Roy Jones vs Billy Conn (resume and p4p standing)

One of the factors that makes Conn's career most remarkable, is the fact that it was abruptly cut short during his absolute prime.

Had world war II not taken place, it is quite plausible that he would have built a resume to rival that of Ezzard Charles or Archie Moore.

 

In green: Nah, we cool.

In white: Well, you know I-Oh, hey, look; it's Yakov Smirnoff doing a free street concert! :bolt

 

I'm not totally convinced i'd have conn in my top ten lhw based on accomplishments at the weight. Just putting that out there.

He's certainly behind tunney, charles, greb, moore, dillon, foster, jones, spinks and maybe gibbons also. That's off top of my head.

 

To say Roy Jones had the resume of guys who he beat at LH and HWs,as impressive as Billy Conn's was is downright silly. By the time Billy Conn's great career was cut short by WW2,when Billy was in his PRIME, he beat
MW : Teddy Yarosz,Babe Risko, Vince Dundee, Young Corbett, Solly Kreiger, Tony Zale.
Fred Apostoli 2 .
Light Heavies : Melio Bettina 2, Gus Lesnevich, Al McCoy
Heavyweights : Joe Louis 13 rounds, Gus Dorazio, Kod Bob Pastor, Lee Savold, Gunnar Barlund, Buddy Knox, etc. Then at his zenith Conn went into the armed forces for FOUR Years, a shell of his speedy and tough self. He outlasts, outfights and outguts the gifted but less rugged Roy Jones IMO.And so does one of my favorite LHs Mathew Saad Franklin.

 

in terms of resume, jones is nowhere in conn's class.

head to head, i'll take him over franklin and conn anyday of the week. i'm half dutch and half scottish so as a cheap **** that means a lot to me. i don't see either as any great threat h2h, only charles, spinks and moore are favoured for me with johnson 40/60.

 

I have to go with Conn just based on his first fight with Louis.

 

Cracks me up when people credit Conn with some kind of win against Louis.

 

I get that he showed balls and good skills for a few rounds but when people say "his loss to louis is better than anything roy achieved" I think they're talking utter shite.

 

you don't think they are talking utter shite, you know they are.

I rate his perfomrance where it's appropriate, and that's in rating how good a fighter he was. He was an amazing fighter, and I've mentioned right off the bat in this thread, I don't think it really gets much better than Billy Conn at 175 pounds. When it comes to rating a guys ability or head to head standing I look at the performances, and that takes analysis, on that basis I rate what he did against Louis. In terms of rating legacy or resume etc, the fight is nothing to him, he lost, Louis never cheated, he knocked him out. Louis won. I'm not gunna debate it with anyone because I don't agree with anything else. Peace to Nation of Gods and Earths.

 

Yeah I actually think people do him a discredit when mentioning that loss as a way of boosting his achievements or resume. He has enough quality wins that we shouldn't be talking about a loss. He cleaned out his division in 2 years.

As you say the fight just serves a purpose for evaluating how skilled he was. He shouldn't be remembered as the man who lost to louis, he's a great lhw.

I think jones beats conn at lhw though but I think jones beats pretty much anyone at lhw.

 

Good post. I'm not sure about Jones-Conn, both of them are at the highest level at that weight from what I've seen/read/understood.

 

I still got to go with Billy Conn of the Bob Pastor fight in 1940,to decision any version of the great Roy Jones,albeit an amazing talent.
In 1940 Conn destroyed a tremendously underated boxer in Bob Pastor, Aside from the immortal prime Joe Louis, Bob Pastor beat these terrific fighters.
Jimmy Bivens
Gus Lesnevich
Turkey Thompson
Booker Beckwith
Roscoe Toles
Steve Dudas
Al McCoy
Lem Franklin ko
Ray Impellittiere -Pastor 183/ Impellittiere 238 pounds ko
When Conn kod the tough to beat Bob Pastor in 1940 ,Billy beat a guy who was a top 184 pounder who went 21 rounds with the prime Joe Louis. This Conn beats most any LH
with the possible exception of Gene Tunney [a boxing machine] and my guy Ezzard Charles...

 

You can't talk about Billy Conn without mentioning his fight with Joe Louis. In my opinion leading on the scorecards after 12 rounds against a prime Joe Louis is more impressive than any one thing Roy Jones has done in his career.

The closest thing Jones has done in comparison is when he dominated John Ruiz. Although Ruiz was a title holder and a big tough man, he will never be mistaken for an all time great, or even the real heavyweight champion.

The Louis fight might not have been Conns best fight, however it is the most memorable. Most people who know boxing rank it as one of the one the greatest fights of the century. I think people who fail to recognize what Conn did in this fight, because he lost, do Conns legacy a disservice.

Disclaimer in no way am I trying to knock Roy Jones or his accomplishments. He is an all time great, and I have a ton of respect for the guy.

 

Do you think Jones would have managed to go 13 with Louis? Just beeing curious.