I think he'd definitely have given Roy problems. But I was always cautious of the hype even though we could all see how dangerous he was. We had people on here saying things like Roy couldn't have lasted 3 rounds with him etc. But when I saw the first Pascal fight, I saw that he'd have been very easy for Roy to tag. I also questioned what would happen if he couldn't intimidate his opponent and someone really put it on him. I questioned how he'd react. I questioned whether he'd back off, or go at things even harder. Then he fought Andre Ward and I got the answers to my questions. He was highly dangerous, but he was a bully. He told Andre what he'd do to him, and Andre never flinched. He was cool all throughout the build up to their first fight. Their first fight was very close. Before the rematch, Kovalev said that Andre hit like a woman and that he'd be destroyed in the rematch. Again, Andre shook his head and smiled, and said "You're trying to sell fear, but we're not buying it" Despite the last low blow which was unfortunate, Andre broke him down both mentally and physically. I've watched the rematch numerous times. And despite all of the whining on here, I saw Kovalev desperately look at Tony Weeks for help, even when some of the body shots were 100% legal and not even questionable. Sure, the last shot was low. There's no doubt about that. But he was spent at that point. He'd taken the huge right hand and had taken lots of other unanswered shots afterwards, and Weeks had seen enough. That fight was getting stopped no matter where that last shot landed. The point is this: After watching Andre break him down, could he have coped with Roy's blazing speed and unorthadox style? Roy was much faster than Andre Ward. He had one punch knockout power in either hand. He was much harder to hit clean. He also possessed huge confidence/arrogance. I think Roy would have started cautiously and then turned up the heat. Sure, Kovakev had the power to have taken Roy out, had he have landed with perfect shot/shots. But I think Roy would have broken him down like Andre did.
The question wasn't whether Ruiz was a bum or not. Rather, could the likes of Kovalev, Bieterbiev or Bivol beat the Ruiz RJJ did.
Prime Kovalev would definitely have sparked him out cold of that I am very confident indeed. But obviously Roid's grotesque doe-eyed groupies are the most insufferable group of delusional salad tossers you will ever encounter and they not only believe that their messiah who wasn't being tested for PEDs during the first 11 years of his career (yeah you heard that right) could literally walk on water, but they've also got excuses for every single one of his losses many of which are of the hilarious HL reel KO variety, his pathetic old lady glass jaw which for those of you casuals who weren't paying attention was keep under the deepest protection all throughout his steroid enhanced prime by the Florida Federal Glass Reserve's: 'Operation Avoid Legit Punchers,' and every fighter he managed to miss, every savage puncher that somehow managed to elude him, and every fight that could not be made etc. was never ever poor Roid's fault and it doesn't matter that he missed them because he would've absolutely toyed with them had those fights come to fruition with his supernatural not so natural if you catch my drift reflexes and athleticism because Roid is literally God.
They did Roid's because he isn't just a regular human being - Roid is God. And if it wasn't his rampant steroid abuse that improved them I'm sure it had something to do with all that rooster and pit bull saliva voodoo juice concoction he used to drink by the bucketful.
You are a certified ******. He wouldn't touch RJJ. Beterbiev is a monster puncher but who in the hell has this guy fought?
Based on these replies, I'm starting to think that Kovalev is probably one of the most overrated modern day fighters.
It has been way too long since the last time you watched a roy jones fight. Now you, as a good kovalev nuthugger, think that beating rjj is like beating pascal. Dont fool yourself.
I agree with so much of your post. Well said. Where I disagree is, I think Ward is actually a worse matchup for Kova than Roy is (and I did have Kova winning the first fight). While Roy is much more physically gifted, I think Ward has more pocket presence and the type of mental toughness needed to keep the type of pressure that makes Kova crack. I don't think Roy can replicate that. I also consider the Kova that Ward did beat in the rematch to not be prime anymore... and the only Kova I think gives Roy problems is peak peak Kova. Good post.
Ward wins 3-4 rounds with his jab. Kovalev wins a couple and has the chance of KOing Roy. Bivol might win a few too. But Roy is big favourite vs everyone.
I don't like him too much but Adonis Stevenson would give him a lot of trouble stylistically, more so than the other champions imo. Explosive, massive power, lightning fast, athletic and southpaw. He is like Tarver on Steroids.
