How did RJJ lose to Tarver?

Roy won the first fight

The second fight was a SouthPaw's Left Hook that Roy didn't see - while throwing his own Left Hook.

The third fight - Roy was just scared. Plus - Tarver rocked him in the late rounds. Roy was in survival mode this whole fight.

 

Jones himself, in a moment of rare humility, admitted after the third fight that Tarver woulda given him all he could handle even 5-10 years ago.

 

but he would have beaten him in their prime

 

I agree, but that's what Jones said. Strange.

 

I think Roy Jones said that Tarver would've given him trouble, because he was (and still is) in denial about his diminished abilities.

Tarver hit Jones flush, because Jones no longer had the superior reflexes. He's still fast as hell, and can still hit, but the reflexes are pretty shot.

The weight draining killed him, father time caught up with him, and once he got knocked out once, he became scared for the first time in his career.

Jones would've given Tarver the same beating (in their respective primes) that he gave EVERYONE else...

 

Tarver Just Had Roys number. Every fighter has a person like that in there life. Not necessarily better just gives the individual problems.

 

Do you really think he would've taken a prime RJJ, or do you think he just had the number of a weight-drained, old, and shot RJJ?

 

Tarver wouldn't have done **** against a prime Jones. He'd have got the same treatment the rest got

He caught RJJ at the right time, and has lived off it ever since. He's proven himself as a mediocre fighter, getting dominated by old man Mary. A prime RJJ boxed rings around Hopkins and Toney, are we supposed to believe Tarver would have done something different?

 

He got KTFOed.

 

Rarely do we agree, but you're 100% correct.

That's like saying that Danny Williams or McBride would've beaten a prime Tyson.

Or Trevor Berbick would've beaten a prime Ali.

It's a joke. NOBODY from 168-175 would've beaten RJJ at his prime.

 

It was easier to give Tarver credit than admit he is shot to pieces

I wish he would retire, greats fighting well past their sell by date is the saddest thing in boxing