Has RJJ ruined or at least tainted his legacy?

I think you are greatly underestimating how wickedly stupid casual fans can be. Mosley/Mora was promoted by asking the question if Mora could be the first man to stop Mosley. Alvarez/Mosley and Cotto/Mayweather was promoted by saying they were four boxing legends, collectively. There is no cure for that level.

 

I think the Tarver fight and Johnson fights taint his legacy a little.. Though he was slipping fast by the second Tarver fight, Roy was still a dangerous opponent, and at the top of the P4P rankings.. I still considered him a top fighter, that just got caught with a great punch.

After the Johnson fight, I knew he was finished, and clearly not the same..Had he bounced back and made a comeback, that would have been great, but he was in his mid 30's by that point, and had a style that relied on reflexes and confidence.. I don't think Roy was ever meant to be an older fighter.

 

No one sane would ask you.

The fact that Caltrashy ducked prime RJJ because he "deserves" more money for beating tomato cans in Wales only to do so years later when it was worth nothing says a lot. What happened to being air sick?

 

That Ali based reflex style is not really good for longevity

 

Oh really...I wouldn't know because that's the first time I ever saw somebody boxed. I was like what's that White guy doing, he's funny standing infront of the Black guy with his hands down and exposing his face. Black guy hits and the White guy just move his head left, right, back, left, and the Black is missing. That Black guy no good .

 

Actually, I admire the fact that Roy Jones dropped from HW to fight a very motivated and dangerous opponent in Tarver after being called out... Had he retired then, I am sure all the critics would be calling him scared. No matter what fights Roy made or when he retired would always draw criticism..

I don't really see Calzaghe giving 168 Roy too many problems... I think stylistically Roy was all wrong for Joe.

 

In fact,I dont think most casual fans. The guys on the street, are even aware he still fights,let alone have lesser opinions of him now.

 

Did Duran ruin his legacy by fighting on til 50,getting beaten by guys who wouldnt have touched him in his prime?

 

Hit the nail on the head. It doesn't "taint" in any way that he was one of the best fighters of the era, and one of the best ever in terms of pure talent. However, unlike say a Ray leonard, his resume isn't littered with outstanding wins over truly great fighters. Part of his mystique was that he appeared unbeatable and on a completely different plane to mere mortals. Seeing him twitching at the feet of a fighter like Glen Johnson hurts that mystique. It doesn't prove that prime Jones was chinny, but it certainly raises some doubts.

Personally I don't think Jones had a particularly weak chin in his prime, particularly at 160-168. Apart from the flash knockdown against Del Valle, he didn't show a hint of vulnerability before the first Tarver fight, and he fought some pretty good fighters and punchers along the way. The absence of a Holmes-Shavers type moment means that it's always going to be up fr debate though.

After the Ruiz fight many were talking about him as perhaps the greatest fighter in history. Ignoring the trolls and DKSABs, the consensus now seems to have him a bit lower than that, with Whitaker often ranked above him as the best fighter of the 90s.

 

the drugs did the biggest damage to his legacy, though there were obviously plenty of others doing PEDs at the time and still are.

 

No, I don't think it's a good idea for Jones to keep fighting. However there is some point in a boxers career that he's done all he can do. Whatever his motivation is to contune his career should not matter. He needs the money, he enjoys boxing or what ever it is. This should not be countnted against him.

 

:good

excatamundo

i would say 75% of anyone that posts on these boards think James toney has been fat his entire life, holyfield could never beat David Haye even in his prime, and mike tyson only fought bums and was ko'd by anyone who "stood up" to him

but youre right, this doesnt put nice pretty bows on a great career , but the guy has to make a living much like holyfield and tyson did and most all other guys who laced them up