Roy Jones as a Middleweight champ

That´s why he wasn´t a great mw.

 

Jones also shut out future WBA champ Castro and ex WW champ Vaca. The manner he was beating people at the time was unbelievable. He was putting guys out in 1-2 rounds that went 12 with the best in the sport (Toney/Julian Jackson/Benn/Eubank). Mallinga many thought deserved many decisions over the best Benn/Eubank/Rochigiani, Jones won every round and knocked him out in 6. Jones dominated Hopkins with a damaged hand, shut out P4P no1 Toney

Instead of feasting on a weak MW divsion like Hopkins and Monzon would, Jones stepped up a few months after fighting at MW to fight the P4P no1 in Toney at 168 and then to become LHW and HW champ. Jones could have easily feasted on blown up past it LW/WWs and C Class opponents like Monzon did but went out looking for the bigger fights

 

Agreed.

 

He didn't do much at middleweight but the manner in which he did it was scintillating.

His combination of speed,power and evasiveness was incredible and rarely seen at any weight.

Take this fight with the never before or after stopped Thomas Tate who just prior to this took the thunderous punching Julian Jackson a very tough 12 rounds.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GvJjMawMtA[/ame]

Jones toys with,then destroys him.

Yes he didn't do enough to be rated as a great middleweight but he has to rate as a great middleweight talent.

 

He spent most of his developmental stage as a pro at middleweight. He moved up shortly after winning the title. Jones career should be evaluated as a whole, it spanned four divisons.

 

:deal

 

Jones was brilliant at 160 -168 ... I pick him to dice up Monzon ...

often forgotten was his brilliant destruction of Paz ... not that he beat him but ow he beat him ... lightning fast, deadly punching ... wow ...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB-8EisuQ68&feature=PlayList&p=B4A05C7DC585717D&index=0&playnext=1[/ame]

 

I dont think I would pick him over anyone in the squeaky clean 12 round modern era at the weight.

His resume isnt anything spectacular there though..that cannot be denied.

Obviously he gets his dues in p4p alltime rankings...nothing wrong with him scraping into top 175 rankings and topping 168 lists either.

But there have been quite a few who have accomplished more at the 160 limit.

 

Some really great in-fighting and body punching there. Great technique. Stonehands should watch this clip.:thumbsup

 

The middleweight division was horrible after the early 90's but had Roy Jones fastened up his process of developing into a pro, there may have been some very, very interesting fights for him:

1. Julian Jackson
2. James Toney
3. Reggie Johnson
4. Roy Jones Jr.
5. Mike McCallum
6. Sumbu Kalambay
7. Gerald McClellan
8. Lamar Parks
9. Bernard Hopkins
10. Thomas Tate

 

To be honest I never really saw the big deal about Jones's performance against Pazienza. Sure he looked good but he looked plenty good in other fights as well, and against better opposition. Pazienza got the Roy Jones fight, the top p4p fighter at the time, for struggling with an ancient Duran in two fights. Enough said about his credibility as an opponent, although it must also be noted that he was a former lightweight coming off a serious neck injury.

I'm surprised that it took Roy 6 rounds to finish the job when he stopped durable middleweights inside 3 rounds.

 

Most of those went north by the time Jones was champ or dropped out the rankings but Jones still dominated 5 of those men on that list

 

Very good post PP. I agree with everything you typed.