Can Roy Jones Alter His Style like Ali did?

this article is interesting, this trainer thinks Roy can still adapt his style as Ali did post hiatus, when his footspeed declined, and he laid on the ropes more...


The Resurrection of Roy Jones Jr.
Source: Boxinginsider

The career of Roy Jones can go in one of two directions following the painful defeat endured from Joe Calzaghe on November 8. Roy Jones can close out his spectacular career with that proud and classy distance effort at age 39 against a great champion, impressive in the fact that it came at all, considering how brutal the KO losses to Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson were.

Or Roy Jones, the marvel of a gladiator that he still is, can go back to the drawing board, assemble a new support team and modernize a renovated blueprint to regain his previous station at the top of the fistic mountaintop.

There is at least one trainer out there who believes Roy Jones can once again reign supreme and transcend the sport of boxing, but he has accept and embrace the reality to re-invent himself, somewhat similar to how Muhammad Ali did once he lost his supernatural foot and handspeed.

R. Michael Onello, the author of two boxing books ('Boxing: Advanced Tactics & Strategies,' 'Boxing: The American Martial Art.') and the owner of his own successful boxing gym in San Francisco, CA still sees greatness in the one and only Roy Jones Jr. and here is what he has to say on the intriguing topic:

"He's got to come to terms and realize that he's not what he was, he never will be what he was. But it doesn't mean that he's finished or he's washed up. He still has what it takes to fight and win - for maybe another two or three years. Now he's just fighting but not winning. And he's starting to take beatings. The biggest problem is now he's accepted the habit to be happy to survive. Now, everybody that survives, they all want a piece of him. And he should face the fact that he's not invincible any more. It's been gone since a long time ago. And when you have that facade and you fight people that believe that, you fight scared fighters and it's a lot easier fight. But nobody's scared from Calzaghe right on down. Nobody's scared of Roy Jones anymore.

"And that all got taken away when he got knocked out savagely. The bottom line is, what can Roy Jones do? What he needs to realize is the speed is not what it was and the movement is not what it was. But the power is still there, he still has power. He still moves with not great but good speed. He still has accuracy. So he has to change his formula. He can go back to the way he was which I don't believe he can. That's just because of nature and age and so forth. Or he can come up with a different style, totally different. I watched the fight - he fought Calzaghe like the old Roy Jones would. Maybe six years ago that would have worked, I don't know. But the old Roy Jones in today's body cannot beat Joe Calzaghe.

"He should abandon that gameplan. He's got to change that corner. The old Roy Jones used to fight with nobody in his corner and just listen to himself. Those times are over. He had no help - from the doctor he had in his corner to the trainer (Alton Merkerson) - they were useless to him in that corner. He can't do it alone anymore, not at 40. So what he needs to do is go with a new corner, everybody, a new handler, come up with a new fighting style, to adapt to what he's got - speed, he's got mediocre moves, he's got some decent power, he's proved he's developing a heart which is impressing me. To me, he never had heart like he's showing now. In some ways I'm more impressed by how he lost than when he was winning all those years. He's still stubborn. Like you said to me, he wills himself - that guy will not be knocked out. That guy needs a detached retina before he gets knocked out, that guy needs ten stitches, but he won't get knocked out.

"So he's got the heart and the toughness now. He's gotta come up with a new gameplan. To use what he's got to his advantage. And stop fighting like the old Roy Jones which he's not. And he's gotta become more of a boxer-puncher. Before he was strictly boxer-boxer-boxer, put multiple punches together. Get people frustrated where they couldn't hit him. So he's gotta change that. I think I have an idea that would change that. What that is I won't say without getting paid money for that. And I'll leave it at that."

R. Michael Onello's website is:

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age 40?
no

 

I would not bet against RJJ

 

What for? It's just too late.

Ali never got knocked out cold twice back to back.

 

No. RJJ's style revolved around his athleticism and freakish ability; his fundamental game is lacking. Once his freaky athletic ability started to fade he lost his ability to perform at the top level. Ali had the fundamentals to be able to change up his style.

 

Actually, I think RJJ applied the rope strategy (he even asked the refeere if he was going to stop the battle if stayed in the ropes) but it was not enough. RJJ relied in his reflexes and never focused too m8uch on the basics. I think it is too late for him.

 

I would be extremely surprised if we saw Roy turn his career around whatsoever. There will be no reinventing on Roy's part the way Ali did. Roy's career at the top is over, as I see it.

 

He could, the question is will he.

 

...The problem with Roy's rope-a-dope was the fact that he wasn't counterpunching... or missed when he did. Roy is faded beyond belief from his prime form.

 

Co-Sign.

 

It's easy to criticise and I'm ignorant about boxing in truth - I recognise that. But, what Bernard Hopkins assessed on Roy Jones was that because Jones was so ridiculously athletic he never had to learn the basics. In other words, in my interpretation of Hopkins' comments, there was no cerebral approach to his boxing. He just relied on his physical prowess (and prowess it was). I think if you learn the basics - you can alter things around to meet different needs.

 

Roy Jones needs a new voice. This guy Onello is a good trainer, unknown but he trained a kid to be Junior Olympic champ from scratch in 16 months. THis kid used to spar with Keith Thurman who is now 9-0 9 KOs from Tampa. Kid got lost on drugs though. Onello really believes Jones can change his style and still win at the top level. Jones is a amazing wizard of a fighter, he just needs a new approach a new team, new voice, new ideas at this stage. He did not look bad vs. Joe Calzaghe he just didn't have the right idea of what to do to match his current abilities. Anything is possible with great fighters who still believe. Jones may have one more hurrah.

 

RJJ has GOOD BASICS, his problem comes from the fact that he is pushing 40 and is SHOT, there is nothig that can make up for being shot. If RJJ fought Winky and Pavlik he would've looked good just like he did against Tito. BTW he lost to Slappy mostly due to work rate, at nearly 40 he can't keep up a good pace.

 

jones needs to call it quits. he will get beat up at the top level at whatever weight he fights at. who wants to see an ATG go through that again? im not even a fan of his but it was really sad to see the last rounds of the calzaghe fight. he was just toying with roy.

his career is starting to mimic ezzard charles' final years

go back to tv...he's funny and his gigantic ego makes him ejoyable to listen to...like when he said Wlad should retire after losing to Brewster :yep

 

Jones is ****ing 40. Ali retired permanently by 40.

When Ali returned 3 years missed during his prime he was still what 30ish when he came back.


Plus Ali was still at the top in his comeback. Roy has been on the decline for a long time.