Rules: 20 x 20 ring 15 rounds 1940-1960's style referring. 10 point must system. No weight class. Jones can pick his best weight, same with Johnson. Who wins, and why?
Why? Johnson struggled mightily vs Jack' Obrien and lost to fast fighters like Choysnki. Choynski could hit. So could Jones. I'd place Jones above bother fighters. Roy Jones has the edge on speed, skills and IMO power. The reach is even. Johnson was about 2 inches taller. Johnson's main edge would be clinching or via the uppercut on the inside but Jones was smart and quick, he was not clinched often. Jones had no problem landing on high guard defensive types in Hopkins and Toney. Johnson had a very low guard and mostly stationary feet. I think Jones out throws and outlands Johnson, who was pretty much a low punch output type of fighter. Jones on points. 9-6, or 9-5-1 in rounds is what I see. If Johnson hit harder, his chances would be better.
Don’t really want to get in a debate about HW’s because I am not passionate or interested enough in the division as a whole. I am not a huge Johnson apologist and rate him around 11-15 as a HW. However as great as Roy was at 168 and to a lesser degree 175, there are not many HW’s I would pick him to beat regardless of what weight he comes in at. John Ruiz was a wisely selected opponent. Under your rules the ring size might help a little, but not enough in my mind. Good luck with the thread...it has a HW and RJJ so it should get quite a few clicks and replies.
Fascinating and unknowable match up. At what age are we considering Johnson? His best work was done at 192 and below if memory serves.
Let me start by saying I’m biased because I think Jack Johnson is super overrated, I admire what the man was able to accomplish especially in the time period that he did it in, that being said, Roy Jones by destruction, too fast, to accurate, timing is to good, I can’t see Johnson’s flat footed perry based defense working on Roy,
Ironically, the "Galveston Giant", and Roy Jones, are similar in size. Johnson height 6′ 0½″ reach 74″ Jones height 5′ 11″ reach 74″
I see it as the total opposite: that roy's in and out highly energetic ambush style would basically be muffled by Johnson's laid back 1 punch at a time clinch and reset defensive style. Johnson was not only one of the best defensive heavyweights, he had monster stamina and has gotten off the floor to win. So even in the unlikely event Jones lands a bomb and for some reason you believe a 168-175 pound Jones could drop him, it's not like johnson had a glass jaw and he'd crumble from the first good shot. Its kind if a damned if you do, damned if you don't thing. If roy chooses to fight at a heavier weight he loses some of his speed and work rate but gains some toughness and power. At a lighter weight he'd have insane speed but would also become that much weaker to punches so hed need to fight a perfect fight with no lapse in judgement. The early rounds would clearly favor roy but around the 5th the momentum changes. It could get real ugly real fast if Johnson starts to read roys rhythm and conserves his energy to suddenly explode and catch roy with something. Overall id favor johnson 7/10. There just isnt an ideal weight for roy to take on this puzzling defensive fighter.
Jack was an amazing person and historical figure but he was fighting glorified barroom brawlers, old men of dubious science and green up and comers. Roy was a centenarian talent, liquid lightning and perfection, no dents in his record and overwhelming domination for 15 years, up and down the weight divisions. This can hardly be called a contest.
Oh for Christ Sake, Roy kills him! Speed and ability like Roy's was unheard of in Johnson's era - combined with the fact that the sport had yet to mature from a skill/technique standpoint.
Good point, this was decades before Muhammad Ali invented feinting, despite what all that pesky evidence, which makes feinting look really prominant in this era, would lead you to believe.
Johnson knocks him out easilly, I don't think he'd even do as well as Tommy Burns who was much more built for fighting larger opponents. Johnson was extremely fast in his own right, and had a style much more based on clever boxing than raw speed, and much stronger, combine with Roy's shakey chin and he hasn't a hope. Honestly, this is just going to be people who don't rate Johnson's era picking Jones, and people who rate fighters of that era picking Johnson, I can't be bothered with that same argument again, so there aint a lot to discuss.
Parrying punches becomes very dangerous and tricky after the punches being thrown reach a certain velocity. This is a fact and it remains unchanged whether Johnson was born in the 1878 or 1978. Add to this Roy's bizarre timing, considerable power, accuracy and stamina and Johnson has a considerable problem on his hands. Johnson's hands down, shuffling, singular punch style sounds like disaster against Jones. Johnson's smile will become increasingly difficult to hold up with every flush Jones right hand lead that lands. In fact its not inconceivable that Jones might catch Johnson on the mental side. Imagine the quiet, unperturbed Roy barely listening to Johnson's babble during pre fight skirmishes, then turning up the showboating to 11 during the actual fight. How long will Johnson hold up against a nearly invisible opponent who slows down occasionally to perform an amusing dance for the crowd. Old school fighters are not invincible. People are people