Who was more athletically gifted: RJJ or Tyson?

Both differently. Tyson's genetics in terms of muscle prowess were scarey (he didn't lift weights til jail!), speed for his size too. Jones Jr did what no other boxer ever did with the leaping lead hooks landing against everyone from round one, quadruple hooks in a second etc.

 

The King of the 80's -vs- the King of the 90's. Iron Mike was doing incredible things before his prison stint. Superman Roy took the baton once Iron Mike lost some of that aesthetic luster. Roy's pinpoint accuracy with power shots that looked like pitter pat flurries would make receiving end opponents look for a place to lie down and rest. They got really woozy.

Mike was doing things heavyweights weren't supposed to do at his peak. That "bolo punch" combo of hook to the body, uppercut to the head followed by a left hook upstairs was incredible. Tons of highlights but the one sticking out the most is a 6 punch combo against Jose Ribalta that knocks Nino's mouth piece out.

Mike is 1A with Roy 1B in this department.

 

I guess it depends on your definition and criteria of athleticism. I would say RJJ was much more gifted athletically. If we are discussing physically gifted I think it is much closer although fairly diametrically opposed areas of giftedness.

 

Jones for me.

 

Roy, for sure. Ridiculous speed, reflexes, agility, and hand-eye coordination.

 

very hard to say

Power: Tyson P4P, Jones had great power but I think Tyson hit harder p4p

Handspeed: even

Footspeed: Jones jr, slightly, although Tyson was very fast too

Reflexes: slight edge to Jones, Tyson had great reflexes but its his defense fundementals (hands high chin down) allowed him to defend well. Jones neglected fundementals of defense but his outrageous reflexes allowed him to get away with it.

Physical strength: Tyson

Does durability count? If so, Tyson is far ahead on that front.

 

I think it has to be Jones. While neither man aged particularly well, Roy’s prime undeniably lasted longer and through multiple divisions at that. If nothing else he certainly utilized his physical tools to a better extent than Tyson did.

 

I watched Jones-Hill the other day. After the out of nowhere right to the ribs body KO, Foreman

'Unheard of..........unheard of.........I've seen it all now' comentators discuss the ko....Foreman: 'unheard of'. Fellow boxers were shocked with some of the things Jones would do in the ring. I don't think we'll ever see a boxer put his hands behind his back to set a trap and score a knock down counter off the back of it

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Altogether Tyson because of the amount of natural muscle that he has in comparison to his height, but Jones was faster and everything that’s because he’s smaller in weight.
There are lots of people like Roy Jones that just don’t box, Jones wasn’t just athletically gifted, he had to put the work in, there aren’t many like Tyson, he was 215 lbs of natural muscle at 5’10 that’s rare

 

I agree and he threw hard combo`s while Roy threw fast combo`s with little power, his single shots had more power, in fact Louis was more gifted than Jones in this sense also as his fast combo`s had crazy power too, which is very rare, which fight did Tyson throw this 6 punch combo in though?

 

Jones was born with amazing speed, that`s what his game was all about, his fundamentals weren`t great at all, Tyson was far better tutored.

 

Zab Judah was fast. Ed Hopson was fast. Amir Khan was fast. Gary Russell Jnr was fast.

None of those were as nearly as successful as RJJ. Jones had more to his game than just speed. His ring generalship, movement, punch variation was all elite. Jones was plenty tutored hence him being more successful for longer than all of these including Tyson.

 

Jones' judgement of distance was exceptional, and he is one of the best trap setters you will ever see in a ring. If he was as lacking as you said, a well schooled, awkward guy like Griffin would have exposed it. Instead he got destroyed after the initial match, which he was beginning to lose anyway.