If Roy Jones Jr. had retired after Tarver 1 where would you have ranked him?

100%. He carried on for SO long he ultimately had two careers ... one sublime and one terrible. It's a pity he didn't plan a better, earlier exit strategy.

 

Oh they knew as Roy himself knew but remember his name still carried clout so he was still making good MONEY.
I love when people claim that Roy was "still near his prime" when he faced JC lol. He was totally shot.

 

He wasn't ''totally shot'' at all. He was ranked the 6th best Light Heavyweight in the world, by the Ring Magzaine and looking good in the three wins before it, when he fought super middle Calzaghe who had moved up to Jones' weightclass.

He wasn't prime and was a bit past his best, but it's the same for Calzaghe. If anything Calzaghe was probably more past his best that Jones, considering Calzaghe retired straight after the fight, Jones carried on for 19 more fights after it and fought for on for over a decade after that.

 

Jones was done. He was 3-3 in his last 6 fights leading up to JC and he was shot. I don't care what he was rated the governing bodies ratings are a joke.
In his prime JC gets stopped.

 

I disagree with this assessment entirely. Yes Jones was ranked fairly highly, but he was there on historic name value only. It was clear as day he was finished - and not at all the same fighter - by the time of the Glen Johnson KO. He looked dreadful that night.
He was coming off three wins but that's because he'd dropped down a level to take on low ranked opposition - or 'name ' fighters who were long last their best themselves (Trinidad was a retired, lower weights fighter) or not that good to begin with (Lacey had already been exposed and never achieved anything again). It was stage managed smoke and mirrors. The aura was gone and the skills were declined - it was obvious to the eye that Jones had fallen significantly.
I agree that Calzaghe was himself past prime. But he had aged, stylistically much better than RJJ - and keen to finally take that fight only once Jones was no longer the force he had been. Jones was a speed and reflexes fighter, pushing 40, who had been recently beaten 3 times and KOd badly twice - I genuinely don't understand how he could be considered to be not far past his prime? Joe himself, in his autobiography (published before the fight), had admitted that Jones was finished. To claim RJJ was anywhere near prime or a little past his best at that time is patently inaccurate. I watched both their careers unfold in real time - prime Jones was leagues ahead, and there was really no clamour for them to even meet. Joe wanted no part of RJJ between '98 - 2003.

 

It's funny how people make excuses for Jones in that Calzaghe fight. Both were in their late 30's. Both were past their best but still decent. Calzaghe was the smaller man moving up in weight to face Jones who'd been a light heavyweight for 12 years.

Calzaghe just had his number. And Jones was without his peds. Calzaghe would have always have had his number.

 

Talk about patently incorrect

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You understand how fast Roy would have wreaked JC? Faster,hit harder I mean what could JC even do honestly ? He isn't our speeding Roy. He doesn't hit hard. Roy was half dead and JCC couldn't finish him.
I like JC but these are different levels of boxers.

 

Lip service which has been discussed many times in this forum before. Joe was satisfied defending against mandatories in fortress Wales and did nothing to force the issue. In addition, he only rose to elite prominence after defeating Lacy and Kessler from 2005. Your position is revisionist at best.

 

It's really not making excuses - it's approaching the discussion in a common sense way. You are aware that fighters peak and age at different times - so even though they are similar ages it doesn't mean necessarily they are at the same level anymore? And there's no real metric to be taken by saying that a non shot fighter beating a shot fighter is 'proof ' they had their number.

 

Jones was no longer world class and nowhere near decent. No evidence Calzaghe troubles him at his best

 

Saying Jones was shot is not an excuse, it's a fact of the matter. Calzaghe was past his prime, but no where near as bad as Jones was at the time.

 

lol no - if Jones wanted to keep his wba heavyweight title he would've had to defend it against mandatory challenger David Tua.

 

Whoever 'wrecked' Calzaghe? Nobody, he found a way to win always against any style, a true winner. Now ask that question in reverse. And we have video footage of about 10/11 fights of Jones losing, and having one of the worst chins ever.

You don't seem to realise or admit that Calzaghe was super fast himself. Calzaghe had remarkable A Level speed. And Calzaghe outworked every fighter he faced.

Speed, Stamina, Skills, toughness durability, chin, mental strength, adaptabilty and so on. - Calzaghe had everything.

Calzaghe had terrible brittle hand problems at the end of his career. That's the only reason he didn't stop Jones..

Calzaghe was a great fighter. You're living in cuckoo land or are massively biased if you can't at LEAST admit if the fight had happened earlier that he'd have at the very least have given Jones Jr a very tough fight.

 

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Where's your speed here Roy.

Calzaghe age 36 is that fast he made Jones age 39. look slow.