If you are an RJJ fan or an RJJ critic, have a look...

This is a tribute to Roy Jones Jr. Every boxer has their peaks, but how many fighters have ever had a peak that lasted 10 years, spanned 3 weight divisions, won 9 world titles, and crucially, in that time probably lost less rounds than he had fights!!

The greatest peaks of the greatest modern fighters, Sugar Ray Robinson at welterweight 1941-46, Muhammad Ali 1963-68, and Roberto Duran are lightweight 1972-78, are rightly acclaimed by fans, but I don't think RJJ's decade from 1993-2003 is thought of as highly.

I think it should be. If you have a look through his record, the amount of rounds the guy actually lost is incredible. The one blight was the 1st Griffin fight (RJJ was slightly ahead at the time of the DQ), which Jones set straight with a 1st round KO next fight.

The record:

28 fights in 10 years, 27 wins and 1 DQ, 18 KO/TKOs, 9 UD's, no MD's or SD's. The 15 world champions are in bold.

Bernard Hopkins - MAY 1993
Score: 116-112 three times. Lost 4 points.

Sugarboy Malinga
KO in 6th round, domination.

Fermin Chirino
100-89 three times. Not a round dropped.

Danny Garcia
KO in 6th round, domination.

Thomas Tate
Stopped in 2nd round, won 1st round 10-9.

James Toney
119-108, 118-109, 117-110. Dropped a couple of rounds at most.

Antoine Byrd
1st round TKO.

Vinny Pazienza
Stopped in 6th round, 50-45, 50-45, 49-46. Majority clean sweep.

Tony Thornton
Stopped in the 3rd, 20-17 three times.

Merqui Sosa
Stopped in 2nd round, Jones won 1st.

Eric Lucas
Stopped in last round, 110-89, 110-90 twice. Clean sweep.

Bryant Brannon
Stopped in the 2nd, 10-8 three times.

Mike McCallum
120-107 three times, shutout.

Montell Griffin
Jones ahead on 2 scorecards, 77-75 and 76-75. Behind on the other, 75-76. First time he has split the rounds, but is ahead at the time of the DQ.

Montell Griffin
1st round KO.

Virgil Hill
4th round KO. Jones up at the time of stoppage.

Lou Del Valle
118-109 twice, 119-109. Two rounds dropped at most.

Otis Grant
Stopped in 10th round, Jones well up at time of stoppage.

Richard Frazier
Stopped in 2nd, 10-8 three times.

Reggie Johnson
120-106 three times, shutout.

David Telesco
120-108 twice, 120-106, shutout.

Richard Hall
Stopped in 11th, 100-88 twice and 100-86. Clean sweep.

Eric Harding
Stopped in 10th. Scores 98-92, 97-93, 96-94. Couple of rounds dropped.

Derrick Harmon
Stopped in 11th, 100-90 three times, clean sweep.

Julio Cesar Gonzalez
119-106 twice, 118-107. Dropped a round, maybe two.

Glen Kelly
Stopped in the 7th, 60-52 three times. Clean sweep.

Clinton Woods
Stopped in 6th, domination job.

John Ruiz - MARCH 2003
118-110, 117-111, 116-112. Dropped 3 rounds on average.




Does this deserve to be rated as highly as Duran at lightweight or Ali at heavyweight in the 1960s?

I think we downplay the h2h greatness of RJJ in this period simply because he didn't fight in black-and-white.

Thoughts/opinions????