Roy Jones Junior's Punch Resistance.

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Wass85, Sep 28, 2022.



  1. Wass85

    Wass85 Active Member banned Full Member

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    I've just watched a video of all his losses on YouTube, his fall from grace was as dramatic as you'll ever see.

    Now I'm not claiming he had a great chin in his prime but it was never pure glass like it ended up being.

    Those knockouts he suffered were sickening, his punch resistance was zero, he looked punch drunk and half asleep from nothing shots, what do you think caused this, tbh he's doing better now than I thought he would be, he looked a sure cert to be an incoherent mess, maybe he will end up that way as he ages, I hope not.

    I wonder if he's a case of when you suffer a concussion you're more susceptible to further concussions, whatever the cause it was very concerning seeing him rendered unconscious.
     
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  2. destruction

    destruction Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Roy Jones never had a bad chin.

    The issue he had was once he bulked up to get up to HW and beat John Ruiz which was the big dream he had. To be the first fighter since Bob Fitzsimmons to win a world title from MW up to HW.

    The weight loss to get down to LHW only 8 months later was a suicide mission. He suffered the first of two brutal KO losses at LHW only 12 months to 18 months after fighting at HW.

    It was clear his reflexes were slightly slower and he just wasnt the same fighter as he had been prior to moving up to HW.

    It is proven that weight loss does impact upon punch resistance. Also, at this point his motivation wasnt the same. Once he achieved the big dream he had, and lost his undefeated record. He had the body language of a fighter just enjoying boxing and doing it for money.

    Compounded on all of that is that Roys defence was his reflexes which were truly exceptional. The combination of weigh gain, weight loss and age all made him visibly slower in the ring and easier to hit. He never developed a guard to block shots because his defence was his reflexes.

    If only he had retired after the John Ruiz win he would have gone down as an ATG without all these question marks about him when he fought post prime for the fun of boxing. Roy is a guy who enjoyed fighting and training to fight more, than he did about his legacy.
     
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  3. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    Some fighters lose their punch resistance as they age. Plus they meet guys that are now faster than they were.
    Happens all the time. It was dramatic when it happened with Jones because it had never happened before, him being kod, he had always looked dominant too.

    It caught up with Holyfield eventually, he'd have never been kod against Toney, in his prime.
     
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  4. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist Full Member

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    The weight loss thing is a myth. He never even lost much weight.

    Age +Tarver ended him.
     
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  5. young griffo

    young griffo Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Age and a long professional and amateur career ended him.
    Tarver was in the right place at the right time. He was a far lesser talent though a good fighter and a massive Lt Heavy.
    If Tarver didn’t lose to Harding in 2000 and met Roy instead I’ve a feeling things could’ve panned out differently. Who knows though.
     
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  6. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    When did Jones ever take any punches in his prime to measure how good his chin was ? I only remember the Lou Del Valle knockdown. But outside of that I don't really remember Jones taking many flush punches.
     
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  7. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I think Tarver would always have a stylistic problem forJones. Jones lost to Liles in the Amateurs who was a Southpaw. Jones also got dropped by Del Valle and had issues vs Harding who were both Southpaws.

    Now I'm not saying a prime Jones wouldn't beat Tarver, hell a weight drained Jones beat him in their 1st fight. And was looking decent in the 2nd fight until he caught, but I do think a tall rangey counter punching Southpaw like Tarver always gives him issues.
     
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  8. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist Full Member

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    Tarver was the only guy in the division who could’ve detonated on Roy’s chin at that moment. Remember Del Valle?
     
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  9. Wass85

    Wass85 Active Member banned Full Member

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    That's the thing, nothing shots were buzzing him and leaving him in a zombie state.

    Maybe it was moving back down to LHW that finished him, who knows.

    He was looking sharp prior to his first knockout loss to Tarver, it's a shame it ended the way it did.
     
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  10. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    But again my question is how many solid punches on the chin did Jones take in his prime ? Because he was so dominant we never really see his chin tested. So it's hard to evaluate his chin in his prime.

    The Tarver punch was a legit KO punch, that was a devastating left hand and it was unfortunate Jones got caught by it. As he was looking decent before he got caught, then after that his punch resistance was abysmal. The Johnson KO punch did not look that hard at all to me.
     
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  11. Wass85

    Wass85 Active Member banned Full Member

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    Saying that, a few cracks in the glass were apparent in his prime, that was a proper knockdown, his senses were scrambled.

    This content is protected
     
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  12. Flash24

    Flash24 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    A millisecond off is the difference between slipping and riding a punch
    and getting ko'ed. Jones Jr. was a gifted athlete blessed with great
    reflexes, coordination, and speed, that just happened to be
    a boxer, he proved that with his basketball exploits. He was able to get away with
    technical flaws that would've got the average boxer killed.
    But age is the great equalizer, along with wear and tear from
    training and fights, especially the weight gain and loss after
    he won the heavyweight championship.
    I believe Jones Jr. had a average ability to take a clean hard punch.
    But when he lost that millisecond of timing and reflexes those near
    misses became clean hits, and his average ability to take a
    punch became clear. He couldn't take a great punch, more
    than likely his superhuman reflexes disguised this fact for many years.
    Unlike Ali when he slowed his ability to take a clean hard shot
    was demonstrated in many fights.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2022
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  13. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Yeah I've always thought Jones looked a little buzzed from that knockdown aswell, Del Valle was also Jones's sparring partner. So maybe he picked up on a few things like he did there with knockdown.
     
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  14. Pepsi Dioxide

    Pepsi Dioxide Boxing Addict Full Member

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    He went 15+ years with that chin winning world titles and only got dropped once in a fight he dominated. He would get caught in fights with shots, its a myth he never took any shots in those 15 years. Toney and Hopkins couldn't drop him, Merqui Sosa who many claim to be the strongest puncher they faced landed a few shots and couldn't drop him. Its a shame what happened to McClellan but I really think if they had met Jones would of won a decision and stayed away from Gerald's power.

    I'm in the camp that he had a decent chin, however age, wear and tear from a long career, and getting blasted by Tarver are what cracked his chin (which some guys once they are brutly KOd get KOd much easier after). It happens.
     
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  15. Barrf

    Barrf Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Seems to happen with age unless you're Muhammad Ali or George Foreman, in which case the opposite happens. Never quite understood how that happened.
     
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