To all those who say Jones could/should have fought Eubank, Benn and/or Collins

I posted this explanation on another thread recently, but I think it's worth it's own thread since this accusation that Jones ducked/avoided/did not pursue fights with Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn and/or Steve Collins seems to be gaining popularity these days.

And it simply isn't true.

Benn lost his title to Sugarboy Malinga in March 1996 (FYI Jones had dominated and stopped Malinga years earlier). Eubank lost his title to Steve Collins in March 1995. Jones only moved up to supermiddleweight in November 1994 when he fought a far bigger name and more highly rated fighter, James Toney.

So really he could probably never have fought Eubank. There was 5 months between Jones-Toney and Eubank-Collins. For all we know, Eubank-Collins could have been arranged prior to November, thus meaning the fight could never have happened. Even if the fight wasn't planned until a while after the Jones-Toney fight, is it really right to criticize Jones for not taking a unification fight in his very 1st defence at a new weight? Is it really right to criticize Jones when we don't know how much money Eubank, as an established star in Britain, would have been looking for to leave his comfort zone in the UK or to consider losing in the UK against Jones (p4p#1 or 2 immediately after the Toney fight)? Jones was not huge box office back then remember. He was a rising star, but not a superstar with a huge following of fans in 1994, so he didn't have massive funds behind him.

To mention Benn is similarly short-sighted. It was well-known at the time that a superfight between Jones Jr and Gerald McClennan was under discussion. McClennan challenged Benn to win his title and make a Jones-McClennan fight a huge unification bout at 168. Was McClennan thought to be a more dangerous fighter than Benn at the time? Undoubtedly he was. Therefore, Jones was waiting to secure a more dangerous fight than Benn. The Benn v McClennan fight was in February 1995 - 4 months after Jones v Toney. Jones was already involved in a bigger, better fight than Benn, and by the time he had beaten Toney, McClennan-Benn was scheduled.

Benn didn't read the script, but that was hardly Roy's fault. Do you think Benn wanted a fight with Roy Jones right after the McClennan fight? Of course he didn't. And then he lost to Malinga. So that fight wasn't viable either. There was a tiny window where it could've happened (Feb 95-Mar 96), and Benn didn't leave the UK in that time, nor show any interest in fighting the world p4p#1.

Collins first won the supermiddle title in March 1995 by beating Eubank, then he fought Eubank again, then he settled for two routine hometown defences in Ireland, then he fought Benn twice, and by this time Jones had moved up to light-heavyweight. Does this sound like a guy who was dying to come over to the USA and fight peak Roy Jones? Apparently he called out Jones, but nothing happened. An empty gesture?? Steve Collins fought abroad earlier in his career - and lost to Mike McCallum, Reggie Johnson (both beaten by Jones) and Sumbu Kalambay. He only actually won a world title when he started fighting in Ireland/UK. Do you think he wanted to go over and fight the world's best fighter right after winning a world title when he could make money fighting past-prime Eubank and Benn? I severely doubt it. Jones moved up to light-heavyweight in Nov 1996. Therefore, he had an 18-month window to fight Collins, and Collins filled this by fighting Eubank and Benn twice each for big money at home. Again, is it fair that Jones is criticized for not fighting him when you actually examine the situation? I say it's a genuine no.


People do have a genuine case when they criticize Jones for not fighting Dariusz Michalczewski however, but the criticisms for not fighting the others are invalid IMO.

 

Sorry. :blood

 

He didn't fight at 168 til November 1994, and when he did, he fought the clear no1 in the division, the guy who was world pound-for-pound no.2 at the time, and many peoples' number 1.

 

He would have indeed. Jones was far far FAR too fast for all three. None of those fights would even have been close.

 

He didn't fight for a supermiddleweight title until Nov '94, and he went back down to defend his IBF middleweight title after the Malinga fight. Toney was his big breakthrough fight at 168. He could not have fought anyone better at the time.

 

sweeping statements r us . how can you know that for sure ? the benn who fought mclellan would have been impossible to simply swat aside , even the superhuman incredible unbeatable roy jones would have had a fight on his hands. he would have won yes but a man from scotland should not dismiss nigel benn so easily, as if he was nothing.

 

The man from Scotland grew up loving watching the Dark Destroyer, and I really rate him. But you are letting your heart rule your head, on the basis of Benn's brave, brilliant, brutal, and absolutely unforgettable performance against McClennan.

Benn could only produce that performance because the man he was fighting had a style which allowed it.

All the heart in the world, all the guts, all the head and upper body defensive movement, the grinding power in his hooks, the never-say-die forward onslaught....

....none of these attributes which served him so well v McClennan would have allowed him to make a dent in 1994-96 Jones.

Jones would have been well aware of Benn's power and heart, and he would been flying around Nigel all night bouncing punches off his skull and not catching anything back in return, until the power told and the stoppage occurred.


Stylistically, Benn would've had zero chance against Jones. It would've been a schooling.