You said he's PROVEN himself to be a good fighter then mentioned Chad Dawson. Johnson WAS a journeymen in 2004, as he said himself, the HBO crew, and his trainer.
I agree, I was praying for RJJ to go down in history alongside Robinson & co by fighting Lewis, he didnt even have to beat Lewis IMO, just show the balls to push himself to the absolute limit, that was the only thing against Roy in his prime, he was never in a hard fight, everything was so easy for him (until Tarver) I personally would have him in my top 10 just for fighting Lewis, I thought he looked brilliant vs Ruiz, everything considered, the age & weight etc, I was gutted when he went back to 175, I seen no point in it at all, he should have fought Lennox or retired, without question those were the best 2 options available at that point in his career.
He knew he did not have the best chin so he would have been caught by a heavyweight puncher sooner or later. He is by his own admission no heavyweight, I always though he looked scared in the Ruiz fight.
He announced his move back to 175 shortly after the WBA announced that VITLAI was his mandatory. Probably not a coincidence
that stupid milk dud ruined Roy's career. There is obviously something to Roy getting knocked out twice in a row by fighters who aren't that heavy handed...he's been in with fighters who hit harder. The weight for sure was an issue, not as big as people make it out to be, but it had something to do with it.