WHAT IF...Roy Jones had stayed at heavyweight?

[paddy448]

While that COULD have happened, there was no point in time in his career where Wladimir wasn't an accurate and powerful puncher...and honestly nobody knows how Roy would have handled a power punch from any heavyweight, much less a guy with power like Wladimir.

Roy would have tried to use angles and speed but hell that's what Chris Byrd tried to do 2 times vs Wladimir and both times he failed to bother Wlad.

Roy would have had easier times with Evander and Tyson mainly because they were older and not what they used to be.

Agreed. Roy would never be able to stop any of the 2 brothers while at HW, at any point in time. For one he was 34 years old when he was fighting at HW at this time and did not possess the handspeed at this weight and age. And as you mentioned, could he take a hit from a good HW?

Wlad was not the fighter he is now, but a 2003 Wlad was no scrub.

his speed was still incredible i thought

[Jody Lane]

Roy could have beaten a couple decent heavyweights, I think he could have worked over Evander and the old Mike Tyson simply because of his handspeed.

I think Chris Byrd (of the smaller heavyweights) would have been a very tough fight for him though. A rematch with James Toney would have been interesting OR even more interesting a fight with Vassily Jirov which had been talked about for quite some time.


No way he would have been able to hang with the big boys though, Lennox, Wlad, Vitali....all too big, too strong, too skilled for Roy to be able to use his skills to his advantage.

I hate to pick on Wlad, but at the time Jones was at Heavy Klit was not the more composed seasoned fighter he is now. Jones would have been elusive, Wlad would have gassed and Jones had enough power to stun and create a TKO.

I think the size of Wlad would have held him at bay. Can't see a David and Goliath here.

[El Kabong]

[his speed was still incredible i thought

I think the biggest issue for Roy at heavyweight is that the jumping in and out of the danger zone the way he did at lighter weights would have been more dangerous and less effective vs the bigger heavyweights as Roy would have to jump in from waaaaay far away and then get in really close to avoid punishment.

Roy would have been a heavyweight like Bob Foster, it wouldn't have been long before Roy got caught.

[Dr. Steelhammer]

All I can is Roy is lucky he didn't stay there long enough and meet his demise.

[ICB]

Roy could have beaten a couple decent heavyweights, I think he could have worked over Evander and the old Mike Tyson simply because of his handspeed.

I think Chris Byrd (of the smaller heavyweights) would have been a very tough fight for him though. A rematch with James Toney would have been interesting OR even more interesting a fight with Vassily Jirov which had been talked about for quite some time.


No way he would have been able to hang with the big boys though, Lennox, Wlad, Vitali....all too big, too strong, too skilled for Roy to be able to use his skills to his advantage.

Would of loved to have seen James Toney vs Roy Jones Jr 2, i love both fighters but James Toney was a weight drained mess when they fought. A rematch would of been much more competitive, especially at Heavyweight.

Bernard Hopkins vs James Toney at Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, would also have been brilliant. And that is one of my dream match ups.