Which boxers from history would have the best chance of beating prime Roy Jones Jr?

Hearns doesn't have a chance in hell. That is a KO waiting to happen.

I think Burley at 160 has one of the better chances.

 

At 175?h2h Michael moorer, bob Foster, ezzard charles,michael spinks for example

 

Hagler and Monzon beat him at 160, for a start.

 

RJJ is arguably the no 1 H2H fighter from 160 - 175 lbs overall. Not the greatest but in a first time shootout fight, many greater fighters would come unstuck.

Hagler was strong and a very complete and versatile fighter at 160 lbs. He often weighed between 157 - 160 lbs so despite impressive physique, I have never considered him a big MW. Roy would be the naturally bigger and harder hitting fighter. I still feel like Hagler could get Roy, but concede that there's every chance that Roy bamboozles him and Hagler struggles to time his speed and angles. I would favour Hagler's jab and smooth rhythmic boxing allowing him to negotiate Roy into areas where Hagler's ferocity and good two handed fluidity can close the speed gap. Same day weigh in and Hagler's chances improve.

SRR is 155 lbs at his best version. He has the experience and durability to live with a 160 lbs Roy. Roy's the faster fighter but I think SRR's ability to react stand him in good stead. I think SRR has to knock him out and would expect Roy's unorthodoxy and combination of speed and power to comfortably take the first few rounds whilst SRR struggles to get his timing down. One thing that SRR did well that worries me for Roy is the ability to dance and then throw KO power on the spot. Roy's leaping left hook is going to get him timed. Roy turning his head against the ropes with closed eyes is going to get him timed.

Fitzimmons and Langford obviously carried insane power but I'm not going to put money on them catching Roy enough times to get him in 15. However, I do concede that if they catch him cleanly, it's a problem. Likely the same for Ketchel.

Charles, I favour for his experience, great skillset and pre-Baroudi, power and aggression when in with a live opponent. Roy would give him fits but I trust the technician in Charles to find a way.

Foster has the punch but I think his jab has to be a set up to counter the counter. Roy didn't get tagged by just the jab, so Foster has to mix it up and out-think and outhustle his man.

Moore would get outboxed but retains a puncher's chance and very big one at that.

A young Floyd Patterson versus Roy interests me if only for the speed that both bring to the fight and how their styles would play out against each other.

 

Patterson vs roy in a catchweight 180 pounds. Floyd would kill him

 

I forgot about Moorer.

 

Fitzsimmons usually didn't need many clean punches to stop more durable opponents than Roy. Bob wouldn't try to knock his head off, he would attack the body and one clean body shot from Fitz should be enough here.

 

Hagler would have had a good chance.

There’s nothing I’ve seen from Carlos to make me think he’d have had a good chance. Too methodical and slow.

 

I understand, but I chose him as an option due to how they’d have matched up stylistically.

Toney beat Nunn, Roy beat Toney with absolute ease, but I think that Nunn would have been a very difficult fight for Roy.

You’ve got to try and look from Roy’s perspective.

If I look at a guy like Monzon, he may have crushed a guy like Nunn. But from Roy’s perspective, a fight against Nunn would have been much more problematic.

I think Frankie Liles could have been very tricky for him at SMW. To me, that would have been a harder fight than against someone like Gerald.

 

I'm judging him by his record at 160. 3-2 KO'd twice.

 

175 - Moore, Charles, Foster, Spinks are favourites to beat Roy. Michael Moorer, Johnson, Qawi and Muhammad are 50/50's.

168 - Roy goes unbeaten here, Calzaghe and McClellan are dangerous fights but RJJ cleans up at SMW.

160 - Hagler and SRR beat him, Monzon is 50/50 as is a prime Hopkins, I despise Bore Hop but a completely green still learning Hopkins gave Roy problems even though RJJ was the clear winner, close fight. Prime Mike McCallum is another possible 50/50. Hearns and Nunn are wild cards, I's pick Roy to win a borefest against Nunn and KO Hearns early.

 

Marvin Johnson at lightheavy - terrible fight for Jones. Aggressive relentless southpaw with solid skills and hard punch