Better fighter, Roy Jones or Floyd Mayweather?

floyd didnt have roys ability

ray robinson didn't have roy's ability

floyd has a HUGE FOUNDATION- lifetime of roger and SNR teaching him since the crib on philly shell

he has solid fundementals- a great gameplan and high inside ring IQ

roy was a once in a generation type phenom

truth is fighters like roy burn our fast so its incredible he got to 36 without losing- he probably started slipping in his early 30s

 

RJJ of course, it isn't even remotely close.

The question of how much of that was PED fueled will always remain though.

 

I think Roy was better, but I think Floyd is better technically, if that makes sense.

 

Roy Jones without question. He was an extremely special fighter with abilities we will never see again nor saw previously. During his prime, he barely lost a single round and beat legit ATG prime Toney and Hopkins. Floyd is a great fighter, one of the best of this and past era but Roy was on another level, from anyone. Forget his move to heavy to beat a legit champ in Ruiz, even without that feat in my eyes he's still the greatest boxer I've ever seen. If you weren't following boxing during his reign, I truly feel bad for you. He was that special.

 

Skills and longevity? Floyd. Roy was gifted but Floyd is smarter

 

to be in the same conversation as roy floyd would have to KO pac and then beat GGG in a one sided beatdown

 

....and the only chance of that happening is if Floyd took PEDs like Roy.

 

...

 

hence alex ariza

 

When did Roy do anything similar?

 

Roy Jones was a once in a lifetime athletic talent. But Floyd Mayweather at his peak from the Corrales fight through to the Gatti fight was a hideous allarounder - the best jab to the body of all-time, the best check hook of all-time, the best pull-counter right hand of all-time, the smartest inside work of all-time and probably the best adaptations through a fight of all-time. Only Jones himself possessed a better lead hook leap (by some distance, at that - unreal) and only James Toney used the shoulder roll defense better. Mayweather's foot movement and ring generalship back then was Chris Eubank-like, he changed pace and direction frequently to prevent opponents getting set - much like a prime Eubank Sr. His feet were fast, too, maybe only Nunn had faster feet lb4lb. He threw 5, 6, 7 and 8-shot body and head combos at speed at the perfect times and from distance. He seemed unbeatable technically.

But Roy Jones was better in terms of being a freak of nature. His right hand lead was so fast it was almost undefendable. The leap hook lead was undetected by all, including the maestro lb4lb king Toney. In-close he threw 5 or 6 hooks at once in a second or so, or leaped in from out of range with a hybrid uppercut-hook that could render a world-class champion opponent senseless. He would go a round without being hit, knock someone out from his hands being behind his back, and win easily after playing a semi-professional basketball game - all at world title level, defending world belts against top contenders. You can't compare this guy with anyone, really.

Bernard Hopkins was a good solid fighter back then, granted he only moved backward and forward in straight lines at that time and wasn't as crafty or dirty then, but still a good solid win. The James Toney win is unmatchable. Leonard beat Hearns when Hearns was lb4lb #1 with the magazines, but Hearns had outfeinted and outboxed Leonard for 12 rounds. Jones outfeinted and outfoxed Toney in nearly every minute, dropped him and beat him, humiliated the lb4lb king. It would've been like Ricky Hatton winning nearly every minute of every round against Mayweather in their fight, without hardly breaking a sweat.

Montell Griffin was awkward and crafty, Reggie Johnson was a highly experienced southpaw slickster, and Eric Harding was an excellent boxer and tricky southpaw. All dealt with. Malinga and Thornton fought absolutely everyone, all punchers, and simply never got stopped (Malinga) or dropped (Thornton), both stopped and dropped in a few rounds by Mr Jones. Virgil Hill was taken out with a single body shot! Virgil Hill!

 

Would you say Jones's win over Toney is the best individual win ever?

 

Roy the better fighter, Floyd the better boxer.

 

Roy was more of a freak but Floyd smarter, better boxer.

Roy would win if same size most likely.