What does Hopkins have that Jones doesn't?

[El Kabong]

Hopkins had a style built for the long run....Roy Jones Jr.'s style was built on reflexes, speed, timing, things that fade with time. Hopkins ALWAYS fought in an ugly manner more difficult to hit clean than most but he was always consistent with his attack and he's a strong guy. Holyfield had a similar way about him. Andre Ward has a similar way about him. Wladimir Klitschko could even be mentioned in this group (though he knocks out many more guys than the others) as it looks as his style could have him sticking around for as long as he likes.


RJJ never adapted his style to his age...not even sure if that would have been possible with the way he fought. Too herky, jerky, too much energy consumption, too much reliance on speed and reflexes.



I don't think there was a fighter in his era that could have really pushed him to the brink from 160-175....maybe cruiserweight, but you just don't know. There were certainly heavyweights that could have hurt him just due to their pure size advantages. Benn, Eubank, Collins, Michalczewski, Jirov....they couldn't have taken him and in his pomp Joe Calzaghe would have been 0 match for him. The guys that would have had chances would likely have been very small heavyweights, the super tough cruiserweights, or the extremely talented all-time greats.

[mikeeod]

Hopkins had a style built for the long run....Roy Jones Jr.'s style was built on reflexes, speed, timing, things that fade with time. Hopkins ALWAYS fought in an ugly manner more difficult to hit clean than most but he was always consistent with his attack and he's a strong guy. Holyfield had a similar way about him. Andre Ward has a similar way about him. Wladimir Klitschko could even be mentioned in this group (though he knocks out many more guys than the others) as it looks as his style could have him sticking around for as long as he likes.


RJJ never adapted his style to his age...not even sure if that would have been possible with the way he fought. Too herky, jerky, too much energy consumption, too much reliance on speed and reflexes.



I don't think there was a fighter in his era that could have really pushed him to the brink from 160-175....maybe cruiserweight, but you just don't know. There were certainly heavyweights that could have hurt him just due to their pure size advantages. Benn, Eubank, Collins, Michalczewski, Jirov....they couldn't have taken him and in his pomp Joe Calzaghe would have been 0 match for him. The guys that would have had chances would likely have been very small heavyweights, the super tough cruiserweights, or the extremely talented all-time greats.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I disagree with you. We don't know how some of those other guys would have done vs. Roy. Everyone was sure G-Man would blow out Benn. Tyson was unbeatable and had zero chance to lose to Douglas. Donald Curry was the next Ray Robinson and unbeatable. Shane Mosely was on his way to being an ATG and Vernon Forrest was just going to be a speed bump on his way to greatness.

Styles make fights, and if you notice, Roy often avoided long, lanky, slick, elite boxers like Nunn and Frankie Liles, and very durable, rough, aggressive fighters like G-Man, Darius...etc. Glenn Johnson said something interesting when he beat Roy (who was past his prime at the time), and that was that most guys were intimidated by Roy throwing back and were afraid to jab, especially when close, to negate Roy's speed advantages and keep him pinned to the ropes. Benn was a HUGE puncher and actually a clever fighter later in his career and while I would DEFINITELY favor Roy in that fight, you are kidding yourself if you think he stood no chance to win.

I think that Roy was a great talent and great fighter. I also think that Roy was made to look more dominant and his fans exaggerate his greatness and invincibility because of the weak level of competition he faced between the Toney and Tarver fights (sorry, Virgil Hill was washed up, Mcallum was washed up, Montell was not an elite fighter, and Ruiz was a joke).