Roy Jones Vs Michael The Jinx Spinks

The most effective punching and fastest starting heavyweight of the era, peaking against the most notoriously slow starter of any champion since Palomino. Tyson didn't give him a chance to warm up and get going, nor should he have. I don't hold it against the loser, because everybody expected Cooney to do the same thing to him. He went further than virtually anyone believed he could, and the manner of his one and only knockout loss surprised few.

I'd like to see Roy defeat Holmes and the body hooking Cooney the way Michael did, or take out Tangstad. (If Larry loads up on his jab as he did with Ocasio, there's a real chance RJJ does not beat the count if it lands flush.)

 

Oh, JESUS! :rofl:bowdown

 

Gimme a break! Jones is not only much faster, but better offensively, defensively, footwork and generalship than Spinks, at all distances.

 

all true. and yes, on the biggest fight of his career spinks got knocked out in the first round

 

****, this is tough man..

jones was faster MUCH faster and i'll say his reflexes put him ahead of spinks defensively and on par offensivity. footwork to was even but spinks utilized his more. but spinks had generalship down and was brilliant at controlling the fight against a wide variety of opponents. he shut down qawi and ran roughshed over cooney while outhusting holmes. he could dictate a fight against fighters who had advantages over him; roy never proved that he could.

 

Jones has a wider variety of punches. Has more effective footwork (not just moving around and controlling the distance, but using angles a lot). Not too faded Jones could fight effectively against any style, orthodox or southpaw, vs opponents with longer reach too, could make the opponent's jab useless like nobody else in history (and generally his opponents' punch output was much-much lower than their average), could outfight boxers, outwork swarmers, and dirty tricks didn't work with him.

 

1) i just can't agree that jones has a wider variety of punches. he used the lunging left hook and counter right almost exclusively at 175

2)he has effective footwork but so did spinks. i see no clear advantage to be honest

3)jones almost ALWAYS had the speed and power advantage over his opponents. rarely did someone come in and do something better than roy and that superior physicality enabled him to excel

 

Never seen his uppercuts and hooks to the body with both hands?
Power advantage? He had fragile hands and was fighting above his natural weight vs bigger opponents most of his career.

 

yup, but not a lot of them at 175. roy was potshotting for that phase of his career

and yes, he had a power advantage over nearly every opponent he faced. size differences were neglectable. he was a better punch than hopkins, toney, griffen, kelly, sugarboy, woods, tarver, frazier, brannon, and ruiz. yes, i'd say he held a distinct power and speed advantage over everyone he faced

 

I don't believe it was the biggest fight of his career. It may have been the biggest payday, and the most hyped in advance of the event. Historically, it's far more important to Tyson's legacy than that of Spinks. In order, I believe Michael's biggest fights were:

1) Holmes I

In many ways, this was boxing's equivalent of the four minute mile. Bob Foster's high profile failures against Frazier and Ali were fresh in everybody's minds, as was the shocking way Larry steamrolled big brother Leon. Mustafa Muhammad had been dethroned by Michael after his own high profile miserably failing foray into heavyweight waters with Snipes. It was becoming widely accepted that a sub 200 pound challenger would never again lift the heavyweight title, let alone a light heavyweight champion. Leon and Michael became the first sub 200 pounders to snag the lineal title from a reigning 200 pound plus defender since Braddock upset Max Baer. Because Michael did it, Moorer, RJJ and Toney knew it was indeed possible.

2) Qawi

Possibly his most skilled performance, making him the first undisputed champion at 175 since Bob Foster.

3) Mustafa Muhammad

He becomes a champion for the first time.

4) Cooney

Nobody expected this. The fast starting Cooney's hook to the body was going to break skinny and slow starting Michael in half the first time it connected. A fortune teller predicting the Jinx to drop him twice and stop him in five might have been committed to an asylum.

5) Holmes II

Controversial, and most believe Larry won. But Michael remained on his feet over the championship distance with an aroused and angry Assassin, and that is remarkable in and of itself.

6) Tyson

A major gate and hugely publicized, but Tyson did what Cooney was expected to do, and the outcome surprised few, if any. Michael was about to turn 32, hadn't fought in more than a year since Cooney, and had already far surpassed what anybody could have predicted for him.

7) Marvin Johnson

Nobody ever beat Marvin like this, a man who was both a former and future champion. Possibly the best fighter to be knocked out by a single punch in the 1980s.

8) Ranquello

A critical career maker, because the super responsible and disciplined Michael was available to step in as a last minute substitute for an injured Mike Rossman in what was supposed to be a heavily hyped rematch. He stopped Ramon by using his jab to splash the face into a crimson mask. Michael beat his top opponents in all ways possible except by first round starching. (Oddly for such a great amateur, he just could never charge out of the gate to blow over somebody at the opening bell, something even Frazier proved capable of.)

9) Bethea

He fought Tom the Bomb on the undercard of Leon Spinks-Ali I. Not a sensational fight, as Bethea was winding down his career, but with Leon conspicuously and loyally cheering his kid brother from ringside in his robe, instead of getting prepared in his dressing room, this first major national television exposure as a professional became a memorable back story event and prelude.

10) Sutherland II

This title defense was Michael's first rematch, and the colorful Scot had originally made a name for himself by getting off the deck to give Michael his toughest scrap during the rise to the title. After a checkered career, Murray would finally become a world champion at 168, thus the fifth titleholder Michael defeated as a professional.

11) Eddie Davis

Depending on mood, I could easily interchange this with Sutherland II. Eddie Davis was the most competitive challenger Michael had after consolidating the title at 175. It does provide some suggestion that Michael's power could be withstood at LHW during his peak, but again, it must be acknowledged that the championship limit wasn't in play. Michael was coming off a tenth round stoppage of Rivadeneyra, the latest round he would ever halt anybody in. Eddie Davis might have been the one time Michael ended matters in a championship round, but we never had the chance to find out.

 

Spinks more often than not...Jones is hell for anyone, ever and beats most of the guys ranked ahead of him alltime at the weight.

There is some precedent and argument for Jones winning this..but the argument is just as strong for Spinks..IMO stronger.

I dont even think he has to knock out Jones to win.. At some point Spinks lands a good shot and I think thats all he needs to control RJJ..It will have Jones heavily on the defensive with virtually no offence as he is unwilling to risk getting tagged hard again. I think Roy will rely on shading rounds with single shots and the occasional flurry but I feel he will be missing Spinks more than he is hitting him as Michael's range, long arms and awkward upper body movement see a lot of Roy's shots fall short or get blocked.

If you are looking to beat Spinks with a minimalist strategy I dont think its going to work more often than not, as he be will pumping out that Jinx consistently once he gets going and he would outwork Roy, even if its mostly ineffective the rounds will tick by for him if you arent willing to grit your teeth and take it away from him.
Spinks will miss tons aswell, and generally look ****...but his style often looked **** even though it was highly effective.

If it turns into a messy, tactical fight then I got Spinks all day. Either he lands that equaliser eventually or he finishes stronger to bag a decision.

If Roy sits on the ropes and offers his torso to Spinks as a target whilst putting the earmuffs on then Michael will gladly rearrange his internal organs with shots similar to the ones that had Marvin Johnson in agony.

I reckon Roy certainly gets one in a series..and is never dominated, though its very likely if they fought enough times he would get counted out at some point.
But I have always liked Spinks in this one..he is the better and greater fighter at this weight.

 

:roflatsch

 

come on! jones is the bees knees

 

I don't think there's much doubt that Spinks ranks higher if we are looking at a list of LHWs. But that's based on accomplishment at that weight.

Head to head is not the same thing.

I think the Roy Jones of the McCallum fight or the Toney fight would be too slick and too fast for Spinks.


Jones by UD.