No I dont think jones ducked hopkins, but I do think he did not make a good enough effort to make a mega rematch. I think hopkins became clever enough with timing his punches to give jones some serious problems.
B-Hop was never a big puncher, and I never saw him giving Jones a problem stylistically. He was effective getting inside and roughing up his opponents. He would have never been able to get close enough to Jones.
Something hopkins mastered later on that he did not have back in the 1990s was his lead right hand. He would be anywhere, even in long range, sitting back and waiting... calculating the situation...then like a mongsoose latching onto his prey he would shoot the lead right into timing it perfectly over the opponents low left hand. i think jones might have trouble with this despite his blazing reflexes, Hopkins was the better technical fighter than roy.
McCallum boxed his ears off in the middle rounds of that fight, totally figured him out, a younger McCallum beats Jones
They were wrong. I'm not trying to say it was a controversy or anything but there were a few rounds where McCallum outboxed Jones quite soundly.
i agree with you McCallum won afew rounds and it was close but Jones won clearly in his prime McCallum would have KOd Jones
I think you guys are overating Mcallum. He wasnt a dominant guy. He was effetive in close, but when did Jones every get into a close infight? Mr bassie, I remember watching the fight, and it was a complete snoozefest. I also remember Jones saying he could have easily stopped Mcallum, but had too much respect for him.
How disappointing it is that some people can't differentiate between the shot, post-Ruiz Jones and the prime, peerless Roy Jones who effortlessly outclassed Hopkins, Toney, Ruiz, Hill, Griffin, McCallum, Woods, Sosa, etc. Roy Jones is completely unique in boxing history imo in terms of lightning-fast reflexes and hand speed and foot speed. He simply would not have been there for Archie Moore to hit him. And he would have hit Archie all fight long with leaping left hooks and straight or overhand right hands. A reluctant, defensive-minded Roy wins a clear decision over Archie, an attacking Jones would probably TKO him. Hopkins and Toney - great fighters themselves - can make all the excuses they want about their respective losses to Roy. "He ran from my punches all night long" etc. Since when was defensive footwork and anticipation of punches in boxing a bad thing? Hopkins and Toney are elusive boxers themselves. They're just not as good as Jones was in his prime.
