a=elite b+=world class b=fringe contender b-=journeyman Glen Johnson from Woods-Dawson II Tarver from Harding II - Jones III Please give reasons for your grade
Prime Tarver is B + Superb amatuer career which is often over looked. Bad decision again Vasilly Jirov. Bronze medal meant that he had no big promoter to look after him, so bumps in the road were always likely. Not the same fighter at LHW since gaining and losing the excess weight for the Rocky Balboa film. Will ALWAYS be associated with RJJ. Debate rages as to wether he caught Jones at the right time, or had his number. Personally I see that as 60/40. Tarver would of always been a tough fight for Jones. Very good fundamentals and a big 175lb fighter too. Glen Johnson is a B level fighter. Destroyed by Hopkins in his prime, got several bad decisions although not as many as many people are lead to believe today. Johnson was/is a hard working guy who would expose anyone who wasn't world class. Stylistically very difficult for anybody.
I dont think the weight loss affected him that much. Maybe it was a fact in the Hopkins fight, but his body would of adjusted to the weight with time I agree on that. Jones also struggled with Harding who was similar to Tarver in terms of style. I would grade Johnson as a green fighter when he lost to Hopkins. Johnson did give Tarver hell in both of their fights and he should of got a win over Dawson I. On the flip side he did struggle with Woods x 3 thanks for your reply
World class fighters and its a shame they never settled the score in a trilogy. 2 really good fights.
Hopkins did not fight a prime Johnson. Prior to BHop Glen had fought a bunch of bag ladies and a couple out of work cab drivers. He was very poorly managed early in his career.
