Roy got knocked out in the 1st round? Time 2 hang up the gloves.

http://sports.espn.go.com...id=4705699

Graycap23 said:

Roy is at a point in his career, and really has been for several years, where he can't take a good punch. His chin never really had been tested because his speed dictated that it didn't have to. But that speed isn't there anymore and a good puncher, which Danny Green is, will hurt him.

I'm sure we'll get into it over this...but Roy was overrated his ENTIRE career.


Anyway, I thought I heard something about him fighting fellow overrated/past-his-prime Jeff Lacy.

Fights like this don't even deserve media coverage.

shocker, but it was coming eventually. Jones please hang it up!

violator said:

He never had a chin, and you mentioned why. His speed, coupled with below average competition (not his fault) was always able to mask that GLARING fault in his boxing career.

I would go so far as to say that mediocre punchers could do this to him, this late in his career. He should stop fighting. Actually, I'm not sure how many more times he's going to be cleared to fight if he keeps getting dinged in the head.

JerseyKRS said:

TWO WORDS: Antonio Tarver

http://en.wikipedia.org/w..._Jones_Jr.

On November 8, 2003, Jones regained his old belt by beating Antonio Tarver.[10] Jones appeared a bit weaker than he had in the past after coming down from heavyweight to light heavyweight losing 25 plus pounds. (The amount of weight Jones lost has been a subject of much debate, but science proves that the claim of 25 pounds of pure muscle is not possible. Jones, who routinely fought at 190+ when he was at the 175 pound weight class probably lost only 5-7 additional pounds to get down from his heavyweight fighting weight of 200.) Jones won by majority decision, the judges giving him 117-111,116-112 and 114-114.[10]

On May 15, 2004, Jones faced Tarver in a rematch. Jones was heavily favored to win, but Tarver scored a KO at 1:41 of the second round. Jones had won the first round, but in the second, as Jones tried a combination, he was caught by a big counter left hook from Tarver. Jones got on his feet by the count, but for the first time in his career was ruled unable to continue by referee Jay Nady. Many have said that Tarver's famous knockout was a "lucky punch" as Tarver was losing and according to compubox numbers, Tarver only landed two punches in the first round.

After almost a year away from the ring, focusing on training and working as an analyst for HBO Boxing, Jones scheduled a third fight with Antonio Tarver, on October 1, 2005, at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, which aired on HBO PPV. For only the second time in his career, Jones was considered an underdog going into the fight. Tarver won by unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112, 116-112). In the post fight interview, Jones stated that he was still the greatest boxer in the world, and the fight was a warm-up for more fights to come.

THIS^ essay is pretty spot on. I remember before their second fight that Antonio was try to tell people for years that Roy was overrated. And Antonio was right.

I didn't even know he was fighting today.

He was a great champion.

violator said:

Since when fights happen on a Wednesday???

Hopkins fighting tonight! LOL..

Damn, Roy is one of my favorite boxers off all time...I think his carrer ended when he got KOed by Glen Johnson years ago..And I actually thought he would win againt Tarver in the 2nd fight..

It's funny that in Joe Calzaghe's autobiography released after he mullered Lacy he claimed Jone's reknowned 90's reflexes were the result of steroids, come the big money Vegas fight and he was continually refering to him as a 'Legend'.


I remember seeing him get KO'd in the Johnson and Tarver fights and he was totally out, blighted his legacy with all these defeats.

purplewisdom said:

They fight in February. Shane in Jan and the big fight in March ...

JerseyKRS said:

Naw Roy in his prime (93-99) was good, nobody could beat that version of Roy in those weight clasess, 160, 168, 175, during that era, he was too quick for any of them.

Abdul said:

who did he beat worth mentioning?

JerseyKRS said:

James Toney, Bernard Hopkins, Virgil Hill, Montell Griffin, Vinny Pazeinza, all champs and with the exception of Hopkins dominated by prime Roy

so he really was running from Bernard the second time around.

yeah, since the knock out by Tarvis, my man has found no redemption. i dug him through his reign though.

Abdul said:

Okay, fighters of worth I'll give him that, but some of those have asterisks IMO

Toney - if I remember right, I think that was Toney's first loss. An impressive fight for Roy, I'll give him that.

Hopkins - that was his first big fight, and to be fair it went the distance and Roy basically showed that he NEVER wanted to fight Hop again

Hill - he was old by the time Roy fought him

Griffin - not that great of a fighter. He's got some wins of note, but not that great.

Paz - paz was better at lower weights. He fought Roy after beating up old ass Duran, Roy was better than him, I'll give that.


I'm not saying I hate the dude, but he doesn't deserve the run he gets in my opinion. For a BIG chunk of time dude fought absolute BUMS. This was AFTER he became big.

how much humble pie is this man going to eat before he gets full?

JerseyKRS said:

Yup that was Toney's first loss

That rematch didn't happen back then because they both have huge egos and neither felt they should be on the short end of the fight purse

Virgil was still ranked in the top five at the time of they're match, plus he had beem running his mouth about Roy being overated, he got a broken rib for that, lol!!

Griffin was undefeated at the time of the first match, which ended in Roy being DQ'd, and the second match in which he knocked Griffin out in 90 seconds.

Paz was better at the lower weights but he was still game, Roy's jumping uppercut's ko of him is one of the funniest Ive ever seen.


So in his prime at the weight classes he fought at who else should he have faced? None of those three divisions he fought at had alot of great fighters in them during that time, besides Darius(I forget his last name but he's a euro who wouldn't come to the states and Roy wouldn't go over there to fight) there was no other challenger out there who would be considered at least good that Roy didn't face in his prime years 93-99.
[Edited 12/6/09 22:21pm]

There were more than a few quality opponents Roy Jones didn't face during his best years, opponents who would've been more qualified than the Ricky Frasier and Bryant Brannons of the world, including:

Gerald McClellan (beat Roy in the amateurs)
Nigel Benn
Steve Collins
Michael Nunn
Chris Eubank
Henry Maske
Dariusz Michalczewski (co-champion during Roy's reign)

These are the names most often brought up when discussing opponents Roy Jones Jr. didn't face. The irony is Roy refused to travel overseas in his prime, but wound up doing so in the end. His skills, unfortunately, have long since declined.

Also, Roy knocked out Montell Griffith at 2:31 of their rematch. He seemed to be on his way to stopping Griffith in their first bout. Roy Jones' contract with HBO is seen as one that started the whole high payday/low risk that sired unforgettable "exhibitions" like Floyd Mayweather Jr./Henry Bruseles. HBO received a lot of flack for these kinds of contracts, where their marquee fighters were guaranteed a number of bouts per year, regardless of opponent. That's why Roy could fight a cop (Ricky Frazier), a postman (the late Tony Thornton) or a pazmanian devil (Vinny Pazienza, who won his first belt at lightweight) and get away with it...

JesseDezz said:

Roy and McClellan were buddies if I remember correctly, much like Tyson and Bowe were which is why they never fought each other. Plus the Nigel Benn fight that almost ended Gerlad's life.

James Toney ended any hope of Nunn getting a shot at Roy, Nunn was done after that KO

Yup Michalczewski, him and Roy are both guilty for that one.

Yeah Roy's been done since 04, he's just trying to recapture some that old glory I guess, he needs to retire.

JesseDezz said:

Don't hate the playa, hate the game!

The game bit the playa in the ass in the end. When it comes time to discuss Roy's place in history, there's always that "he didn't face..." when it comes to his all-time status. All-time great talent,though. But it's what he didn't do with the talent that will always be questioned. His late career losses seem to overshadow how awesome he was in his prime, though that will fade a bit with the passage of time.

Thing is, Roy had the talent to beat everyone of the fighters whom I listed previously. He's still generally recognized as the best super-middle of all time (Joe C is number 2) and is a top-twenty light heavy (there was a recent poll and he ranked top twenty). Personally, I think he was most amazing at middle and super-middle. One of my fave Roy kos is Thomas Tate, who talked smack before their fight and took the best that Julian Jackson (one of boxing's hardest hitters ever) had to offer. He lasted two with Roy. Great performance against a solid fighter.

Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/wa...GvJjMawMtA

Abdul said:

We're talking before the Benn fight, when he was fresh off his stoppages of Julian Jackson. There was also the aforementioned Jackson and Frankie Liles, who also gave Roy trouble in the amateurs. Michael Nunn was still considered a viable opponent for Jones after both rose in weight, especially when he stopped William Guthrie (former IBF champ) and looked good doing so.

One more thing - I would love to see the footage of a young Roy and Ray Leonard sparring that supposedly exists

JesseDezz said:

Not before he cashed in I rememeber the Thomas Tate fight, he got what he asked for

JesseDezz said:

I've heard about it too, supposedly Roy gave Ray a hard time, I wish one of my boxing collection hook-ups had access to that footage
[Edited 12/7/09 13:48pm]