Can Roy Jones redefine his legacy?

Question

The first time I saw Roy Jones was when he fought Sugarboy Malinga
Having watched Malinga's career from when he was up and coming in South Africa and actually having sparred several rounds with him, in my opinion he's one of the top defensive fighters of all time
Malinga had up until that time never not gone the distance, and the deal he had in place was go the distance with Jones and get a shot at Nigel Benn

Jones stopped him in 5. I knew was watching an extraordinary talent

The following year he walked through James Toney, then the top pound for pound guy.

And for ten years after that, it seemed as if Jones would have to be judged by a completely different barometer than anyone before him. Until he got stopped by Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson.
The weight loss after Ruiz did it. He wasn't shot overnight.

The new barometer of Jones' place in history is 'can he rise to adversity?' That has always been the mark of greatness.

He's 37 with rapidly diminishing skills.

da1prophet - Where you from, dude?
You know your s**t.
I've read some of your other answers, particularly your very detailed answer to that chick that wants to insinuate that Tyson was the victim of an evil racist plot by unscrupulous white people to pump him up with steroids.
You're wasting your time there, however, nothing will deter her from her fantasy life in which the black man and woman is always the victim.

Santana D - No kidding you don't like Jones.
I disagree completely that Jones has no chin. In his fights before Ruiz, I saw him get tagged several times
The rapid weight loss of 25 pounds of MUSCLE after Ruiz damaged his body physiologically. There is no other way you go from being the best pound for pound guy for ten years to getting knocked out by one shot.
Look how Tarver was struggling against Hopkins (not taking anything away from BHop), due to the weight loss after the Rocky movie.
As someone who has had to make weight for kickboxing fights, I can assure you the effects are debilitating. And I never had to go through the extreme weight loss Jones did.
Jones' ego destroyed him. He should have ignored Tarver at the press conference after Ruiz and stayed at heavyweight.
Staying there was a no lose situation If he fought and beat Lewis or Tyson - look what he did! If he lost to them, no big deal.

Now he's stuck fighting 'The Gator' in Joliet Illinois.

Santana - Me against Malinga? That was a long time ago. Obviously he was a lot better than me, but in the rounds I did with him, I found the key to having any kind of success was to fight defensively. He didn't like coming forward.
Malinga is the second oldest boxing champ in history, after Foreman - did you guys know that?
I was a huge fan of his. He was the victim of the worst robbery I have ever seen in boxing, when he fought a guy called Sakkie Horn for the South African light heavy title. It was the third time they fought, and I can actually say I have seen a fight where one guy was fighting the ref as well.
But that's another story.

smitty - You don't have a clue about what you're talking about. No one can hide a weak chin for ten years.

Answer 1

Brad ~
Right on cue. Jones skills diminished as his waist line grew. Roy was fast and slick, but the bigger he got he was just that much slower and thus proving James Toney's theory "Punk ain't got no chin, sissy want to run around like a b***h cuz he know he would get knocked out!"
It is my opinion, that Roy never really could take a punch, he was just faster than everyone else and bar far the superior boxer when he was lighter. When he moved all the way up and fought Ruiz the greatest heavyweight champion ever (ha) what did he prove, hell brad you wrote that you sparred a few rounds rounds with Malinga, I would put you in there against Ruiz and I would bet my Harley you would win. When he gained the weight that's all it took for the real Roy Jones to show up, no way to talk his way out of this one.
Tarver is way overrated but proved Roy does not have a chin. You don't lay there for ten minutes staring up at the lights if you got a chin. Johnson, a very nice fellow proved again Roy does not have a chin.
Every time Roy opens his mouth it takes away from what he was. The mans ego is totally out of control. The talk of greatness has left the building. Next month Roy will fight Craig "The Gator" Bodzianowski in Joliet, Illinois. That's what it has come to. Thanks for the question Brad, as you can probably tell, I never liked Roy........Brad, I was just fooling around about him fighting in Joliet, although his last fight wasn't far from that. "Gator" was a fighter in the 80's who lost his foot in a motorcycle accident and continued to fight. Look him up. The weight loss defintely effected him. I'm still going with you against Ruiz. What ever happened to Malinga?............................ I'm getting pretty sick and tired of the militant, I'm black and pround of it Smitty, I don't attack you in any matter. I veiw the garbage you write as just that GARBAGE, don't attack me or anyone else in this forum. It's the second time you've crossed a line with me. This forum is about opinions yours, mine, whomever. Stick to your garbage and leave me out of it. If you don't agree with me, Brad or anyone else that know more about boxing than writing percentages fine but stop your personal attacks. It's one of the biggest forms of cowardice there is.

Answer 2

No, and that i say that for the following reason. Bernard Hopkins is to Roy Jones Jr. as Sugar Ray Leonard is to Floyd Mayweather Jr. there's a stark massive difference between hall of repute means & an all time great resume. Froch is taking area in spoiler to an previous lion so some distance previous his best that would want to The Cobra no longer win, it would want to mirror negatively on his record. Hopkins' legacy is take care of.

Answer 3

He foughts many bums in his boxing career that's why his record is impressive. Other than Tarver, Johnson, Toney, and Hopkins. He hasn't really fought that many great fighter.
Now that he's old and doesn't have the speed and skill he used to, it's better for him to retire before getting hurt.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, the more Roy fights the more he tarnishes his legacy. He made his name with ungodly speed and reflexes, and that's something that no amount of training will bring back at his age. Fighting and beating guys like his last opponent--Prince Badi Ajamu--in that boxing mecca of Boise, Idaho just underscores the fact that he's trying to hang on in the sport when he should have hung it up--certainly after his last fight with Tarver, if not before.

Answer 5

If Jones fought Winky and beat him people would claim that Winky was too small of a match..having been knocked out by Glenn Johnson at light heavyweight, (who wasn't even a puncher at middleweight) Taylor may have too much youth and strength for Jones..the one guy for Jones to match is Joe Calzaghe who beat Jeff lacey, a known puncher one-sidedly..

Answer 6

Brad Morris and Santana D used to box. They boxed apples and oranges.
Roy Jones had great athletic skill almost unsurpassed. All this prowess hid a weak chin.

Answer 7

I don't think he can reclaim lost glory because father time has already caught up with him. Anyway, he was the best before and i think he already made his mark and will be remembered by all of boxing fans for decades. I think its time to hang up the gloves.

Answer 8

Maybe. It will be interesting to see what he does.

Hey Brad - I like Malinga, too.
Who's this guy, 'smitty'? What an absolute loser.

Answer 9

Yes!

Answer 10

he can, by fighting and beating winky wright or jermain taylor, or one of the other top guys in his class