Roy Jones, where did it all go wrong?

[marbleheadmaui]

technically flawed? the 70s or 40s? GTFOH

It's getting a bit absurd that everyone rides off giving passed to the old era guys simply because they were first. In fact it's basically almost unspoken that no new fighter will ever surpass the old guys. There's always some excuse to discredit the evolution of the sport.

RJJ, FLOYD, PAC, BHOP, SWEET PEA, to name a few would compete and be great in any era.

RJJ vs those old slower plodders around his division would be smacked around. Everyone makes it seem as if because he was unorthodox that he didn't know how to box. He rarely lost rounds because he maximized his abilities. Technical skills or not if they could hit him it was rendered useless, ask reggie johnson about his technical skills, or virgil hill. Plus RJJ had tremendous power between 160-168 so its not like he was some flashy guy that could hurt someone. Once Roy tagged anyone from any era and they witnessed first hand his speed it would instantly change their game plan.

You're missing an essential point. Several actually. First calling Ezzard, Archie, Billy Fox, Jack Chase, Marvin Johnson, Mike Spinks, Victor Galindez etc slow plodders is really, really wrong. Second, speed, power etc can be nullified by superior craft. Let me make an analogy. Every year coming out of college there are a series of 6'2, 200 pound wide outs who can run 4.4 forties and jump out of the stadium. And every year a bunch crash and burn in camp. Why? Because they don't have the technique to a) even get off the line of scrimmage against a good corner b) recognize what defense is being played and/or c) how to disuise what pattern they are running. Athleticism without craft doesn't work all that well. Jerry Rice wasn't the biggest, or fastest or strongest but he knew how to play.

I find it fascinating that guys as diverse as Teddy Atlas, Freddie Roach, Dan Cuoco, Rollie Hackmer and Skeeter McClure think guys like Moore, Charles, Billy Conn, Harold Johnson would handle Roy without too much trouble.

And you're missing the point that ROY KNEW HOW TO BOX as well as being gifted. And secondly comparing football to boxing is terribly flawed as the success is dependent upon ten other men performing well. Especially using Jerry Rice, he played with the best two quarterbacks of all time (definitely the highest rated) then with rich gannon, Gannon won mvp. If Rice gets open and his QB sucks, what's the point?

Before Roy Lost to Tarver, both Bert Sugar and Max Kellerman, (old and new) said RJJ was p4p best ever. Sugar even put out a list that ranked him above SRR, but it will be discredited simply because RJJ was kayoed 15 years after turning pro or it will be dismissed to hyperbole.

Neither guy EVER said that. Max once said Roy was the best fighter he had seen in his life and Bert in his 2006 book ranked Jones 88th (I'm looking at it as I write this). In his recent reprint he has Jones 87th. Guys since 1990 or so Sugar has ahead of him? Finito Lopez, Sweet Pea and Evander.