ROY JONES JR - 'Why aren't I judged by the same criteria as ALI & ROBINSON?!'

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Jason Gordon, Feb 3, 2022.



  1. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    I think Roy was a genius boxer but if he wants to be judged by the same criteria as Ali and Robinson, it’s not going to look good for him. Those are some bad examples because they both achieved great things after their physical primes. And neither of them ever ended up flat on their back from a punch and didn’t get back up.
     
  2. fists of fury

    fists of fury Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Love Roy, but as others have said, he's being a bit disingenuous here.
     
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  3. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    I think Ezzard Charles is a better comparison. Although Charles didn't carry on past age 38 or so.
     
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  4. AwardedSteak863

    AwardedSteak863 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Not really. Joey Maxim was the light heavyweight champion of the world back then. There wasn't four different belt holder's, he was the guy. With that said, Jones would have had no problem with Maxim in my opinion and at 175 I don't see Sugar Ray as a threat to Jones at that weight. Ray was a significantly smaller man who likely walked around at less then 175. Greater fighter sure, but he was not a light heavy back in the same day weigh in era let alone in today's era of 24 hour rehydration rules.
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2022
  5. thistle

    thistle Boxing Addict Full Member

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    exactly, Early losses as a young fighter and losses at the End of a Career are usually the way it goes for most fighters and never held against them.

    Jones was/is a great fighter... I just wonder had he been fighting in Greater Era's, where the number of fights that 'most' his then contemporaries would be participating in, would he, Roy, have come across a Tarver much sooner?

    my best guess is YES!
     
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  6. AtomBlitz96

    AtomBlitz96 The Blitzer! banned Full Member

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    Eubank could equal him. possibilities are endless across the cosmos everything has and has not ever happened infinitely and so you can reasonably put him anywhere you want but in this reality I’d say he deserves more props then he gets BJS was the real deal.
     
  7. Brixton Bomber

    Brixton Bomber Obsessed with Boxing banned Full Member

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    He utterly embarrassed Toney. Performance of the decade that was.

    Hopkins win kept getting better with age.

    Went from MW to HW for the first Time in 106 years? Roy is a legend.
     
  8. quintonjacksonfan

    quintonjacksonfan Active Member Full Member

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    Yes he would of been . If he retired after the first Tarver fight and did not get disqualified for the Griffin fight he would of been 50-0
     
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  9. Mark Dunham

    Mark Dunham Well-Known Member Full Member

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    top five. top ten easy. WAY better than Ali!
     
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  10. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    I don't understand why some people actually do seem to hold those late career losses against him in all time rankings.
    It makes no sense.

    He came out of the 1988 Olympics, won his first world title in 1993. That's the same class as Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Michael Carbajal, Henry Maske, Kennedy McKinney. Most of those guys were finished or retired by 2004 when Jones started losing, most well before that, and none were ever as dominant as he was.

    From 1989 to 2003, he was pretty much untouchable. It's incredible longevity as well as dominance. He declined sharply from then on, but you can't seriously argue that should effect his rating.

    He's not as great as Robinson for other reasons. But no one should hold his losses against him, when he's old.
     
  11. OP_TheJawBreaker

    OP_TheJawBreaker NOBODY hit like that guy! Full Member

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    I'm not disagreeing with you, he still a legend regardless. Just maybe lack some elite level fighters he has to beat.
     
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  12. OP_TheJawBreaker

    OP_TheJawBreaker NOBODY hit like that guy! Full Member

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    I know that's sound impressive.. but beating John Ruiz to become the HW? is kinda meh. Toney beat Holyfield and arguably beat Peter who I consider better fighters than Ruiz. Hey, Ali became the first 3x HW champ by beating Leon Spinks y'know? Sounds very historical but there's a reason why most people didn't notice it
     
  13. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Jones was stopped 5 times between the ages of 35 and 46 and people talk as if that should impact his rating.
    I think that's his complaint, and he is correct.

    It's like when people say Holyfield had "too many losses". He had 10 losses, 7 of which came after he turned 37 years old, after many ring wars too.

    Ezzard Charles. Rightly rated as a top all time great. The majority of his 25 losses came when he was in the final few years of a 19 year career. It would be crazy to evaluate him on those losses.
     
  14. Bulldog24

    Bulldog24 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    He was 1/4 heavyweight champion. He was 1/4 middle and 1/4 super middle champ. In fact most of his belts were kind of vacant (middle, WBC stuff, Dariusz M was stripped of the WBA/IBF so DM was 3/4 the light heavy champ really?).

    Sure he looked amazing with his speed and combos and was actually knocking guys over with FLICKS at the lighter weights!?! But it is what it is. Ali, Duran and Armstrong fought everyone and proved it.
     
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  15. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member Full Member

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    1/4 Super Middle champ? He completely schooled Toney who from memory was rated the P4P #1 or #2 by various publicatons.