Roy Jones Jr. vs. Holyfield Was Suppose To Happen Oct 4. 2003

I think so.
Late, but he'd get it. Mainly because he'd be doing things Roy would not like 1 iota. Like using his head in there a ton. Landing punches to his shoulders. And forcing Roy to use these legs every second of every round trying to maintain distance. Which he would be unable to do and the leg fatigue sets in early and the potshotting/take a rest part of the fight is over by the 5th round. Then, it's a physical fight.

Ruiz is not the kind of guy to do those things but Evander would. But it would take a long time to catch him and begin that grind. And I sure do not like the Jones habit of falling in when throwing that right hand lead from way on the outside against this guy. Evander is the type to fire off a left counter in a nanosecond and it's Jones who does not have his legs or defense set for that punch.

 

would have been a good fight but Holyfield was too much, he was too proven a HW.

AT cruiser Roy wouldhave had a better chance. Evander was too far gone to make the weight by then.

 

Although I agree that an over the hill Holyfield would most likely get to Jones late, I totally disagree that Roy would have a better chance at Cruiserweight. At Cruiserweight, a young Holyfield would make it a firefight early and Roy would NOT weather the storm. Although Roy may be more talented than Dwight Qawi in many ways, he was nowhere near as difficult to hurt. I see 40 year old Holyfield winning by TKO in 9-10 rounds. I see young Holyfield brutally KOing a prime Jones at Cruiserweight in 4 rounds or less.

 

First of all Toney was not fat but in good shape.Second, Holyfield hit Toney with some big shots
In the first four rounds.Roy Jones did not have the chin to take those shots. holyfield by KO.

 

Jones by brutal stoppage

 

Normally I'd say Holyfield would destroy him, but that version was beatable for Roy. I wouldn't bet on it, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Jones peck out a win on points.

I don't think he'd engage enough to get the stoppage regardless; that would be playing right into Holyfield's wheelhouse. Discretion would be the better part of valor, and I have my doubts about Evander's ability to track him and make him uncomfortable enough to win if Roy plays it safe.

 

Roy did not have any legs at heavweight.Holyfield catches him sooner or later

 

That's a distinct possibility and precisely why I wouldn't touch betting on that fight with a 10 foot pole. Either outcome is too easy to see for me.

 

You know, Roy Jones' entire career turned on not fighting Holyfield.

After beating Ruiz, Jones talked about fighting both Holyfield and Tyson. The Jones-Holyfield fight had a real chance of happening. But Jones didn't want to give Evander the cut of the money Holyfield wanted. At the same time, Toney was negotiating with Hopkins to fight Bernard at some catchweight below cruiserweight. Hopkins wouldn't give Toney the money James wanted (Hopkins wanted double what Toney was making).

So Toney and Holyfield decided they weren't going to get screwed and turned the tables on Jones and Hopkins and fought each other instead.

In hindsight, I'd rather have seen Jones-Holyfield and Hopkins-Toney.

Had Jones fought Evander, I think Jones would've won a 12-round decision. Evander was going thru a really bad spell at that point. After getting knocked out by Toney and losing to Larry Donald, Evander had his boxing license taken away.

When Jones decided to go back down to light heavy and fight Tarver, and Jones got off the PEDs, his body was wrecked. That's not that guy who would've fought Holyfield.

The Jones who beat Ruiz would've outboxed the EVander who lost to Toney rather easily.

And had Jones beaten Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight title and outboxed Holyfield in a title defense, I don't think Jones would still be fighting today. I think he'd have retired as WBA Heavyweight champion at 49-1 or 50-1 and be considered arguably the best boxer ever. But since he didn't do that, NOW he is not considered that.

(Side note. I also think if Toney had fought Hopkins, Toney would've beaten the hell out of Bernard.)

 

it was Toney who agreed to the terms of the fight with Hopkins.Bernard backed out of the fight if I remember correctly.It all seemed like a publicity stunt by Bernard who at the time was a middlweight.He probably did kt have any real intentions to face Toney who then took on Holyfield which was widely perceived as the more dangerous fight for him.

 

Good post, but Roy would never have retired had he have beaten Evander.

He would always have fought in these last few years at some level. Nothing would have changed. He'll continue to fight while ever he feels good in the gym.

 

No.Jones does not have the chin of Byrd or Toney.Nor could Jones move like Byrd at heavyweight.With nomlegs or chin, he will get caught by Holy.Both byrd and Toney took some big shots by Holy.Jones is not taking those.Ruiz gave Jones way too much respect, that would not have happened with Holyfield.Also Jones gets knocked out by Rahman or Peter cause he is not a heavyweight.Tomey did well against those.

Let's not talk abou Donald.That fight came 1 year after Toney and Holyfield was injured in that fight.

 

Jones would beat the **** out of that version of Holyfield, possibly by KO. People are clearly under estimating Jones chin pre Tarver.