Who's to Blame? RJJ or DM?

Both are to blame. Basically it was all about DM not willing to travel to the U.S. for the fight and RJJ not wanting to fight in Germany. I guess if any of the two was willing to travel to the other ones backyard that fight would have happened. But both felt more comfortable staying at home. No risk, no reward...

Still, I have to say that DM should take just a little bit more of the blame since RJJ is/was the bigger star, he's an ATG while DM was just a very good fighter, and RJJ was considered to be the real champ while DM only held the WBO belt.

As much as I like DM though, I have problems seeing him win this fight, even in Germany. DM had good boxing skills, but RJJ was on another level, so I see RJJ outboxing him all night long, with DM having little more than a good punchers chance.

 

One wouldn't fight in the states, the other one no where overseas

 

where's the canada option?

....and don't even get me started on the lack of tomato can.

 

Yeah, RJJ being the bigger star and how the U.S. was clearly the boxing mecca at the time, DM had to come over to the US to make it happen. You don't dictate to the P4P guy where he will be fighting.

 

I think I heard in a interview that Roy did before a fight that he offered DM for a shot and he refused, I could be wrong

 

There have been lots of talks about RJJ avoiding the top fights but who did he really avoid? I mean he was dominating anyone they put in front of him. Why would he be afraid of any fighter during his prime? I don't get it. Can someone explain who he dodged?

 

Both are to blame..BUT....at the time Roy was the better known, more established champion. If Dariuz really wanted the fight, he should have just come over a took his chances.So instead he fought schmoes over in Europe, while Jones fought Schmoes in the USA.

 

Darius never would have wanted that fight.He was another fighter of the same ilk as Sven Ottke.Those fighters were making ALOT of money comfortably beating up B level fighters.If succesful theres no need to change the recipe.As much as we would all have loved to have seen that fight we know what the result would have been.A relatively easy Roy UD.

 

I have to completely disagree. Dariusz dominated Griffin and KO'd Thadzi, who both beat James Toney. He clearly beat a prime Virgil Hill, unifying the titles. He KO'd many good opponents. He was the first to KO the tough Rocchigiani. Dariusz was a very courageous fighter who walked through more punishment to turn around fights than anybody I have seen at LHW. How can he be compared to Ottke?

That said, I believe Roy would have beaten Dariusz, because in his prime Roy was from another world. But it would not have been easy, I believe it would have been similar to Calzaghe - Kessler. Dariusz has to stuff to force out the best in Roy. Both deserve blame for not making it happen.

 

How much greater would've RJJ's legacy been had he beaten DM and beaten Hopkins in a rematch? A lot or just a little?

 

Stop browsing Boxrec and then Re read my post. You seem to have missed out my opening comments.

As for Griffin and Thadzi big deal.Drake was a nobody and beat a Fat out of shape Toney to the punch. Griffin meanwhile got his ass handed to him by RJJ. Decent opponents yes.But not the type to make Darius anything more than what he was.In between the Harmons and Halls Darius fought a tremendous amount of flotsom.He was certainly better than the fighters he was facing but by the tim he faced Gonzalez who got owned by RJJ he was simply eating punches and had very little defense to speak of. Darius much like Sven was just an opportunist.Thats German boxing all over.

 

A Hopkins rematch would have been nice but the result would have been the same. DM for me wouldnt have mattered.Back then RJJ was simply on auto pilot and coasted through all contenders with stunning ease.He was too good for his own good and thats why he was villified so much.But at the end of the day Roy brought clairty to 75. There was a time when he held 7 of the titles at 75.That was an incredible achievement.I still have a photo of him in my collection with Roy holding all those dam belts.

 

DM was a nobody. He had a padded record, and held a meaningless belt. It's the same old story.

RJJ was the man. RJJ had the belts. RJJ had the name recognition. RJJ dictates the terms. Plain and simple. Nobody would pay for a pay per view to see DM unless he was fighting RJJ.

DM should've fought on RJJ's terms if he wanted RJJ's titles...He didn't. He hid in obscurity.

 

I would say that anyone who beats a prime Griffin and Toney as pretty good though.