the idea that a single hit from any fighter in history knocks jones out is about as outdated and foolish as the idea that jeffries was little more than a strongman wrestler who feasted on tiny white opponents. jones was more elusive than corbett. i know tunney idolized him. i know he changed the sport. jones was faster and more elusive than corbett and likely by a decent margin. corbett may have had a better punch, maybe not. he was definitely more durable. if chavez had caught pea, he could've put hiim away. but he didn't if rosario had caught up with camacho, he could've put him away. but he didn't if jeffries caught up with jones and landed clean and consistently he could put him away. but he wouldn't
I can't imagine Jones doing well with Jeffries or any other of the heavyweight greats. (Johnson, Louis, Marciano, Dempsey etc) Those fights could be interesting but Jones never was meant to be a heavyweight by nature; and I suppose some will argue the same for Marciano or Fitzsimmons. Fun to speculate though!!
I always find it interesting how much a fighter's retirement decision plays into their legacy. If Roy had retired in 2003, after 10 years at the top of the sport and beating Ruiz, we are certainly speaking of him in terms of SRL and probably closer to SRR. But because he unwisely chose to go on and started losing well after his prime, he is now considered a frail, chinny one-trick pony. Meanwhile, someone with a drastically shorter stay at the top, like Marciano, chose to quit at the right time, after "only" 3 and half years at the top, and he is remembered as being unbeatable and wins damn near every head to head match-up possible. A wonderful bit of intellectual inconsistency.
Roy Jones would destroy the primitive Jeffries. Much like how he was annihiliating Glenn Johnson, before he was momentarily stumbled by a very lucky blow and prematurely stopped.
seamus, the end of a fighter's career ONLY matters with roy jones. it's one of the rules of classic. which is why, despite a wealth of film proving he's a head to head nightmare with visual evidence, he loses almost every fantasy match up. featherweights? knock out roy. maxie rosenbloom? slaps him unconscious. why? because he at the very end when clearly shot gets knocked out. if you say the same about ezzard charles, matthew saad or midget wolgast you'll be chased out of the forum for judging them on their latter career loses.
yes, i believe i saw this posted on the boards rules when i first signed up. i love the rational for most on here when picking against jones. "you see jones will be winning all the rounds but late in the fight jones will get hit and ko'ed."
Well the late and lamented Klompton assured me that Roy Jones wasn't actually a real fighter anyway and since his knowledge of boxing (especially fighters that no one has ever seen fight) is unsurpassed I'll take that as gospel. Plus you forgot to mention that Jones only fought cops and sanitation workers anyway unlike the old timers who only fought elite professional athletes (who also happened to hold down full time jobs as cops,sanitation workers and winos but that's simply because they were tough enough to do both).
This link from contemporary newpapers states Jeffries was thrashed by Corbett for 20 rounds ,and was told by his corner he needed a ko to win. The New York Daily Tribune.July 3rd 1910. [The day before Jeffries got his arse kicked by Johnson.] "He took a terrific amount of punshment for 20rds". "Corbett battered him around so freely thst the big fellow looked foolish" "He utterly failed to reach Corbett and was made to look foolish" "Jeffries seconds told him he was an ex champion beyond doubt unless he did something". Bit different to your "interpretation" of their fight, but only to be expected.
Corbett hadn't won a fight in what, 6years? Jones was untouchable in his prime and his chin much better. Look at the bombs he took in the first Tarver fight, Ruiz who put Holyfield down maybe a bigger puncher than Jeffries too and he took his right, Toney said Sosa was the biggest puncher he'd ever faced and Jones took a few bombs from him