Was Jones - Tarver I a controversial decision?

i agree i had jones up too ... just wasn't the asskicking people felt it was gonna be so they said it was controversial ...

 

Tarver clearly did some good things in the first fight, but he also took several rounds off. I also agree with the post that the rounds Tarver won were more impressive than the rounds Roy won...it's just that Roy won more rounds than Tarver, so Roy won the fight. What bothers me is the sense that since it was close, and since the second fight was a KO for Tarver, that somehow Tarver was robbed in the first fight. Tarver had his opportunity to win the first fight and stopped fighting, just as Roy had his opportunity in the third fight and stopped fighting. The second fight was interesting because Tarver landed like two punches in the entire fight, the telling blow was initiated with his eyes completely shut. Still, give him credit. Tarver ended the reign of one of the all time greats. I do give Roy an edge in his fight with JC.

 

Tarver didn't stop fighting in the first fight. RJJ put some hellacious body shots on Tarver in that fight, and they paid off down the stretch.

Roy's body work that night was one of the most overlooked aspects of that fight.

 

Roy did land hellacious body shots...that's what slowed AT down. Still, had Tarver let his hands go a little more down the stretch, I think he would have won the fight. I've said many times that Jones showed tremendous heart in the last couple of rounds of the first Tarver fight, but the reality is he appeared exhausted and I don't think he could have handled any offensive output by AT down the stretch. We will never know because AT stopped fighting.

 

I agree with everything except for the part in red. The shot wasn't lucky. As a matter of fact, go back about 30 seconds before the KO and Tarver JUST MISSES a straight left and you could tell that RJJ gets a little worried after this as he fires back a few shots in retaliation. If anyone has video of that round, you can clearly see this.

Tarver's style was all wrong for RJJ. Even RJJ admitted that Tarver would've given him fits in his best days and i believe him.

 

Agreed 100%. Tarver had every chance to win this fight. His inactivity in some rounds were head scratchers.

 

I had it 7-5 in rounds;
However-that doesnt tell the entire story as Tarver won many of his rounds big,whereas Roy barely nicked many of his simply because Tarver didnt enough.

 

I never said it was lucky. In fact, I think this is what Tarver worked on in the gym. I simply pointed out that his eyes were shut....they were. I think the punch landed because Tarver and his team did their homework and knew what they were looking for. That's not luck. But it's not as if Tarver was dominating even in this fight! He landed a perfect punch that he started throwing with his eyes shut.

 

Yes, and roy had clearly won the first round and was winning the second up to that point.

 

No

 

It arguable that heading into the 11th that the bout was a draw but no way Tarver was leading I had it 6-4 Jones like most folks did back then. If it was a draw it didnt matter cause Jones easily and clearly won the 11th and the 12th which took away any fears I had going into the scorecards that night I felt those 2 rounds gave him the fight comfertably. Tarver only won rounds in which Jones needed air breaks from his dehydration heading into the fight hed back into the ropes put on the earmufs and Tarver just usually hit gloves and forearms. Jones schooled him in the middle of the ring with about a million lead right hands to the body. Very impressive performence by Jones cause it was his 1st real battle with adversity I watched the PPV that night and Merchant asked him in the locker room before the fight on 1-10 scale how do you feel ? Jones said a 7.

 

Honestly bro I dont find Tarvers inactivity to be a head scratcher at all. Watch most of Jones fights even now when the fight is in the center of the ring most guys never let the hands go or they just go in a shell when Jones lets his go. Fighters have so much respect for Jones combo of speed and power. Tarver rarley even in the 3rd fight let his shots go in the center of the ring.

 

Easy fight to score. Jones easily.

 

Dont tell that to the haters I remember some of the threads after that fight. Tarver was robbed and Roy is a fraud :-(