Roy Jones perfect HW pathway for 2003

I think a win over Tyson/Holyfield, just for name value, would have been great fun.

 

True, but it's just one of those "I've beaten the top names of my era" kinda thing.

 

Hmm. Even if Jones gets KO'd it won't hurt his legacy?
The Tarver KO hurts his legacy to many so called boxing fans, a Lewis KO at heavyweight would do the same thing.

 

The RJ that beat Ruiz could have beaten a lot of decent heavyweights...at that point. I'm talking about contenders out of the top 10-40 pool. However, I see the limit at about 6.3 and 220lbs. (I know Ruiz was a little heavier but flabby...he didn't have the natural HW power and certainly not the explosiveness to catch or counter Jones).
But the truth is; Roy declined pretty quickly from 2004 on...for whatever reason.

 

Even in 2003 and onward he doesn't beat Tyson or Holyfield.

 

Ofc no Tua, no Holyfield...but i see a decent chance that a ~2003 Tyson could beat himself in almost any situation, if his opponent survives the early rounds and keeps frustrating him. But i see him beat those Ruiz / Schulz guys any day ;-)
Btw: i'm not sure if the HW version of RJJ beats the HW version of James Toney in 2003. I'm pretty sure it would be a total diffrent fight compared to their super MW Fight in 94, where Roy humiliated Toney. But thats maybe a good topic for a separate threat.

 

I think he does. Both were spent by then.

 

Possibly a Joe Mesi fight in late 03 then having a cruiserweight bout with Tarver in the spring and then retiring.

 

Tbh you might be right


Would have been insane if he got those fights and pulled it off then retired

He would have seriously upped his overall historical ranking

 

Agreed. Just retiring after the Ruiz fight would have been enough.