that you showed your friend the Paz fight illustrates my point. Paz was a club fighter at 135 who was run out of the ring by a post prime Camacho and struggle with a club fighter/toughman fighter like Haugen. Paz had no business in that ring when Benn, Eubank, Liles, Collins...etc., were in the same division. I personally would take Hop, Floyd, and Pea's career over Roy's, but would take Roy's natural gifts over anyone else's!!!

[Hulk]

Great article.

Thanks for posting it.