Why isn't RJJ better regarded as a puncher?

It's the speed of the shots. He lands shots with his speed he had no right to land

 

A few possible reasons.

He outgrew Middleweight quite soon after graduating into the championship class there - had he been able to stay there a bit longer, his 160 lb power would probably have attained legendary status, because he really was a frightening hitter at that weight. Ask Thomas Tate, who he wiped out with a single left hook, about that (never stopped before or after, went the full twelve eating plenty of leather against Julian Jackson, no less). Ma kes me grin a little when I see people positing hypotheticals such as Jones against Golovkin, Jackson etc. at Middleweight and presented them as contests between Jones' boxing and their punching power, when in fact it's perfectly possible, or even probably, that Jones is both the boxer and the puncher in those fights.

The other reason is Jones' mindset and nature. He was effected by what happened to McClellan, and after that point he repeatedly stressed that he had no desire to see anyone killed or seriously injured in the ring. Even after obliterating Griffin in the rematch, there was a tone almost verging on the apologetic in his post-fight comments where he mentioned that he felt bad for humiliating a family man like that, and that he only adopted that ultra-aggressive tactic for that rematch because he was carrying some fire from what he perceived as an injustice from the first fight.

On many other occasions, particularly at 175 (where he was still a superb puncher despite not always having that ruthless streak), he often carried opponents and chose not to step on the gas when he could easily have got them out of there. He was happy to coast and put on a show against Johnson after softening him up and dropping him twice early, and did the same after flooring Richard Hall twice in the first round, albeit he did eventually close the show there a few rounds later than he could / should have. I think people are seduced by early blowouts when it comes to evaluating raw power, and Jones cost himself a few of those on his record. His critics didn't occasionally call him 'Reluctant Roy' for nothing.

But the absolute demolition jobs against usually durable guys such as Tate, Malinga, Griffin, Hill etc. are a good indicator of his power when he was really in the mood and sat down on his punches. I think everyone knows he was a very good puncher, but I agree that a few are slow to realise that he was actually a level above even that.

 

That is a bad mindset. If I was a champ, I'd always go in there wanting to make opponents bleed and I'd try to hurt them really bad and destroy them, so that everyone pisses their pants when they see me.
I'd never carry anyone, I'd brutally destroy them.

 

I'd pulverize that fat blob with ease.

 

Right, I'll just write off your opinion then.

 

You should anyway, he thinks Arguello was a bum.

 

Exactly, Roy without speed did not have serious power, his power came from his speed

 

LOL