Roy Jones, where did it all go wrong?

[marbleheadmaui]

Mike Macallum who is in the hall of fame was quoted saying after their fight "He's the greatest ever".... And Glen Johnson is just another tarver yapping away after oh wow he beat 35 year old jones who had just been knocked out. What else is going to say? And those that think the weight thing didn't have a impact watch jones take flush punches from Toney before the weight, a solid heavyweight punch in the first round from John Ruiz who dropped Evander. Then all of sudden Johnson who isn't a kayo puncher drops jones?

Even on the air merchant said "there was a time when Roy Jones never got hit by long looping punches like the one he was hit with with" in reference to Johnson kayoing him. Then sat next to Tarver and said "what happened to Roy, was what happened to all the greats, they stay around and eventually lose to fighters who are well below their level"

I think the point is that with the exception of Hopkins is that Johnson is about as much a 'throwback' as there is in modern boxing. Also this is not Johnson talking shit in the media etc, this is him having a serious conversation with a fellow boxer. His opinion is to be at least considered.

The fact is that if Jones was THAT great, he wouldn't have got flat KO'd by a guy who is apparently so below his level. Robinson, Pep, Armstrong, Ali & both Benny & Ray Leonard were getting beat up at the end of their careers, but they had more than enough ring savvy to ensure they didn't get rendered unconscious. Roy didn't & hasn't even against guys considerably less skilled than Tarver or Johnson.

One last thing. I wonder about the current view that Roy's chin was his weakness. I'm not so sure. I suspect anyone who is never taught and never practices how to take/roll with a punch could be one punched by a good fighter. Might it not be true that Roy's chin was adequate and his KO's were another example of a technical failing? If that's true and we want to play imaginary games? Think about Roy having been taught that!

I agree with this completely. I suspect he never really had to learn how to take punches because he was always able to dodge them. He never really had to learn how to handle himself when hurt so when he does get hurt bad, he either gets flattened or goes into a desperate shell on the ropes. Compare this with Hopkins when hurt against Pascal or Mayweather against Mosley. Both very defensively sound guys who are rarely hit clean, but when hurt immediately they tie up & then find spots to come back with something for the opponent.

Yup. We are going to miss JMM, Toney, BHOP and Floyd's technical prowess when they are gone. I'm just not sure among the younger guys have that same level of skill and craft. Ward maybe? Maybe. I fear we are losing some art permenently. Please tell me I'm just not thinking about some obvious guys in their 20's.

[JazMerkin]

Yup. We are going to miss JMM, Toney, BHOP and Floyd's technical prowess when they are gone. I'm just not sure among the younger guys have that same level of skill and craft. Ward maybe? Maybe. I fear we are losing some art permenently. Please tell me I'm just not thinking about some obvious guys in their 20's.

Ward, maybe Chad Dawson, but I'd be sceptical even there. The only hope would be that the future great might be under the radar in the way Hopkins & Toney were. I was having a similar discussion with my trainer just yesterday as he was lamenting the quality of fighters these days with a few notable exceptions.