Could RJJ have been the best Cruiser ever..

No...Nor the best LHW! I personally am not sold on his greatness above 168....I think at 160-168 MW/SMW he is on par with anyone. LHW and up he was very good/borderline great, but not great in my estimation.

 

Not the best ever, but he could have wroght havoc.

The cruiserweight division wasn’t very strong at the time, and he was doing the business at light heavy and heavy.

I think he basically bypassed it because he thought it was beneath him at the time!

 

The first guy with cruiser power would of given him some ****, in his day Roy had mad skills. As he moved up and down weights he ruined himself.

 

Who though?

Tarver was far more dangerous than any cruiser around at the time.

 

Not the greatest but he could have improves his legacy.


I'd prefer him to have fought Tyson, holy, Toney and Byrd at HW.

 

I personally think that Tarver could have beaten a lot of the heavyweights and cruiserweights ,who could have made up his theoretical legacy.

Now if I am right, then he made a massive miscalculation by stepping down

 

No.

 

No. Jones could not take a punch. This wasn't a problem at middle, but it was at light heavy, and would be an even bigger one at Cruiser.

 

he was not durable enough to be the best cruiserweight, and eventually he would have to get that chin tested. A guy move up and his chin is tested more and more.

 

it was a problem after he moved back down from heavyweight, if he would have stayed at cruiser instead of going back down to 175, he could of had some success. don't think he'd be regarded as the best cruiser ever but that's not saying much. it's holyfield then no one else at that weight.

 

He could've done some damage but can you imagine him running into Holyfield?:yikes

As Phily says he is on par with anyone from 160-168 but there's plenty I'd favour over him LH + Cruiser.

 

While I don't believe he could have, it seems a serious question and one worth discussion.....Not sure why you feel this is a troll thread????

 

Speaking of Tarver and the dangers he presented as an opponent somewhere between 2000-2003 there was talk of RJJ moving up to CW and fighting Jirov and Jirov called him out more than once. I genuinely believe Jones ended up going to HW to fight Ruiz because he thought it was an easier fight, lower risk higher reward, and ducked Jirov. I also think Jirov would have beat him circa 2000-2003, so would have JCG.

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[url]http://www.secondsout.com/usa-boxing-news/usa-boxing-news/jones-v-jirov-terms-agreed[/url]

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[url]http://www.secondsout.com/columns/paul-upham/jirov-locks-target-on-jones1[/url]

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^I don't see Jirov beating him. Too slow and easily hit.

If he moved up two or three years before the Ruiz fight, he could've been. Cruiser doesn't have that deep of a history and if he unified there he'd be in the discussion for best cruiser. After Ruiz, it's doubtful. He wouldn't have had too much left even if he didn't fight Tarver.