After watching a prime Roy Jones on TV last night he was far from unbeatable.

[Taeth]

Roy Jones put on as good and dominating performances against the good fighters as he did against the bad.

The best fighters in his prime were Reggie Johnson, Virgill Hill, James Toney, Mike MaCcallum
He was the first guy to ko Hill but before that he was dominating him.
He was the first guy to seriously hurt Reggie Johnson(look his career please), and he won every round in that fight where he landed like 50% of his punches and Reggie landed 10% of his(a very fast southpaw with boxing skills once against watch him against James Toney).
James Toney: Around that time considered the best or second best fighter on the planet, when has anybody dominated the top or one of the top two fighters in the world like that?
Mike MacCallum: He was old, but he still was fighting well if you go by his other fights. Roy played with him, a guy who either a few months before or after fights TOney to a SD.

Who was Roy fighting in his prime that you guys saw him against?
Roy dominated opponents way bigger than him as well, people are picky about his competition, but most of these guys could have foughten at cruiserweight easily, and they would have mauled the likes of Calzaghe, yet Roy's combinations and speed had them usually backing away because they couldn't deal with it.

[The Fightfan]

I think Benn,Collins, Eubank would all have been great fight's but both parties really didn't want to travel. Another fighter that comes to mind is Dariusz Michalewski (I know I destroyed that name). These two could have met many of times but for simply money the fight was never made. I like Roy but I don't think he was invincible Super middleweight's he never fought the top dog's at lightheavy he didn't either.

[Memphis]

I ended up thinking the same to be honest.

Benn would have seriously got fucked up though

[BIG H]

I ended up thinking the same to be honest.

Benn would have seriously got fucked up though

Lol - Benn is possible my favourite fighter ever, but he is overrated imo

[ICB]

I think Benn,Collins, Eubank would all have been great fight's but both parties really didn't want to travel. Another fighter that comes to mind is Dariusz Michalewski (I know I destroyed that name). These two could have met many of times but for simply money the fight was never made. I like Roy but I don't think he was invincible Super middleweight's he never fought the top dog's at lightheavy he didn't either.

RJJ beat the man that took Dariusz's 48-0 record, Julio Cesar Gonzalez.

[ICB]

I ended up thinking the same to be honest.

Benn would have seriously got fucked up though

Lol - Benn is possible my favourite fighter ever, but he is overrated imo

Overrated in what way ? he took on dangerous opposition like Doug DeWitt, Iran Barkley, Michael Watson, Robbie Simms, Gerald McClellan, Henry Wharton ETC. His early struggles and losses were because he was too wild. Once he improved his boxing skills he become a much better fighter.

[Fenster]

Ive always thought Roy would muller Benn.

But fuck that.

After last night there's every chance Benn could have sparked him. Fact.

[ICB]

Ive always thought Roy would muller Benn.

But fuck that.

After last night there's every chance Benn could have sparked him. Fact.

Agreed Nigel Benn was always dangerous even on his way to the canvas, like against Anthony Logan. If they fought 10 times im sure Nigel Benn could win atleast 2 times IMO. His punching power was unreal, what he did to iron chinned Doug DeWitt was shocking, he basically made him a shot fighter.

[smashup]

I clearly remember a post fight jones interview..one of his fights (post G-man v Benn) where he did "enough" and he said "i will only extend myself in a fight if neccesary"
That for me was and still is a blatant admission of unwilligness to mix it and go to war in the ring if he could avoid it and looking back it's clearly the case in a lot of his fights..
The G-Man tradgedy put the fear of god in him and STILL to this day he has not seen Gerald for fear of what it'll do to him mentally.
He also mentioned this in a recent interview
Once i heard him say that a long time ago i kinda lost some respect for him but fully understand where he's coming from.
Jones and Gerald were tight back in the day

[BIG H]

I ended up thinking the same to be honest.

Benn would have seriously got fucked up though

Lol - Benn is possible my favourite fighter ever, but he is overrated imo

Overrated in what way ? he took on dangerous opposition like Doug DeWitt, Iran Barkley, Michael Watson, Robbie Simms, Gerald McClellan, Henry Wharton ETC. His early struggles and losses were because he was too wild. Once he improved his boxing skills he become a much better fighter.

Agreed that when he was with Jimmy Tibbs and developed a more ronded style he improved. And don't get me wrong, he was a fantastic fighter, but I don't think he was a s good as Nunn, Toney McCallum or Jones. His losses against Eubank and Watson were bad losses, he was awful aganst Malinga, should've got sparked by Logan.

[ICB]

Lol - Benn is possible my favourite fighter ever, but he is overrated imo

Overrated in what way ? he took on dangerous opposition like Doug DeWitt, Iran Barkley, Michael Watson, Robbie Simms, Gerald McClellan, Henry Wharton ETC. His early struggles and losses were because he was too wild. Once he improved his boxing skills he become a much better fighter.

Agreed that when he was with Jimmy Tibbs and developed a more ronded style he improved. And don't get me wrong, he was a fantastic fighter, but I don't think he was a s good as Nunn, Toney McCallum or Jones. His losses against Eubank and Watson were bad losses, he was awful aganst Malinga, should've got sparked by Logan.

Maybe one of you oldies can help me out here, but i heard a fight between Michael Nunn vs Nigel Benn was supposed to happen in 1989 ? just before Nigel Benn fought Michael Watson ? what a fight that would of been Michael Nunn never quite achieved what he should have either IMO, and i think at his best he would of gave RJJ one of his toughest fights.

As for your other comment BIG H i agree he wasn't as good as those fighters above. And at times Nigel Benn struggled against lesser opposition when he should of mullered em, i still think he lost twice to Thulani Malinga.

But for what he was i think he done extremely well, and he never ducked anyone and took on all comers. And considering he only had like 20+ Amateur fights in the army or something didn't he ?

[ross]

I love Eubank and think he wouldve worn Jones down, Chris didnt like workers but he could work and take the biggest of punches, Roy would have found Chris's styl difficult to counter and Chris had awsome head movement, Chris would have found a way to win had they fought early in Chris's career.

Chris was worn out by the time he fought Collins, take a look at his career leading up to the Collins fight, traveling the world fighting opponents in their back yard and mostly went the distance because of the Watson fight Chris Eubank.

Eubank was something else, its a shame that Watson injury happened because it stole from him the killer instinct, he stood off from Collins in the rematch after putting him nigh on through the ropes in the tenth, Collins was sagged with his ass just hovering over the canvas, holding on to the ropes, I dont think they called it a knockdown but it should have, Collins was gone and only the ropes kept him up, then Chris stands off him and the round ends.

Also in the first Thompson fight, Chris was all opver him dropped him a few times, stood off and eventually Thompsons strtength gets him back in to the fight and somehow loses a decision, he gets stopped for a swollen eye in the rematch in the tenth while ahead on points, the swelling being scar tissue from the first only a few months before hand, he should have taken 6 months off.

Benn proved against McClellan that he is a danger at any point against anyone and to right him off is daft, you couldnt tell me that with Benns power and doggedness that a hard right hook wouldnt get through at some point, even if it were while Jones was opening up and show boating while the ref is waiting to step in and stop Benn

jones is over rated, he fought better comp late and payed for it, Calzaghe fought better comp late and proved everyone wrong

[Wayne]

yeh i was dthinking the same thing watching it.. dont get me wrong great fighter, but far from unbeatable..

I also feel that calzaghe would of given him a real test.. he would of bin all over Roy like a rash..

Fighters who swarmed Roy Jones Jr in his prime got slaughtered.

Like who?

Bryant Brannon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6d0WOk-QuU

[Taeth]

I love Eubank and think he wouldve worn Jones down, Chris didnt like workers but he could work and take the biggest of punches, Roy would have found Chris's styl difficult to counter and Chris had awsome head movement, Chris would have found a way to win had they fought early in Chris's career.

Chris was worn out by the time he fought Collins, take a look at his career leading up to the Collins fight, traveling the world fighting opponents in their back yard and mostly went the distance because of the Watson fight Chris Eubank.

Eubank was something else, its a shame that Watson injury happened because it stole from him the killer instinct, he stood off from Collins in the rematch after putting him nigh on through the ropes in the tenth, Collins was sagged with his ass just hovering over the canvas, holding on to the ropes, I dont think they called it a knockdown but it should have, Collins was gone and only the ropes kept him up, then Chris stands off him and the round ends.

Also in the first Thompson fight, Chris was all opver him dropped him a few times, stood off and eventually Thompsons strtength gets him back in to the fight and somehow loses a decision, he gets stopped for a swollen eye in the rematch in the tenth while ahead on points, the swelling being scar tissue from the first only a few months before hand, he should have taken 6 months off.

Benn proved against McClellan that he is a danger at any point against anyone and to right him off is daft, you couldnt tell me that with Benns power and doggedness that a hard right hook wouldnt get through at some point, even if it were while Jones was opening up and show boating while the ref is waiting to step in and stop Benn

jones is over rated, he fought better comp late and payed for it, Calzaghe fought better comp late and proved everyone wrong

James Toney was more eluvise then Eubanks and harder to hit, yet Jones' speed and lateral movement while coming in just made all that upper body movement a detriment for James Toney as it would be for Eubanks. Eubanks would be one of the easier guys for Jones to beat, but eubanks like Calzaghe, like Nigel Benn wouldn't come over to face Jones because they were afraid, and so they demanded a bullshit amount of the purse which they knew Jones would never take.

The only reason Benn beat McClellan because he was there to be hit, people forget how hard it is to hit Roy JOnes Jr on the ropes and especially in the middle of the ring. Nigel Benn had really good power, but especially his movement would have hindered him. Roy was way too fast, way too good at adapting, and way too good at countering.

I think the one detriment against Roy as he went to LHW is that they couldn't handle his handspeed at all so he got lazy, and found it too easy to hit guys, that when he fought better athletes like Antonio Tarver along with the weight drain he just founded harder to land.

Roy is head over shoulders the best fighter of the 90's and early 2000's. Nobody in that period would have been able to touch him, except maybe Nunn like I mentioned. Even then Roy was a little faster, and had a lot more power.

[ross]

Best fighter of the Nineties?

Grow up!!

You have Ricardo Lopez, Pernell Whitaker and Azuma Nelson, who I can think of that were at least on the same level.

I cant vouch much further than that as I only really got in to boxing around the mid Nineties.

Also, Joe would have given each of these fighters a tough fight, if they were the same size.