Best fighter? RJJ, Benn or Eubank?

[BritishLion]

I'd say the 1994 Jones would have rocked Eubanks...

Eubanks lost to Steve Collins in 95... RJJ would have outboxed Collins back then.

He was simply too fast at Middleweight.


And RJJ didn't duck Benn. He was moving up to Light Heavyweight in 96, it was part of his career plan. He would have beaten Nigel after the McClellan fight, no question-- Benn was a diminished fighter after Mc knocked him through the ropes in round 1 (the ref gives a slow count, watch the tape), and knocked down again in the 8th. Brutal fights like that take their toll on boxers.


I'd predict a UD for Jones against Eubanks in 94-95, or possibly a late round TKO.

I disagree with everything you say.

[Master]

[vidgil]

RJJ without question, although I have a lot of respect for Eubank and Benn, I just don't believe there were on prime Roy's level.

[vidgil]

OH wow, just realized this was made shortly after the Tarver and Johnson KO's.

I still remember that Tarver KO with disdain. Seeing it live I felt like it was the end of an era, the end of a truly special fighter.

[Master]

OH wow, just realized this was made shortly after the Tarver and Johnson KO's.

I still remember that Tarver KO with disdain. Seeing it live I felt like it was the end of an era, the end of a truly special fighter.

It was shocking to see Roy knocked out like that. Tarver did have that great quote when the referee wanted to ask if there were any questions.

[vidgil]

Yes it was a great time for Tarver. It's just a shame Roy had to lose to such a mediocre fighter. To see him out hustled by Glen Johnson right after and then completely embarrassed by Hopkins.

[Master]

Yes it was a great time for Tarver. It's just a shame Roy had to lose to such a mediocre fighter. To see him out hustled by Glen Johnson right after and then completely embarrassed by Hopkins.

Glenn Johnson went on a good run after beating Jones, he went on to beat Tarver too.

[vidgil]

Ah yes, I was a big fan of Glen's for sure. Very humble, hard worker. Road Warrior was a great name for him, he was on the wrong end of more than a few home town decisions.

But to be realistic, Johnson and Tarver were never even close to being in the same class as a prime Jones, so it was sad for me to see him losing to guys he would have obliterated 2-3 years previous IMO.

[Master]

Ah yes, I was a big fan of Glen's for sure. Very humble, hard worker. Road Warrior was a great name for him, he was on the wrong end of more than a few home town decisions.

But to be realistic, Johnson and Tarver were never even close to being in the same class as a prime Jones, so it was sad for me to see him losing to guys he would have obliterated 2-3 years previous IMO.

If Roy retired after Ruiz he would be regarded as one of the ATG with Robinson et al.

[mikeeod]

This question depends on how you are defining "fighter". Roy was the most naturally gifted of the three, and would be my favorite in head to head match ups (understanding that this is boxing and all three could bang, so anything can happen). Benn was the meanest, best defined "fighter" of the trio (vice "boxer"). Eubank was, in my opinion, the most cerebral and awkward of the three, with arguably the biggest punch (all three were beasts in my opinion, but the shot Eubank landed on Watson was scary).

When looking at level of competition, I feel like Roy takes it with wins over Hop, Ruiz, Tarver, and Toney. Benn has G-Man and Barkley on his resume, while Eubank has Watson and Benn. Looking st the style match ups, Roy's natural gifts/speed are a nightmare for both, while Eubank probably gives Roy the harder fight than Benn.

Now for the controversial part of my post: I think Roy ducked both fighters and I started to lose respect for him for not fighting Benn after Nigel beat G-Man (Roy's friend). This was the period where Roy started to look at boxing as purely business and risk vs reward, and stopped chasing greatness. Seeing Gerald crippled definitely had an affect on Roy, and while I don't blame him for looking out for his and his family's best interests, I have to be honest and say it affects his historical rankings on many lists. The most frustrating aspect of this is that I'm pretty sure he could've run through Benn, Eubank, Darius, Collins, Frankie Liles (Collins/Liles would've been toughest style match ups of that group, but I still think Roy wins)...etc., and would've retired as one of the top two or three p4p ATGs EVER. Instead, we have to watch the most talented boxer ever lose to people who shouldn't even be his sparring partners. Sad.