Roy weighed in at 193 officially, but said he was re-weighed and actually was 200 and the scales were off.... On fight night on the unofficial HBO scales he was 199.. You really don't know what you are talking about. You should stop.
Had Jones retired after that fight, I've long held that he would right be considered (at worst) an unquestioned top 15 ATG. That fight answered the last remaining questions people had about Jones: How would he react when he could no longer be Superman in the ring? What would happen if RJJ was ever 'pushed' in fight? Did he have the 'heart' of a true champion? RJJ dug down deep and took that fight. And more importantly, he did so because he was crippling Tarver to the body early on, taking the gas outta Tarver late. And this is the same Tarver who had spent the past 10+ years dreaming of an RJJ fight. People also forget that Jones KNEW he wasn't right going into the fight. In the pre-fight locker room interview, I still remember him saying he was only about 75-80% back to being himself. IMO, he he retired, Alton Merkerson telling him "I need these last 2 rounds" and RJJ going out and get them would be thought of in the same respect as Dundee's "you're blowing it, son" was with SRL.
Seriously. Not to mention, even if Roy was 190, that's not the same as "walk around weight." It's one thing to cut fat and another to cut muscle. Dude is just a hater or like 12-years-old.
Good post.. I remember Roy walking into the ring, and Lampley wondering if a 7 out of 10 Roy would be enough to beat the motivated Tarver. Weight loss aside, 10 lbs, 20 lbs or 5 lbs, that was clearly not the same Roy Jones Jr, and it is disgusting that people don't realize how much heart and determination that took for him to overcome that fight.
There was a documentary, in it was about how Shilstone strategically trained Roy to put on muscle, gain power and still retain his speed.. Roy was visibly larger in the ring against Ruiz, i could see it with my own eyes, and it wasn't burger weight, it was pure muscle.. Dude must be a complete fool, Tarver getting his jaw broken and beat into submission by Harding was the best thing that happened to Tarver.. Or else, Tarver would have been in the ring with Roy in 2000, and would have been dismissed as another cab driver.:yep
im not 12 years old or a hater in fact i like roy.i just call it the way it is.roys problems with tarver was tarver.bad style for roy thats why roy never wanted the fight. PERIOD!
LOL. That's how I know he's a hater. Roy sent that letter to the IBF to buy time because he had a mandatory with the WBA and didn't want to be stripped. He suggested a box-off between Tarver and Harding and agreed to fight the winner. And then he did. Immediately. LOL @ him being scared of Tarver but moving back go 175 just to fight him, then giving him an immediate rematch, then taking 14 months off and jumping back in the ring with him with no tuneup. Some fans just make no ****ing sense
Why do Roy haters say they like him? every damn one.... Tarver was not a favorable style for Roy, but had Tarver fought Roy pre HW, it would have been a 8-4 type decision, with Roy possibly stopping Tarver late as he started to gas out. Roy was never quite the same after dropping from HW, he was already slipping visibly in his legs as early as the Woods fight, the drop back down in weight just sped up the inevitable. I actually think Roy was better in the second Tarver fight, but just got caught by a man that prepared for him. Was that prime Roy? hell no.. At that point he had gotten pretty lazy with his potshots, and his legs weren't near as fast.. He actually could have put his hands up and backed away after missing the lead right, but he threw that lazy left hook backing up... Do I think Tarver would have been able to load up on a punch like that against prime Jones? no way. Roy wanting the fight means nothing.. Tarver could have done his business and got in the ring with a better Roy years earlier, but I guess all things happen for a reason.. It was completely divine that Tarver will be remembered as the man who caught Roy Jones at the right time.
RJJ won clearly. The fact he didn't overwelm his opponet like he always did made this fight closer then it really was.
I think Eric Harding really frustrated Roy. That was a hard nights work for him. If Tarver had've beaten Harding, I think Roy would have had an easier nights work with him.
Roy looked like he could barely stand up the last 3 rounds... I have no idea where he was able to pull out that last bit of offense from that won him the last 2 rounds. In a 15 rounder, he may have been stopped. Roy did what champions do, he dug down and got it done... He had amazing heart.
Spot on, Head. As the lyrics go "when I fought average Tarver and he absolutely/shattered my fragile glass jaw/ya'all musta forgot!". Not to mention Tarver is a disgraced, proven PED cheat. Tarver-Jones 1 is now suddenly an ATG win? :roflatsch