Who else could Jones have faced to improve his legacy?

[Master]

Tyson and holyfield at heavy maybe even Lennox.

Mclelland maybe?

[Gandalf]

Jones Jr is another one of them where you can say "ooh lovely reflexes and quite apt punch placement" and then you look at the record and say this isn't Sugar Ray Robinson. And then towards the end you start thinking "well it's now getting like the later Sugar Ray Robinson!". But different leagues really.

I think Calzaghe outworks him anytime in the 21st century BTW. Jones Jr was good, but he has a pansy heart.

[JazMerkin]

Jones Jr is another one of them where you can say "ooh lovely reflexes and quite apt punch placement" and then you look at the record and say this isn't Sugar Ray Robinson. And then towards the end you start thinking "well it's now getting like the later Sugar Ray Robinson!". But different leagues really.

I think Calzaghe outworks him anytime in the 21st century BTW. Jones Jr was good, but he has a pansy heart.

Don't get it twisted, Jones had heart. I still feel there were guys he missed out on, any of Eubank, Benn, Michalczewski, McClellan, Nunn as well as actually giving Hopkins a rematch and fighting Calzaghe earlier. Had he done all of those, with only the B-Hop rematch around 01-02 would I have had some major doubts that he would have won. His record is nowhere near as bad as some make out, but he did avoid certain challenges that were there. He also didn't do enough to make himself the best LHW of all time, regardless of the excuses about weight, he was flat KO'd by Antonio Tarver & Glen Johnson who were two of the better 175lbers he faced. The only one he beat who was better was Virgil Hill and he was coming off a one-sided loss.

Jones was possibly the best athlete in the history of the sport, but the best find ways to adapt. He was always great when things were going his way, and the rematch KO of Griffin is one of the best statements in a ring that I've ever seen, but he never really showed he could cope with things when his back was against the wall. The closest you've got is the fact he didn't quit against Calzaghe, but he played to survive rather than win.

[jdonaher1]

I'm not sure all of these would help his legacy but here's a few:

Middleweight - Reggie Johnson & Mike McCallum (he could have fought either of these guys around 93-94 and both wins would be more impressive then the wins he got over them at lightheavy.

Supermiddle - Micheal Nunn & Gerald McClellan (Nunn was still thought of as great fighter at 168lb and McClellan was dangerous) I don't think fighting Calzaghe would have done becasue until 2006 Joe was thought as a fable.

LightHeavy - Michalczewski & Virgil Hill sooner (He should have fought Hill around 1996 and Michalczewski in Germany right after that. Beat him in Germany would show some true balls)

Cruiser - James Toney - Rematch with Toney right after he beat Jirov 2004.

Heavy - Evander & Tyson - Both of those fights would have made tens of millions of dollars as well.

[JonesJrMayweather]

Jones Jr is another one of them where you can say "ooh lovely reflexes and quite apt punch placement" and then you look at the record and say this isn't Sugar Ray Robinson. And then towards the end you start thinking "well it's now getting like the later Sugar Ray Robinson!". But different leagues really.

I think Calzaghe outworks him anytime in the 21st century BTW. Jones Jr was good, but he has a pansy heart.

Jones would have put calzaghe to sleep....

[Majesty]

Tyson and holyfield at heavy maybe even Lennox.

Mclelland maybe?

McClellan before he could ever have his fight with Jones had his career cut short by the Benn fight sadly. And afterwards they say benn lost his passion for boxing so I doubt jones woul have gotten much credit if he had beaten him.

I really don't think there was anyone else Jones could have beaten to "cement his legacy" because if he would have fought and embarassed them it wouldn't go anywhere for him. Because even now, they look a step in class below Jones, and that was without them even on his record. So I agree, Jones' legacy is probably one of the best boxing has had in the last 20 years if you consider the era. You'll be hard pressed to find people with a better resume in terms of legacy in his era. Oscar and Trinidad probably.