Could Roy Jones have beaten Valuev?

It's always risky when a small guy fights a big guy, but yes, I think Roy could of beaten Valuev.

 

I think that Ruiz at 230 pounds, hit harder than Tarver did when he fought as a LHW.

 

Jones outhustles the slow lumbering Valuev for an easy decision.

 

I would have put real money on Valuev not getting the knockout (this is assuming we already had the data set of Jones vs. Ruiz and Valuev vs. Chagaev, Holyfield, and Haye)

...and the decision is going Jones' way. Stylistically, and with the insane discrepancy in hand and foot speed, there is just no way Valuev doesn't end up hopelessly behind on points by the halfway mark.

And he isn't getting the bail-out KO. I can't stress that enough.

 

And he would have I feel if he'd fought how he did in the last round earlier on. He was too cautious for the other rounds due to the height advantage and left it too late to get him out of there.

 

As hard as the 'Hulk Smash' punch Valuev hit Barrett with? :think

That was a savage punch he threw.

 

Valuev never really learned how to nor trained for delivering knockout punches. He boxed typically behind a jab and liked to win on the basis of his size & reach. If the knockout came, great. If someone got within range for him to club with shots behind the jab, great. He never generated snap on his punches, though.

Antonio Tarver has always been a spiteful puncher. His power - straight up head to head, not just pound for pound - even down at 175lbs probably was more substantial than most feather-fist heavyweights (of whom I do consider Valuev to be a card-carrying member of the club...maybe not as light a hitter as Zuri Lawrence, but for a HW champ, very light hitter)

 

:deal

 

That's right.

Haye possessed all of the tools required, but he didn't have the right mindset. He was far too cautious.