Steve Collins vs Roy jones jr

[Dropanuke]

I think the issue is that nobody wanted to travel!
Roy didn't want to travel and when someone like Collins got in his face Roy's team were like nah we don't want the hungry Collins

[Bobthepen]

They were all at fault. Ego is a terrible disease. Nobody wanted to go to the others back yard. I've always felt a little robbed as a fan that none of those took place. Eubank at his peak would have been the toughest for Roy imo.

Thank God Leonard, Duran, Hagler, Hearns and Benitez never felt the same way.

As I said below, the fab four fought each other in round robins over a ten year period. Leonard waited years for Hagler to grow old. Had they had an 18 month window like Jones the fight would never have happened.
Also, I didn't see any of the fab four knocking down McCallum's door.

Leonard fought Benitez late 1979 (end of Nov) and then fought Duran twice in six months starting in June 1980 and then again at the end of November. Then he fought Hearns 9 months later Sept 1981.
Hearns fought Benitez in 1982, Duran in 1984 and Hagler in 85. Duran fought Benitez in 82 and Hearns and Hagler in 83 and 84.

I included the hearns-leonard rematch. It's still a lot longer than 18 months.

[imp]

Why should roy have to travel?

I know its ego that have prevented alot of good fights from happening but surely the guy at the top of the hill gets first choice/preference.

Roy jones is stuck in greed mode and will take any named fighter.
Jones has been finished for so long its a joke.

[IamInuit]

They were all at fault. Ego is a terrible disease. Nobody wanted to go to the others back yard. I've always felt a little robbed as a fan that none of those took place. Eubank at his peak would have been the toughest for Roy imo.

Thank God Leonard, Duran, Hagler, Hearns and Benitez never felt the same way.

As I said below, the fab four fought each other in round robins over a ten year period. Leonard waited years for Hagler to grow old. Had they had an 18 month window like Jones the fight would never have happened.
Also, I didn't see any of the fab four knocking down McCallum's door.

Leonard fought Benitez late 1979 (end of Nov) and then fought Duran twice in six months starting in June 1980 and then again at the end of November. Then he fought Hearns 9 months later Sept 1981.
Hearns fought Benitez in 1982, Duran in 1984 and Hagler in 85. Duran fought Benitez in 82 and Hearns and Hagler in 83 and 84.

I included the hearns-leonard rematch. It's still a lot longer than 18 months.

And that's not long at all especially since they were all shuffling weight classes. I mean Floyd takes 18 months off after almost every fight.

[bzkfn]

Why should roy have to travel?

I know its ego that have prevented alot of good fights from happening but surely the guy at the top of the hill gets first choice/preference.

Roy jones is stuck in greed mode and will take any named fighter.
Jones has been finished for so long its a joke.

What has become so frustrating with boxing though is that the top guy hasn't wanted to give himself a challenge by giving up those advantages. When you're that good, you don't need them and the fans want to see the top guy prove himself. I think people loved Ali for this. He had no qualms in coming over to the UK for the Cooper fight. He didn't need to but he did it anyway. Taking a chance like this can only help your fan base grow as well.

If you can make more money fighting at home though, why wouldn't you do that?

[ruthless rocco]

i was a big fan of roy jones when i was younger and more naive... now i see he was a bit of a bitch pussy. knowingly fighting bums and claiming to be the best in the world all the while dodging credible opponents in favour of "ranked fighters" and bullshit mandatories that were utter garbage. being protected by and hiding behind the belts. kind of looks like a joke now when you compare him to other blood and guts all time greats.

[Hulk]

i was a big fan of roy jones when i was younger and more naive... now i see he was a bit of a bitch pussy. knowingly fighting bums and claiming to be the best in the world all the while dodging credible opponents in favour of "ranked fighters" and bullshit mandatories that were utter garbage. being protected by and hiding behind the belts. kind of looks like a joke now when you compare him to other blood and guts all time greats.

Nonsense.

Roy dominated a guy named Reggie Johnson. Former two time champion and embezzeler extradonaire. Collins was quite familiar with him.

[ross]

i was a big fan of roy jones when i was younger and more naive... now i see he was a bit of a bitch pussy. knowingly fighting bums and claiming to be the best in the world all the while dodging credible opponents in favour of "ranked fighters" and bullshit mandatories that were utter garbage. being protected by and hiding behind the belts. kind of looks like a joke now when you compare him to other blood and guts all time greats.

Nonsense.

Roy dominated a guy named Reggie Johnson. Former two time champion and embezzeler extradonaire. Collins was quite familiar with him.

Yeah and it was only 7 years and 3 losses later...

[imp]

Cant knock roys achievements pre tarver.

Perhaps he knows he can make money from his name and is going down the holyfield route.

He does not care about winning or loosing anymore

[roberto duran legend]

Roy Jones should have retired long ago,its a shame to see him fight now , he is just a shadow
of his former self.He gets kod far too often,dont want to see the man end up like Ali.

[ruthless rocco]

pre tarver roy fought some very questionable opponents. a cop, a mechanic, a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker. roy probably fought a male nurse.

[Dropanuke]

I heard that Roy fought a Gardner and a scaffolder!
And a skip lorry driver

[imp]

So roy jones is overated now?

Lets just say he ducked a prime collins and leave it at that..wow.

[Dropanuke]

He is not over rated at all!
If he is then so is Tyson and Ali! If anything Ali is over rated for beating about 5 names through his career including Henry cooper which isn't anything to brag about tbh.
At least Roy beat a prime bernard and prime toney and hold all the belts etc etc and then win a world title?
Some people might say "yeah but John Ruiz" but that's like saying manny vs wladimir klitschko!

[Spicoli]

I dont know, there has to be a reason why they never fought, including Benn and Eubank. It cant just be everyone elses fault can it? Even Mike Tyson probably the most feared fighter of the last 30 years had people queuing to fight him for the purse. Same as any feared fighter. They generate money.

Unless its a high risk low reward fighter (Bika) but having Jones scalp would be high reward. I do think I remember he wasnt a really big money fighter back then though. He wasnt put on British tv until 96. I remember the first fight of his on British tv was the Bryant Brannon fight. Maybe there was just not enough money or interest involved for the likes of Benn and Eubank who were relatively big earners.

Jones made his super middle debut against Toney at the end of '94, and was testing the waters at light heavy by January '96
Eubank lost his title to Collins in early 95, then rematched Collins in late '95. Benn wanted easy paydays after McClellan in early '95, and lost his championship a year later.

I think it was as much a case of too small a window to sort these fights out.

Thats pretty much true for Jones after Toney I'd say. When Benn was coming off the fight of his life Jones saw fit to ride a bloated HBO contract and beat up an obvious mis matched Pazienza and Thorton who was coming off an out and out robbery 'w' to a 50-50 Lenzie Morgan.

I do think there was a small window for Jones v Benn after McClellan. I remember reading articles in Ring and elsewhere where Benn called for it ( though saying it might be an uphill battle) and Jones saying basically...maybe later, but not right now.

I cannot get over the irony of Roy clamouring for relevance today by going overseas for paydays while back at the top he would hear nothing of it and literally yell that he wasn't being payed enough to take the risk. I wish he would retire and call fights from ringside.