No problem. You would agree that they were both naturally different weight classes, correct? And if so, then the advantage was Tarver’s, especially in the context of this particular fight?
Absolutely. However, it doesn't look good on Tarver that he needed 14 rounds to do it, and then a further 12 afterwards where he couldn't replicate it. Especially considering Glen Johnson could do it.
Good post. Personally, I only think that Johnson was able to do it, just because Roy jumped straight back into the ring after the Tarver knockout. IMHO, had Tarver not have not knocked Roy out, that fight would have played out differently. The biggest surprise is the 3rd fight. Because Roy was coming off of the Johnson loss, and he’d had over a year out of the ring. I’ve read that he wanted a tune up but that HBO didn’t want him to have one. It may have been something to do with his contract. But either way, the version of Roy who fought Tarver was damaged goods and had been inactive. So at the time, I thought he’d have beaten Roy with absolute ease. But Roy actually gave a good account of himself.
Jones was actually won golden gloves as an 18yo in the 139lb class and (should have) won the olympics at the 154lb class. So he gained a shedload of muscle in his 20s
Andre Ward said he thinks it was partly that and also Roy underestimated Johnson as he thought it was an easy tune up.
No. Roy came down from heavyweight and was on gear. These two were am rivals. Not much size difference.
I think Ward is right...I think we all underestimated Johnson. However no one expected Roy to be laid out like that. I think Roy should have retired after the first Tarver fight. Really after he won the heavyweight title he could have called it a career. The writing was on the wall after the first Tarver fight that Roy wasn’t the same but fighters especially all-timers never know or how to walk away gracefully. They usually have to be beaten into retirement.
I am happy to be corrected on some of the details. Now, I think it was hard to come down from 193 of muscle to 175. Roy was a champion at 160, 168, 175, and Heavyweight. He was at the end of his prime and Tarver was in his prime as a full time 175er. I believe Tarver was taller, probably stronger, and close enough in speed and power. Plus his whole ambition was to beat Roy. Roy basically had nothing else to prove and took on Tarver to shut him up. The only reason they had a rematch because Roy didn’t beat Tarver convincingly enough. There will be disagreement on this but basically the Tarver Jones fights were a waste of Jones’ time. In my opinion off course.
“Tarver was in his prime as a full time....” Tarver is older than Jones. These guys did not have a significant size difference.
