Who Wins at 160: Sugar Ray Leonard vs Roy Jones Jr.?

RJJ is way too big for SRL.

Leonard was a great Welter and Jnr MiddleW, but at MW he wasn't so stellar.

 

I agree, yet he caught Hagler at the right time. 2 years before he would have get killed.

 

pretty much all been said. roy was too big, too strong and had way too much power at 160 for leonard. leonard was good at 160 for exactly one fight because he fought the perfect fight for that one fight and one fighter. that leonard wouldn't have a ton of success against most elite middles

 

Jones doesnt have any of the skills necessary to beat Leonard .

 

:huh wait, what?

 

Well its true. Jones doesnt even know how to defend himself properly.(Jones gets backed into corners AND he doesnt even know to put his hands up :deal) HE NEVER did . And even with a size advantage , if you cannot protect yourself agasint a guy like Leonard he will eat you alive.

If Leonard can handle Hearns who fought as a Cruiserweight with a BIG punch. He can handle Jones who has never had a BIG punch.

I dont know what Leonard would have to worry about. But I know if Leonard opens up on Jones , what about Jones suggest he could escape Loenard? What would he do? Stand agasint the ropes with his hands up getting punched ?

 

Damn I misread again... thought it was Robinson.

My vote goes to Jones Jr.

 

leonard at 160 didn't have a very big punch at all nor a ton of physical strength. i agree with some of your analysis of jones but the fact is you're thinking more of the welter leonard in a middleweight body: the truth is the 160 lacked the speed and the punch he had at 147. he fought a smart fight against hagler but against jones he wouldn't have the speed advantage and jones was a devasting puncher. he wouldn't have to worry about going against the ropes. jones at middle would be the aggressor and leonard would fight him like he did the last 6 round against hagler: on the back foot. only this time he'd get caught consistently. if donny lalonde can drop him, jones would murder him

 

I think
If Leonard can ko Lalonde , he would ko Jones . Loenard was a most complete fighter . He would stalk Jones and knock him out. He wouldnt fight anything like he did agasint Hagler. Unlike Jones , Loeanrd could change his style for the fight at hand.

He can fight passive or agressive . And mix in a liitle of both if needed.

Jones cant do that. Leonard would confuse him and set traps for them. Jones is not very smart fighter. He doesnt know how to protect himself and he wont throw consitent jabs. He will lunge in with punches.

 

again though, the 160 leonard was not a stalker type. jones wasn't a smart fighter but in his prime, he didn't need to be. he protected himself through his aggression and reflexes; leonard would never trap him against the ropes and in a shoot out at middle, jones is too big and hits too hard. he did lunge in with his punches but he had the speed and reflexes to get away with it, even against leonard. you have to remember, jones did fight differently at middle then light heavy. he was more of a combination puncher and this is where i see leonard getting taken. when jones throws 16 punches combinations with real middleweight power, what is leonard going to do? he was getting taged hard and often by hagler at the end of their fight and that was no where near a prime hagler.

 

I think nobody beats Roy Jones at 160

 

Leonard was the full package could box could brawl could stand in there and take he survived Hagler, Duran, and Hearns shots Jones would not have. Leonard always found a way to win. Jones when the going gets tough and he is in a tough one loses.

 

Little harsh on SRL IMO. Leonard retired in '82, fought once in '84 and looked fair. He had not fought in about 3 years prior to taking on Hagler, and he had never fought above 154. Give the man some credit. Hagler was the man to beat at the time.

As for the fight... it was close. I had Leonard winning by a point. I wouldn't complain with a draw or a close win either way, it was that close.

How many fighters have done this-

Leonard fought just once in a little over 5 years. He fought Kevin Howard in '84. Howard knocked Leoanrd down but was stopped in 9. Leonard does not fight again for almost 3 years.

Then he comes back, moves up in weight, and fights the best fighter in the world. He did win BTW.

 

jones WAS unbeatable