P4P matchup 2: Roberto Duran vs Roy Jones Jr

Are you trying to insinuate that Toney threw the fight vs RJJ ? because if you are that's an absolutely baffling take which i've never ever seen suggested by any boxing fan.

Also Toney gave RJJ trouble did we watch the same fight ? Toney lost 12-0 or 11-1 on most scorecards and got schooled.

Another baffling take is you think RJJ winning a wide points victory at Heavyweight vs Ruiz who outweighed RJJ by 33 pounds is somehow a negative in regards to a fantasy fight vs Duran at 168 ?

How about i use the example of Duran losing to Kirkland Laing who had a low guard style like RJJ ?

As for the thread in question i think RJJ wins a decision too fast, too tricky, and has enough power to keep Duran honest. RJJ was a very hard puncher between 160-168.

 

I didn't understand the settings of the question. Was about to post the obvious answer to it , which would be a Jones Jr . Wide decision win. ( I don't believe Jones would take the risk to stop even that version of Duran, he'd play it safe)
But if we're making Duran at 168 fitting him like the welterweight version did in Montreal......
A whole different result would take place , and it wouldn't be pretty.....
For Jones Jr.
Everyone mentions how tenacious Duran was in Montreal. But his physicality was much better than most give credit for.
Quick feet, quick fist, physically overpowering, and a masters degree in the sweet science.
It really was a testament to Leonard's greatness how he not only survived, but thrived at the end though there's no doubt Duran won.
Jones never the entirety of his career faced such a challenge.
His best opponents were an old McCallum, a lazy Toney and overrated Hopkins.
What would Jones Jr do when his physical advantages are taken away, and his script for success is suddenly changed?
When he wouldn't be given the room to operate as the type of opponents he faced allowed him to have.
I don't believe he'd survive.
I believe the version of Duran Leonard faced in Montreal would not only beat Jones Jr. If that version faced him, but would actually stop him with in 10 rds.
Jones Jr. Never had to demonstrate the type of determination that Leonard showed in multiple fights.
When his reflexes slowed he was getting sparked by 2nd rate fighters no one would remember if they hadn't knocked him out.
Montreal Duran at 168 stops Jone Jr.

 

WTF...at 168 Duran was a fat as a pig. He made Any Ruiz look skinny.

RJJ by Hearn's level KO.

What's going on in the world for this match to be taken seriously. Even as a dream.

 

Read the initial post.

 

"a natural 168 lbs Montreal Duran". There was no such thing as a natural 168 pound Duran.

 

I equaled the size, hence why it's called a P4P matchup.

 

Yeah, I think Toney and Ruiz both threw their Roy fights. Toney didn't train and never used his signature moves. He has a guy standing in front of him throwing wild, telegraphed swings in combination and he suddenly forgets how to counter despite being one of the best counterpunchers in the history of the sport. I just don't buy it. Ruiz had 4 inches on either arm on Roy but didn't use this tremendous advantage, didn't use his weight advantage, and barely threw anything at Roy and seldom used his signature inside tactics. Neither man fought like themselves and neither was fighting to win. Roy still looked clueless on the inside against Ruiz and this thread is about peak Duran, not the unmotivated version that fought Laing and was fat, uninspired, and half-drunk. Why don't I bring up the example of Roy getting sparked by Enzo Maccarinelli? Duran in possibly the worst shape of his career still fought a close, competitive fight against Laing.

 

Jones. Too much athleticism.

 

So you think Ruiz and Toney both threw their fights vs Jones got you yeah I'm done with this conversation.

 

The local supermarkets just ran out of tin foil.

 

I'm too Greek to get that joke. Elaboration, please ?

 

Ridiculous conspiracy theory > tin foil hat.

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I agree 100% Unless we’re misunderstanding the OP, it’s hard to see this fight any other way. @JohnThomas1 is one of the best posters in Classic and he gives Jones a good chance, so maybe we are missing something? Below is my post from page 1.
If you’re talking about the Duran from Montreal at 168, then jones loses by way of homicide. Only Joe Frazier from the Fight of the Century could match the fire of intensity that Duran possessed for that fight. Jones had never had to dig deep before, and was already showing signs of being a prima donna. And now you’re talking about putting him in the ring against a same-sized man who was already considered an ATG, and that had the tenderness and compassion of a psychopath
Duran would make jones into his own personal McClellan and would follow jones to the hospital, mocking Roy and his family all the way there.
If you want to put a Montreal 168lb Duran into mythical matchups, then you need to put him up against Marciano, Louis from the schmelling 2 fight, and Ali. Not even Monzon and Hagler would want that smoke.

 

Gotta go with Duran by stoppage win. He's the best fighter I've seen in my lifetime.

 

If it's so farfetched then please show me any other fight where Toney even remotely resembles the absolute bum who showed up against Roy. Having an off night or being weight drained, those I can understand, but forgetting every skill you know and not training for the biggest fight of your career seems pretty suspicious to me. Toney forgot how to jab, how to fight on the inside, how to throw a straight right, how to counter punch, how to use his pull counter, how to throw with proper technique. Toney was one of the greatest counter punchers of all time and the 2nd best infighter of the last 50 years eclipsed only by Duran yet forgot how to do both against Roy. He threw big looping slaps rather than his usual straight punches and upper cuts down the middle, where Roy was clearly vulnerable and where his trainer kept begging him to throw at. Toney clearly was not coming to win, barely even tried, and let Roy hit him when he wanted to. Toney fought harder and better when he was fat as a pig in sparring sessions in the Kronk but showed no urgency whatsoever against Roy in the later rounds. When Toney was in danger of getting stopped against Tom Littles on a cut, he threw the kitchen sink at him and knocked him out. Against Roy in a much bigger fight though he showed no such urgency, ambition, or will to win. If a fighter isn't trying to win then that tends to lead me to believe they were trying to lose. The man who showed up against Roy looked absolutely nothing like James Toney and I haven't seen any film of Toney who looks at all similar to how he fought against Roy, it was like watching a completely different fighter.