Roy Jones vs James Toney at Heavyweight

The thing is Holyfield did hit Toney with some big shots and even Byrd (who I think was more mobile than Roy at the time). Roy just can't take these shots without going out. Let's leave out Donald because that fight was later.

Look, by his own admission Roy is not a heavyweight. He always said that he took the one fight he knew he could win and then get out of there. Actually the Holy-Jones was in discussion at some time but never materialized.

 

Roy isn't a natural heavyweight but neither is Toney the division was getting really weak at the time. Which gave Toney a decent chance to compete. If the talent was the way it was in the 90's neither Jones or Toney is gonna able to compete at a good level in the heavyweights.

 

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The 217 pounder version of toney that fought evander would beat the jones who fought ruiz. Toney had a better frame to carry more weight and jones at hw would not have the same advantage in speed

 

I disagree

 

If Roy fought Toney at Heavyweight he would come in lighter, Ruiz was known as a mailing physical fighter who liked to grapple so Roy put on muscle.

Toney on the other hand would probably lose all discipline and get fat and come in at 240 because he wouldn't have to make weight.

The only fight at HW where James was in shape was Vs Holyfield where he had just moved up, didn't have time to get fat yet

Jones UD.

JT would never have the footspeed to corner RJJ and grind him down unless we are talking post Tarver where Roy had no legs and no chin.

If you rewatch Ruiz Vs Jones, Jones takes enough big shots to make me think Jones didn't have the complete glass jaw in his prime that everyone says.

 

IF Toney comes in at sub220 and fights the fight of his life, pressures nonstop and invests in Roy's body he might slow him down enough simply because 30 pounds of muscle do make a difference ONLY if Toney can consistently get to Roy's body

 

Your argument is pretty irrelevant as this is about Toney (Holy version) against Jones. I do not know why you are trying to match an out of shape Toney against Jones. Yeah Roy would beat him but it is a pretty irrelevant matchup.

Also your assertion that Toney would come in out of shape against Jones is highly unlikely. At heavyweight, Toney was in shape up to his injury (Holyfield, Booker and the scheduled Mc Cline fight where he looked at his best according to reports). And if you would know anything about James, you would know that this the fight he most wanted for years.

And I did not see Ruiz landing any big shots on Roy either. Actually Roy barely got hit in that fight.

So all in all I completely disagree and your knowledge on Toney seems pretty limited too

 

Toney is one of my top 10 favourite fighters and at the same time one of the biggest disappointments, Roach said he was the most talented he ever trained.


In the OP it doesn't say Holyfield version Vs Ruiz version. It just says Heavyweight, no excuses.


And yes Roy took shots off Ruiz, watch the fight again. Only the first 3 rounds of you're short on time. Ruiz does in fact land some good shots.
So did Tarver in the first fight, so did montell Griffin(not a big puncher but a glass jawed fighter would still have been wobbled or dropped) and a few others like Hopkins, Gonzalez etc..

Jones' glass jaw is a similar case to Leonard's. A fighter with gifted reflexes and legs getting older and not seeing shots coming anymore and then losing punch resistance.

We've seen it recently with Kovalev(different style but still).
Punch resistance can decline and it can do so very suddenly.

Do you think Leonard would have EVER been dropped by Camacho in his prime?

 

Toney. Better fighter at heavyweight no doubt about it. He had an actual legitimate hw run thar Jones never would have been able to replicate

 

I know it's MMA but Chuck Liddell is an example of this.

 

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