As with any current fighter having the 'great' tag thrown at them Jones understandably benefits by having majority live most or all of his career as it unfolded. Not recorded or point of research but for some the beginning to the very end. That is a special pretty cool feeling and I think always plays a part when comparing to greats gone by. Me personally I don't rank Jones in top all times great tier. It may be as simple as he can never say he cleaned house, swept out a division or adapted style once he lost a step. He was superb athleticism and reflex with not a lot of down to basic fundamentals to fall back on or retool off of. Might be a bit slighted but it's glaring that he had active threats at 168 and 175 and depending on what rose colored glasses you choose to wear, they never met. On paper woulda coulda shoulda does not equate to achieving the feat and beating fellow champs. That's not to say he didn't face top dogs..Toney and Hopkins namely. His all star wins ran the span of a year and a half really. Now to get the elephant out of the room, there is just no way that you can fairly say that Hopkins was in his peak or prime. Fact is he was 3 yrs in with so so amateur (?) career and fresh off of fighting on USA network and BET in some obscure ballroom. He simply had not even been to a big stage and more importantly he was a completely different style and approach than what he became so many years later. Seek and destroy..that was the name of the game. That aside Roy beat that version and did it impressively. But to think it was some peak vs peak face off is a bit skewed. Now Toney? I've changed my thought on that over the years. At the time I was on the "Toney was a fat heffer" bandwagon because frankly Toney was my fav. But truth be told I think Jones was the first..and probably the only..fighter to get into the head of Toney. I thing he was psyched out on top of the weight he came to camp with. But you know what, all credit to Jones for that. He did exactly what he needed to do regardless of the short comings of Toney. No excuses. Speed and reflex with a heavy dose of swagger ruled the ring. Mix in there Malinga and Hill destructions in what I think were two of his more impressive career wins. Tate had just come off a war with Julian Jackson in a fight that was much closer than scores indicated. He revenged Griffin but I've never bought 'he was jobbed' being dq'd in first fight. He was having a good competitive fight there. And again as a fighter he put himself in that position to be dq'd. That's on him. After Toney though it got a bit 168 silly. Paz did not belong in the ring and he and HBO were more interested in cycling up 'mandatory' defenses to satisfy the alphabet boys. Jones was a tremendous talent who I grew to respect in a way..except on the microphone ..but there will always be that what if for me. I had him 0-3 vs Tarver also in a case where just like Toney on the flip side, I think Tarver got into his head a bit. I'll never fault him and yell about him being afraid or the easily thrown around 'glass jaw'. I don't buy that. Again..defensive fundamentals rose to the top once he lost a step and some reflex. Roy was a very very comfortable fighter with HBO.