How do you beat a prime RJJ?

Best suggestions that I can manage.

Invest in a body attack, because it is the only part that you are likely to hit, and it will incrementally weaken him.

Think about which punches are hardest to avoid going back, such as hooks and uppercuts.

When he pulls back, throw a feint, and then go in with hook.

Remember that you will get paid for this, even if you lose!

 

Some on there maybe, big maybe. Fulmer, Graziano, Basilio, I don't see at all.

 

Southpaws seemed to give Jones the most problems Del Valle knocked Jones down, Harding gave Jones a competitive fight, and of course Jones lost twice to Tarver although not at his best.

So based on that Southpaws like Michael Nunn, Marvin Hagler, Marvin Johnson, Michael Moorer, Joe Calzaghe, i would suspect would be dangerous fights for Jones, and even underrated Frankie Liles who beat Jones as an Amateur would be a good fight IMO.

 

To beat him at super middle? Good luck.

 

I don't think Robinson could do it because his defense is too leaky. There, I said it.

Remember Roycott? He was fighting a lot of terrible opponents for awhile. He fought nobodies AND he made them look like nobody. Once you get past Hill, Toney and a green Hopkins, you get to Clinton Woods, John Ruiz, and Pazienza pretty quickly. These aren't great wins to me, even though they were awesome performances. Roy went from Hero to Zero so quickly that it's hard to tell what was really there in an all time head-to-head sense.

I think Tarver gives him close fights at any time period of Roy's career. Montell Griffin laid a good blueprint. Don't give Roy ANY leeway for his strengths to flourish. What are Roy's strengths? Reflexes and counterpunching and power punching. When he steps back, you step back, when he prods, just don't engage. When he sees you trying to engage, just don't. Then take a beat, and pop a jab, feint another punch but don't throw it and just move away.

Roy was not frequently a jab master, he had a fast strong jab though. So if you can dry out the fight to be a pure battle of jabs, then you have a shot. Roy could just leap in and take your head off, so you have to be prepared to disengage even at a traditionally safe distance. People were scared to do this with Jones because typically in a jab battle, the faster guy will win. But that's if you don't control the terrain. In neutral space, the better timed jab wins.

Marvin Hagler: This is where I feel Hagler would succeed, he could switch his stance and make it a jab battle. I think Hagler's fundamental style at range would give Roy troubles if he never got too committed. I also think Hagler picks targets very well, Roy would give you a target, and block another, in hopes he could bait you in. I think Hagler would be smart enough to not fall into a trap and take what was there, even if it meant punching on Roy's guard.

Prime Hopkins: There isn't enough talk about how Hopkins peaked in 2001, but Roy's fight with Hopkins was in 1993. If you gave Hopkins this fight in 2001, he would have won, even though Roy was up at LHW busy fighting less-than-stellar opposition. Hopkins could just be steady, cagey, and not try to bully him. I think the Tarver-Hopkins-Jones trinity kind of shows what I think about this fight potentially taking place. A jab battle at range

Tarver: He's a big, rangy southpaw with good pop and some good combinations. Super tight and technical with his punches. He also knew when to engage Roy and was able to create the right distance to see Roy's (less explosive by that point) leaps coming. I think if they fought in-prime the results would be similar, though. Tarver looked to be too big and physically sturdy for RJJ in addition to a technically sound southpaw.

The idea you're gonna put a tough guy in there like Fullmer and have him wear Roy down, it won't work. The idea of just "endure" his punches then beat him to the body and stifle him, I just don't think works. Roy's style relied a lot on putting his adversaries in horrible spots to hit them double hard, these horrible spots were when they tried to attack, also RJJ's power is nearly impossible to endure. He will clip you if you step into his zone. Fullmer, Robinson would get caught looking and put down badly.

I think Hagler is a good answer but I feel he would get hit too cleanly as well and get sliced and diced and maybe dropped/stopped with a flurry thereafter. I think Joe Calzaghe is too wide open and would eat a few bombs and be soundly stopped. Joe was only able to implement his style on a totally shopworn version of Roy with no reflexes and no stopping power left. Joe gets more credit because Roy was able to "find a punch" and salvage the idea that there was top level ability left in RJJ, well like that punch, it didn't exist (it was a forearm). A come forward guy without a ton of pop doesn't sound good to me. But I can see his awkward style and movement maybe creating a style clash where Joe C. could win.

The bottom line is: it's hard to pick anyone against a prime RJJ. He was simply the best I've seen.

 

The way to look at it, is why is he so dangerous, and how do you nullify it?

Certainly not by playing his game.

You will not go too far wrong against fighter who is hard to pin down, if you move your attack from the head to the body.

You will not go too far wrong against a fighter who is fast, if you smother them.

If a fighter uses unorthodox tactics, like pulling their head back, then use the paunches and combinations that are hardest to time.

Use feints so that he is getting out of the way, in the wrong direction.

What is probably not going to work, is giving him room to do what he wants.

 

You cannot, he's invincible, same as a prime Tyson and a prime SRR.
They are the Holy Trinity.

 

Guys like Moore and Charles would brutalise him. I think it’s possible Bivins and Harold Johnson could take a win, Toney going in on all cylinders has a shot…

 

Wake up and be Montel Griffin but be humble and don't get Roy's attention. Maybe he underestimate you and then ofcourse you gotta dig up Eddie Futch to map out the strategy.

Otherwise you up shi! Creek.

 

Jab, Jab, Jab , Hearns before Barkley. Hearns would be extremely tough for Jones Jr because he had an educated and excellent jab, plus the threat of that right hand. Hearns also was no slouch with the hand speed.
Qawi. A walking tank, who was defensively sound at his best, knew how to pressure without taking a lot of punches.
Spinks and Foster. Both had significant height and reach advantages, great jabs, and devastating power, again Jones Jr. Would be in a situation where one misstep, one laspes of concentration. Fight would be over for him.
Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles both had the skills and power to offset Jones Jr. Speed .
Monzon and Hagler. If the fight is a 15rd. I'd pick both to get Jones Jr. Late in the fight.

 

Being a super heavyweight

 

How do you defeat RJJ? Hit him on the chin...

 

I’d add Foster as well.

 

Charles
Spinks
Moore
Foster

The 4 pillars of Light Heavyweight supremacy. They have the best chance.

 

Be a tall lanky fighter …preferably orthodox…who knows how to use height and reach to your advantage….use the jab …box him. …..too many guys gave up on trying to outbox Roy Jones and tried to make it a brawl….which of course played right into his hands