Why wasn't Roy Jones Jr. - James Toney More Competitive?

A combination of Roy Jones beyond human physicality
and skill level, and Toney's laziness in regards to training.
It's what can happen when one ATG isn't as serious about
his conditioning as the other one was.

 

Toney wasn't in shape. I still think he loses because he didn't have the feet to beat someone like Roy but I don't think he gets dominated the way he did if he actually took being in shape seriously.

 

Because Jones, Jr. was a lot better.

 

Toney was clearly in a bad way. If the figures were correct in the weight he lost, he should’ve been in ICU still, and that’s being serious.

 

Agreed, from what I remember reading about the weight Toney had to lose and the time he had to lose it, the fight literally should have been postponed. If Toney had had the discipline of say Bernard Hopkins it would have been interesting to see how his career plays out from 160-190 pounds.

 

Bernard Hopkins himself said it — nobody beats a prime Roy Jones Jr. The combination of speed, reflexes, power, timing, and conditioning was simply unmatched. James Toney was a great fighter, slick and defensively brilliant, but Roy made him look a step behind. That wasn’t just weight issues — that was Roy being on another level.

Like Mayweather, Roy had a style that made elite opponents fall into line. Remember when Pacquiao faced Floyd and the announcers said, “he just looks like another Mayweather opponent”? That’s exactly how Roy made world-class fighters look — ordinary. Prime Roy Jones didn’t just win fights, he shattered rhythm, neutralized strengths, and made great fighters doubt themselves. That version of Roy doesn’t lose. Ever.

 

The fight was a bad match up for Toney from the beginning, coupled with the insane weight loss to make the match, turned the bout into a non competitive blow out. Jones' incredible quickness from outside would probably always lead him to victory over the slow of foot Toney, however Toney was a skilled enough boxer to win a few rounds much like Hopkins did. If you rewatch the Jones Toney fight in the first few rounds Toney makes Jones miss - a lot, but I believe he was so weight drained he didn't have the reaction time to attempt to throw back against Jones. Jones misses with a lot of hooks.

 

RJJr peak-or-close-to phenom. Not fair to ordinary great atheletes. Maybe like Jordan though I quit following bball before he took over everything.

 

Prime Roy was something else.
What would happen if he’d faced Hagler, Monzon or Robinson instead of Toney ?

 

I agree with some of the other posters who say that Toney didn’t give it 100% in raining prior to the fight. But I also think that’s only half the equation. Roy Jones Jr. was truly an exceptional talent in his youth to the extent where I think he would have been a formidable match for anyone history. He didn’t age well as someone like Bernard Hopkins did but in his prime he was one of the very best

 

Bad style match-up + Toney wasn’t that good, he is literally an inconsistent Canelo that uses a philly shell instead of a high guard.