Why did Roy Jones Jr slow down in only a year?

Roy was never a natural heavyweight or anything close to it. He was even pretty small for a LHW. Physically he isn't a big guy at all, unlike someone like Michael Spinks who had the frame to carry muscle better.

There was no way he could have had a lengthy career at heavyweight, and whatever success he could have would be dependent on getting the right fights against people he matched up well against (eg Ruiz).

At one point he was being lined up to fight Corrie Sanders, which could have been disasterous. Likewise, he wouldn't have had a chance against Lewis or a Klitschko.

Tarver was on a roll at the time, and had been calling Jones out for a while. It was the best option available to Roy at the time.

 

Putting on all that muscle going up to heavyweight, and then having to loss that muscle mass to come back down in weight.

 

The weight gain and training to get up to fight Ruiz followed by the weight loss and drain to get down again, ****ed up his system and left him weak and slow. He wasnt a superman, although he looked it before Ruiz in a boxing ring.

 

Legacy.

 

Yep, very few fighters in history have dropped from HW and beat the best LHW in their very next fight.

 

Did you think tarver could beat him?

 

nope, not a chance.

 

I guess I sort of had a bad feeling about the second fight... and didn't like when the announcers said that Roy stated he was only at 70 percent before the first fight.

 

He looked good against Griffin and okay against Johnson and Harding.

I didnt think he had a chance either, but he could of won that fight if he hadnt "switched off" during the middle rounds.

 

Roy was there for the taking in the first fight...

Tarver just took too much time off and allowed Roy to score with all those shots to the body..

I had the fight a draw going into the 11th and thought Roy showed great heart, and won the last 2 rounds.

 

People that say Roy has no heart or answer to adversity need to watch Tarver Jones 1

 

Amd that has always been my problem with Tarver.

He practically sleepwalked thorugh the Hopkins fight. Took the first part of hHarding II off and the mid rounds during Jones I

I had Jones winning by 1-2 rounds

 

I agree...

Hell, Jones could have beat him mid way through the 3rd fight if he had the confidence to let his hands go...

Tarver was just sitting there, and clearly hurt...

That would be Tarver's biggest downfall against a Pre Ruiz Jones...

Stylistically, he always presents problems for Roy, but he isn't active enough.. Roy would pick him apart.

 

Who was going to move up to fight Roy Jones at the time?

 

Ezzard Charles.

As well as his cousins Gizzard and Lizzard.