Where would you rank Roy Jones Jr as an ATG?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by sas6789, May 28, 2014.


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  1. sas6789

    sas6789 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Simple question, where does RJJ deserve to be on the ATG list?

    Also, do you think he is overrated by some?
     
    sas6789, May 28, 2014
    sas6789, May 28, 2014
    #1
  2. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    #29 Roy Jones

    Roy Jones was a phenom, one of those one-in-a-lifetime talents that comes along and just dazzles. Of all fighters that appear on film, Jones is the one who appears most otherworldly. For all that the other phenoms in boxing history are extraordinary it is Jones who has the appearance of being plugged into a totally different matrix; he was a fighter upon whom gravity seemed not to work the magic that left the professionals with whom he shared the ring earthbound.

    He fought his sixteenth professional fight against former strapholder Jorge Vaca, playing a seemingly crude fairground game against the fleetingly aggressive Mexican, winging in the kind of wide hooks a prospect must be cured of in order to progress. Such was Roy’s speed that not only could Vaca not take advantage, but in fact he was stopped in the first round, a look of confusion betraying his uncertainty as to what had hit him as he struggled to regain control of his forearms, which gingerly controlled his swaying weight. Not a technician in the truest sense of the word, Jones punched all the way from his boots and had a supernatural grasp of positioning from his earliest days as a professional. He organized himself in ways that demonstrated natural feints against an opponent desperate for any opportunity to land on an opponent who was almost impossible to hit. If an opponent moved in the way Jones expected, his trap was sprung without providing an opportunity for the opponent to react—and if they didn’t move in he had still positioned himself in such a way as to throw his punches with fractions of seconds shaved from them, fractions that mattered because he was a fighter already arguably peerless in terms of speed.

    This brought him wins in twenty-two “world” title fights between 1993 and mid-2004 from middleweight up to heavyweight. His most notable victims include three men from this list, James Toney, Mike McCallum and Bernard Hopkins. All were completely outclassed, world-class talents who looked to all intents and purposes as though they did not belong in the ring with Jones.

    Arguably his best win came up at heavyweight, when he became the first man since Bob Fitzsimmons to hold titles at both middle and heavy. Ruiz was a strapholder rather than a legitimate champion, but even so, like the greater but smaller men Jones dominated, he offered little in the way of resistance. Roy’s one loss during these peak years was a questionable and brutally avenged disqualification.

    Such was his domination and pound-for-pound standing in his own era that his crash was bound to be spectacular, and so it proved. Devastating knockouts rendered by fighters not of his standing brought into question a chin that was so rarely tested in his dizzying prime, but from late ’94 to early ’96, Jones appeared peerless—not just in his own time, but for all time.
     
    McGrain, May 28, 2014
    McGrain, May 28, 2014
    #2
  3. El-blanco

    El-blanco Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I can't speak historically because I haven't seen all those old fighters, but, in the last 20 years, I'd say he's top 5. Beating a hw, even Ruiz, put a cherry on top of that legacy.
     
    El-blanco, May 28, 2014
    El-blanco, May 28, 2014
    #3
  4. JacK Rauber

    JacK Rauber Unbourboned by what has been Full Member

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    Jones is the best fighter I have seen in my life. I have watched a lot of video of earlier fighters and I don't believe I have seen anyone who was better. Prime Roy was untouchable. What made Roy so tough was he could fight whatever way was necessary to win. If he needed speed, he had it. If he needed power, he had it. I can think of no better fighter.
     
    JacK Rauber, May 28, 2014
    JacK Rauber, May 28, 2014
    #4
  5. daprofessor

    daprofessor da legendary professor Full Member

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    roy is special...but i was disappointed certain fights didn't happen.

    benn
    eubanks
    nunn
    michalczewski

    those fights should have happened.
     
    daprofessor, May 28, 2014
    daprofessor, May 28, 2014
    #5
  6. Nonito Smoak

    Nonito Smoak Ioka>Lomo, sorry my dudes Full Member

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    Probably 25-40 somewhere...
     
    Nonito Smoak, May 28, 2014
    Nonito Smoak, May 28, 2014
    #6
  7. Southpawology

    Southpawology Boxing Addict Full Member

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    A better athlete than a boxer, which is outlined by how badly and quickly he fell...

    Once the physical attributes and reflexes went he was done, other all time greats have adapted to prolong their career where RJJ didn't he just declined and got beaten by fighters who werent good enuff to clean his boots

    Should have retire after winning the WH belt, and then most would have had him in the top 5.... easy to say with hindsight however
     
    Southpawology, May 28, 2014
    Southpawology, May 28, 2014
    #7
  8. Southpawology

    Southpawology Boxing Addict Full Member

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    This is also true there are a lot of fighters who he could have fought who he didn't which could have made his resume as good as anyone's ever
     
    Southpawology, May 28, 2014
    Southpawology, May 28, 2014
    #8
  9. Imperial1

    Imperial1 VIP Member Full Member

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    Jan 3, 2007
    30 range
     
    Imperial1, May 28, 2014
    Imperial1, May 28, 2014
    #9
  10. 1 Hitta Quitta

    1 Hitta Quitta Active Member Full Member

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    11-20 no doubt
     
    1 Hitta Quitta, May 28, 2014
    1 Hitta Quitta, May 28, 2014
    #10
  11. JacK Rauber

    JacK Rauber Unbourboned by what has been Full Member

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    Who beats him, though, at 160? Robinson was a true 147. I think you have to narrow it down to reasonable weight brackets. I don't think there is such a thing as P4P across all weight categories because weight divisions fight differently. Fewer KO's in the lighter brackets. Slower, heavier hitters in the heavier divisions.

    When I see someone say Ray takes 15 out 15, if it goes that far, against Roy, I have to wonder what that person is thinking, when Roy often times never lost a round.

    As to Roy getting KO'd later in his career against inferior opponents, I don't think that is relevant. Yes, true greatness can be measured in longevity as well. I realize that but in this case I don't think it marginalizes Roy's greatness. At his best, I'm not sure he loses to anyone.

    I will say this, though. From what I saw of Robinson, he was always a fan friendly fighter, always throwing punches and mixing it up, which is very appealing.
     
    JacK Rauber, May 28, 2014
    JacK Rauber, May 28, 2014
    #11
  12. kragz

    kragz 49*-0 Full Member

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    ATG status denied due to being caught using PEDs.
     
    kragz, May 28, 2014
    kragz, May 28, 2014
    #12
  13. lefthandlead

    lefthandlead Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Someplace below Joe Calzaghe.:good
     
    lefthandlead, May 28, 2014
    lefthandlead, May 28, 2014
    #13
  14. attaboi

    attaboi Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    Don't know where he ranks but I know very few boxers could have beaten him.
     
    attaboi, May 28, 2014
    attaboi, May 28, 2014
    #14
  15. tennis

    tennis Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Number one easily based on talent

    Duran greb and Robinson have the resumes though

    If Roy retired after winning the he title

    And added nunn eubank benn and calzaghe to his resume

    He would be undisputed number one
     
    tennis, May 28, 2014
    tennis, May 28, 2014
    #15
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