P4P better

Tommy Hearns and by a significant amount. Hearns was more successful at more weights, fought better fighters, was more technically sound, hit harder, and didn't duck guys like Roy did.

 

RJJ's best wins

James Toney
Bernard Hopkins a bit green
John Ruiz
Mike McCallum past his best
Thomas Tate
Virgil Hill
Antonio Tarver
Reggie Johnson
Montel Griffin
Thulani Malinga
Vinny Pazienza above his best weightclass
Jorge Castro
Eric Harding
Clinton Woods
Julio Cesar Gonzalez
Lou Del Valle

World titles at Middleweight, Super Middleweight Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight, 21 world title wins overall.

Thomas Hearns best wins

Roberto Duran
Wilfred Benitez
Virgil Hill
Pipino Cuevas
Juan Roldan
Dennis Andries
James Shuler
Nate Miller
James Kinchen
James Shuler
Murray Sutherland
Bruce Curry
Harold Weston
Clyde Gray
Randy Shields
Michael Olajide

World titles at Welterweight, Jr Middleweight, Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, 14 world title wins overall.

Pros for RJJ

He has more world title wins 21 to 14 in his favour he was also dominant alot longer than Hearns.

Pros for Hearns

Fought better opposition overall won world titles in more weight classes 5 to 4 in his favour and has by far the best single win over Duran.

 

Duran was small for light middle and only had a 67 inch reach, Hearns was far too big.

 

Both of them were bigger than most of the people they fought, Hearns wouldn`t have beat Ruiz though so I give Roy the edge P4P, head to head may have been a different story though.

 

I think the distinction between "better" & "greater" comes into play here.

Hearns was a better fighter IMO, but lacks a singularly defining win like Jones over Toney or a consistent/dominant run like Roy had. I think Hearns' legacy suffers from having the misfortunate to share a division w/ SRL, a better P4P fighter than any1 Roy ever faced & better even than Roy himself IMO.

But since the question asked for "p4p better," I voted Hearns.

 

I couldn’t picture Roy losing in his prime due to not knowing how to clinch. Or losing twice to Iran Barkley.

 

You kinda have to go with RJJ here because of the MW and HW cameos and beating Hopkins. I don't really see how one could argue Hearns.

 

Iran Barkley says hello.

 

That Jones Jr popped dirty against Richard Hall? Or that Hearns fought better opponents?

 

Hall was also dirty. Fair fight.

 

Duran had just been 15 rnds w/ Hagler up @MW, & went on to fight heavy hitters like Barkley & Castro @ MW or higher w/o ever really being starched like he was by Hearns again (even vs. Joppy when he was a million years old, he was stopped on his feet).

I think it's just as difficult to picture Hearns struggling w/ a short, punchless slickster like Griffin & ultimately blowing the fight.

 

I could picture Hearns knocking a guy out who had dropped to a knee.

 

Would he have been frustrated enough over the preceding 8 rnds to let those punches go?