A few questions about Benn/Mclellan fight...

People always trash Nardiello. Calling him a gimmick and all sorts of other stuff, but look at the company he was in.

 

Benn and Jones both talked about a fight.

Jones said "Benn would bring the best out of him".

Benn said "Jones scares him, but in a good way"

At the end of the day Benn was a spent force after McClellan so it would of been hard to see him pulling off a shock.

Jones - class fighter but at the end of the day he was a cherry picker. His record could of been a lot better.

 

**** the rest of 'em as well then, because they never fought Jones.

He schooled the most highly regarded of them all, Toney. The division wasn't all that then, despite the fighters in it. 175 was the matinee division, and Jones trashed Virgil Hill like no one had before (Tommy, Dariusz)

I agree it's a shame, but his status as the best fighter of that generation cannot be denied because of it. I'm also grateful he didn't fight those guys because he would've made 'em all look like absolute ****s.

 

Its a very questionable association why Benn was afflilated with these Essex Boys.

According to Carlton Leech - Benn was unaware of Tony Tuckers darker side and his drug peddling nightclub bully way of life.

We will never know if Benn was on roids - we only have his word for it - and I am unsure of the truth.

Tucker was blasted to death with a shotgun - later on that same year.

 

Yeah he folded Hill with that body shot, and he had some quality wins. Do you not think with his talent he could of had lot more meaningful fights though?

I loved watching Jones, really outstanding, phenomenal! But one thing that niggles at me lately (which never before) is the steroids, which more and more people like to throw at him when talking about his legacy.
It's funny how his form dipped after the last time he got caught.

What's your take on these two points Flea?

 

On Jones, he potentially could've amassed the kind of wins that put him in the top ten fighters that ever lived.

In regards to the steroids, it's clear tosee that Jokes was blessed with his athletic gifts. Did he enhance them at a certain stage of his career? Yes, and it detracts from his value as a fighter.

Did ceasing to use them cause his downfall? No, his reflexes were shot after such a drastic physical re-sculpting post-Ruiz. I also don't think that if anyone landed sufficient leather in his prime he'd automatically fall over, his legs completely left him after the Ruiz fight, and he always would've had the attributes to shake off any bad moments at his best IMO.

Not made of iron, no way. But I think the 'glass jaw' accusations that get thrown around may be a little harsh.

When I didn't know about the controversies ('Roids; **** fighting; cherry picking) Roy was like Superman to me, and it was watching some of his fights one afternoon as a kid round my Dads mates house that got me into boxing. So, I am disappointed with some of the choices Roy made and how his career turned out.

But on his best day, probably the best fighter I've ever seen, and unbeatable from 160 through to 174lbs....at the full LHW limit things get patchy for him against the greats of that incredible division :deal

 

Why would Benn want to hang around with these horrible ****s..

 

Cos benn was a bad ass mother back in the day and all the bads lads wanted to be seen with him probably. Probably loved the attention and they probs treated him like royalty

Plus we all know benn used to dabble with drugs

 

Yeah, Nige' loved the skunk :yep :rasta

 

And the coke.....

 

Yep

 

Quite surprising to hear you only got into boxing in the 90's. But yeah i'd agree for the most part what you say here. Coming back down to light heavy definitely had a negative effect on him. I don't think his chin would have been has fragile in his prime if he were to have been clocked clean. But i suppose we will never know.

Like i said Jones was awesome in his peak and fun to watch (i still often pull his box set out), but i'll always have niggles with his opponents in his prime. Could have sought out some bigger and better match-ups.

He probably still woulda beat Toney too, but 'lights out' was far from his best that night. So i don't rate that win too highly.

Phenomenal athlete but with some big minuses against him. Shame really.

 

I'm only 23 Any earlier and I would've been watching through a ballbag :good

 

And the E's.

Quality fighter. **** DJ though.