What if the devil had got into Roy Jones in his prime and he went all out for glory?

Imagine him fighting the majority of

1992 MW rankings

1. Julian Jackson
2. James Toney
3. Reggie Johnson
4. Roy Jones Jr.
5. Mike McCallum
6. Sumbu Kalambay
7. Gerald McClellan
8. Lamar Parks
9. Bernard Hopkins
10. Thomas Tate

1993 top two

1. Roy Jones Jr.
2. Gerald McClellan

Gone out on his way to fight all the top SMW's

1. James Toney
2. Michael Nunn
3. Chris Eubank
4. Nigel Benn
5. Tim Littles

Beat all the best light heavyweights

1. Antonio Tarver
2. Dariusz Michalczewski

Moved up to HW to fight Lennox Lewis

Perhaps granting rematches to Hopkins, Toney.

ATG resume.

 

He did pretty dam good with who he fought. Looking back on his career and how the supposed fighters he ducked careers played out, I dont think Jones would have had much trouble had he faced everyone under heavy, he was just too fast. He never had any business at heavyweight, and even John Ruiz was a tough challenge and a big accomplishment for Jones in my oinion.

 

Tyson would have KO'd Jones, even if Jones fought him when Roy was at his peak! Jones would not have been able to hurt Tyson & Mike was no slouch in the speed department himself so its not as if Jones could easily hit & move all night long!

In Jones going all out for glory, throwing caution to the wind, I think his durability lets him down at some stage & he gets stopped or knocked out!

 

That says it all right there.

If he'd taken more risks, I think his legacy would still end up where it is now. He'd probably have more big wins/achievements to his credit, but also more embarrassing losses, side-by-side.

 

I always wanted a Toney rematch, whether it was at 168, 175, 190. Also he and DM should have fought.

I think Lennox Lewis would have been the biggest fight of his life, but I can't see him with much of a chance.

 

It's hard not to see him totally cleaning out the SMW and LHW divisions in the 90's had the fights against all the top guys come to pass. He would of course have been sparked by both Tyson and Lewis had he been stupid enough to take them on, but I don't think anyone would hold that against him. He could have had one of the very best records if he'd really tried, he was that superior. As it is he still has a very solid one, and lots of money in the bank, of course.

 

Shouldnt this be in the fantasy section...

 

So you mean that the Fitz vs SRR, Jeffries vs Ali, Duran vs Whitaker etc threads that abound on this forum is more realistic?

 

I don't think Lennox would have fought him anyway.

 

great list! i think the darius, benn, eubank and hopkins rematch would have sealed his legacy. the others were great (especially jackson) but for me those would be the most important. collins would have been a fine feather but he'd never fight a friend in mcclellan.

the lewis/klitschko/tyson matches would have been great but unlikely at any point because of the size difference. still if he had gone all out i believe 100% he'd be a top ten atg

 

Someone would have still found that glass chin of his.

 

Most of them avoided Roy like the plague except Lewis/Klit.

Hopkins - Hops ducked him and is still avoided the fight as of this week, Roy asked him for a winner takes 60% or even winner takes all on the radio show they were both on and Hopkins wasnt trying to hear it
Darius M- wouldnt come to the US plain and simple
Fabriozio Tiozzi - moved to Cruser before Roy was at 175
Sven Ottke - is that a joke? No way Otke goes outside Germany
Gerald Mcclellan - Would have happened if GMAN didnt get hurt
Nigel Benn - Benn was a Don King fighter so Roy would have to sign his career away to make the fight. RJJ dominated and ko'd Mallinga who twice beat Benn
Chris Eubank - Eubank turned JOnes down from '92-'98 before and after Jones was a name
Steve Collins - Collins wanted 6m and wasnt a stateside name
Julian Jackson - JJ was busy losing to GMAN

Most of these have no chance in hell of beating Jones plain and simple

 

After Roy, Toys with em all. The devil made em do it. Hey look I don't get paided for this.

 

lets even allow him not to go beyond 175 , i'd believe that after he joins the collins/eubanks/watson/benn/mcclellan/jackson/mccallum party he ends like collins,watson,mcclellan . (he did fight mccallum , but a very old one and only at 175 , and still didn't stop him) maybe he'd still have won some title or two at 175 , but retires before the age of 35 (for medical reasons) . he would have had more losses , for sure , i don't think he'd even reached tarver's peak or at least not fight him by then.

 

He'd have lost more fights but it wouldn't have mattered. he'd have had some great wins and if he'd have lost a rematch to Hopkins (just an example) then a true rivalry would have been created and great rivalries bring out the best in fighters.

The one problem for Roy is that when he did suffer a defeat the intimidation factor would be gone. Can't believe people are trying to say these fights not happening can't be blamed on the man holding all the cards...and, of course, he'd have won them all anyway (which is obviously why he didn't make any of them happen).