If Roy Jones Never Moved Up To Heavyweight How Different Would His Career Be?

I guess it depends on the timing of those meetings. But yes he was better than that crew

 

Never beats Tarver easily, ever.

 

Tarver was a lot like Harding but with big power, better timing, and a chin. Harding was taking Jones to what likely wouldve been a close decision loss but had to stop with a significant injury. Roy may have beaten Tarver by a couple of rounds more if he hadn't gone to heavyweight, but his career likely would've played out the same unless he froze Tarver out of a rematch. I do not believe that the result of the rematch had anything to do with Roy having had a fight at heavyweight.

 

I don't buy Jones' weight jump as an excuse... which gets exaggerated because his actual in ring weight has consistently always been 180-190 anyways....And the fact that Tarver was more dominate in the rematch well after Jones had time to adapt to the weight...surely he would have been weaker in the first match...if that was the case.

I think in truth he just got old, slowed down, and Tarver was a bad match up...who was very confident and not intimidated at all. I still think Jones got shook by the "what's your excuse" comment at the start of the rematch.

And as others pointed out...taking on Johnson too soon after a brutal KO loss. His punch resistance and confidence in his durability never returned.

 

Tarver couldn't beat a weight drained Jones coming down from heavyweight.

 

He still ends up meeting Tarver, struggling against him then getting kod.

 

He also laid Jones out cold.

 

Yes after Jones was totally spent.

 

In a fanboy’s eyes.

 

Nice reply lol.

 

Jones was like Ali in that he depended on his extraordinary physical gifts as opposed to good/ great fundamentals. Both of their careers peaked at roughly the same time, ( Though we never truly saw Ali's peak )
Unlike Ali, Jones decline was almost overnight. I do believe the Weight gain and loss was a factor. Along with his age, and the fact of better competition in Tarver all factored in to his demise.
It's hard to say if Jones fought Tarver prior to his heavyweight exploits the results wouldn't be the same.
Tarver had the ability , quickness, and power to be a serious threat to Jones at anytime during his super middle/lt .heavyweight exploits. Also the desire to beat him. Tarver seemed to want it more. Especially the 2nd fight.
Jones career may have lasted a little longer if he didn't jump to heavyweight and back down to Lt.heavy. But ultimately if Tarver didn't get him some other fighter would've. The losses did demonstrate Jones chin wasn't that great. And how great his physical ability was to have hidden that fact for such a long time. In his prime his reflexes enabled him to ride or completely make his opponents miss their punches.
But as he aged it was only a matter of time someone would catch him cleanly, ko him suddenly, violently.

 

He’d have lasted longer at the highest level, but I still think that he’d have fought until his 40’s.

Unless he’d have changed his style to have compensated for his age, he’d have needed to have dropped down several levels in order to have avoided defeat.

 

he was not even weight drained in the tarver rematch. in the first fight he won yes, in the rematch where he was KOD no

 

Or stayed at heavyweight.

There were big paydays to be had, win lose or draw.

 

I never understood what the plan was with Jones after Ruiz.

I remember seeing an interview on Joe Rogan with Andre Ward and he said Roy and him had at one point the same management. Jones was offered 8 figures to fight Tyson. He instead chose to fight Tarver saying the Tyson fight would be there after. One of his nutrionist/trainer Mackie Shillstone (apologize for the spelling if I get it wrong) told him under no circumstances go back to light heavy, Jones didn't listen.

I think the end was coming for Jones sooner rather than later anyway as he was already past the date when most guys physical gifts start slowing down. Would of been easier for him to take the L against Tyson (or the W, Tyson was also almost done as well) than the L's from Tarver twice and Johnson