Roy jones Jr vs Muhammed Ali

[bender]

At first glance this seems a ridiculous concept, but could Roy Jones Jr do the impossible and beat the greatest heavyweight ever? Personally, I dont htinks so but if you think about it, Roy would have to be in the fight with an outside chance. For a start, in Roy Jones, Muhammed Ali would be up against someone who is as fast and possibly faster than himself. It is quite conceivable that even a prime Ali would struggle a little early, particularly if he underestimated Roy Jones as it is likely that he would have. Ali always had more trouble with the lighter, faster guys than the big guys and there is no reason why Jones could not trouble him and then frustrate him enough to pick up a points decision. Personally, i can see Ali knocking jones out in about the 8th or 9th round but it is not in the realms of possibility.

ANyone else here think that Jones might have a half decent chance in this one?

The question would become extremely relevant if Jones was to clean the division by fighting say Sanders, Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield and Byrd. All of these are winnable fights for Jones (Lewis would be a huge upset but i believe he is very beatable and i would in fact pick jones jr against him). By winning these fights, Jones really would have an argument to be rated as an all time great and as a great, he just may have the best chance of beating Muhammed Ali.

 

[bender]

No one at all? Come on, i have given you guys long enough to respond.

I suppose we now know that Jones isnt going to clean the division but he does have some stylistic advantages.

 

[coolsteve]

long enough, 10 f**king years

 

[Amadaca]

Everyone saw this clown coming. You don't need to know a thing about Boxing to know Jones gets f**king poleaxed by Ali, but as a fan of the sport since the age of 10, let me say the most entertaining thing about this fight would have been watching the pride of lions it would have taken to chase Jones into the ring. Here's a guy who baulked at facing a 1999 version of Buster Douglas :lol:

Even if this were a pound-for-pound fight, Jones never met an opponent within a million f**king miles of Ali, circa 1965-67. Straight up at Heavyweight, Jones gets massacred.

Funny thing is this thread was made the same year Jones fell so spectacularly from grace & started making getting knocked senseless part of his routine. Ten years on, he's still doing it :lol:

Roy Jones is going to be wheeled out at a fight many years (perhaps even a few decades) from now not remembering his name, the way he is going. The staggering irony of it all is Roy had such a safety-first approach to his career specifically because his good mate Gerald McClellan (a scumbag of the lowest order) wound up badly crippled & disabled after one of the most amazing fights I've ever seen.

Time for his sake Jones paid another visit to whats left of McClellan before its too late.

 

[bender]

Amadaca, you are right, but Roy is an interesting fighter at heavyweight who poses many challenges over and above the average light heavyweight. Roy was as quick or quicker than Ali, which is something Ali, particularly prime Ali would not like. His chin is less of a danger against Ali than many of the guys you named, although saying that i do think in reality Ali's power would really destroy Roy.

I think that Roy Jones starts a strong Favourite against Doug Jones, who did very good against Ali, although he did still lose and the closeness of this fight is often blown out of proportion a bit. I feel confident that Ali wins comfortably, but i do think this is a competitive fight, albeit one that finishes short of the distance. If Roy had been proven to have had Ali's chin (which obviously he didnt), then things would have been very, very different for Roy as a heavyweight.

 

[bender]

long enough, 10 f**king years

I think that El Diablo and Ozbash are still trying to think of something clever to say:lol:

 

[royce10]

I actually liked McClellan. That dude was "gangsta". He would've been a great and Roy would've ducked him his whole career.

Not so many power punchers today compared to other eras.

 

[andrew057]

I actually liked McClellan. That dude was "gangsta". He would've been a great and Roy would've ducked him his whole career.

Not so many power punchers today compared to other eras.

Many people like McClellan as a fighter, as a human being on the other hand, thats a different story.

 

[royce10]

Many people like McClellan as a fighter, as a human being on the other hand, thats a different story.

I understand that. At the same time you have to wonder what would've been once he came up against more of the sport's elite.

 

[Amadaca]

I actually liked McClellan. That dude was "gangsta". He would've been a great and Roy would've ducked him his whole career.

Not so many power punchers today compared to other eras.

Can't say I agree about McClellan's potential, if by, "great," you mean an all-time great. McClellan had three big things going for him --- paralysing punching power, a chin of wrought iron, & a ridiculous size advantage. He was the king of the modern day weight drainers. On the other side of the coin, his technique was downright amateurish & he had zero ring intelligence --- personally, I think Jones would have embarrassed the hell out of him had their paths crossed sometime in the late 90's.

Of course, you may be right to suggest Jones may've ducked him, because he was undoubtedly dangerous, & as things stand, fate (or a certain referee, some would argue) intervened & it wasn't to be. Leaving Jones aside, I do expect McClellan was a guy waiting to be found out. Can't spend your whole career fighting Middles when youre entering the ring as a damn Cruiser, & against bigger fighters with better punch resistence & ring IQ, G-Man was vulnerable.

I actually think there was a similar but more threatening guy on the scene who Id have loved to have seen tackle Jones --- Michael Moorer. That fight could've been dynamite.

 

[Amadaca]

Amadaca, you are right, but Roy is an interesting fighter at heavyweight who poses many challenges over and above the average light heavyweight. Roy was as quick or quicker than Ali, which is something Ali, particularly prime Ali would not like. His chin is less of a danger against Ali than many of the guys you named, although saying that i do think in reality Ali's power would really destroy Roy.

I think that Roy Jones starts a strong Favourite against Doug Jones, who did very good against Ali, although he did still lose and the closeness of this fight is often blown out of proportion a bit. I feel confident that Ali wins comfortably, but i do think this is a competitive fight, albeit one that finishes short of the distance. If Roy had been proven to have had Ali's chin (which obviously he didnt), then things would have been very, very different for Roy as a heavyweight.

I really can't imagine Jones threatening any all-time great HW, & I don't think he could've imagined himself doing that either. Ali was comparably quick & out-guns Jones everywhere else, including punching power if we're talking a straight comparison at Heavy.

Jones would not compete IMO.

 

[royce10]

Can't say I agree about McClellan's potential, if by, "great," you mean an all-time great. McClellan had three big things going for him --- paralysing punching power, a chin of wrought iron, & a ridiculous size advantage. He was the king of the modern day weight drainers. On the other side of the coin, his technique was downright amateurish & he had zero ring intelligence --- personally, I think Jones would have embarrassed the hell out of him had their paths crossed sometime in the late 90's.

Of course, you may be right to suggest Jones may've ducked him, because he was undoubtedly dangerous, & as things stand, fate (or a certain referee, some would argue) intervened & it wasn't to be. Leaving Jones aside, I do expect McClellan was a guy waiting to be found out. Can't spend your whole career fighting Middles when youre entering the ring as a damn Cruiser, & against bigger fighters with better punch resistence & ring IQ, G-Man was vulnerable.

I actually think there was a similar but more threatening guy on the scene who Id have loved to have seen tackle Jones --- Michael Moorer. That fight could've been dynamite.

I agree, G-Man was very vulnerable. He almost relied solely on his right hand and with reason. He dead set had a homing device in it. His ability to land the right with incredible accuracy gave him a lot more than a punchers chance against anyone. The footage if him and a prime Toney sparring at the Kronk was epic if not a glimpse into how McClellan would chance against the elites.

As for the weight draining, in between HW and MW there was no money, which is why Moorer and Holyfied moved up. McClellan was a lot closer to MW.

Jones vs any of the top guys in their prime would've been dynamite tbh. A prime Jones is almost unbeatable.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

I don't get how Jones v Moorer would really be a fair fight either, Jones was a MW at that time who went to 175 (where he was smallish) and couldn't even get to 200 when he fought as a heavyweight. Of course he's been fighting as a cruiser lately, but anything he's done in the last 7-8 years is really meaningless.

Moorer was a big LHW who was 220 as a heavy. He was 220 while Jone was still 160-168! Not comparable.

I'm not denying that McLellan was a big MW, but why then was he only 165 at SMW against Benn?

 

[Parra]

Ali is 71 years old and has Parkinsons. So Jones is in with a chance. I wouldn't back him though.

 

[coolsteve]

not unless don king is promoting it

 

[Amadaca]

I don't get how Jones v Moorer would really be a fair fight either, Jones was a MW at that time who went to 175 (where he was smallish) and couldn't even get to 200 when he fought as a heavyweight. Of course he's been fighting as a cruiser lately, but anything he's done in the last 7-8 years is really meaningless.

Moorer was a big LHW who was 220 as a heavy. He was 220 while Jone was still 160-168! Not comparable.

I'm not denying that McLellan was a big MW, but why then was he only 165 at SMW against Benn?

Sorry, I meant to convey it as a hypothetical --- the LHW Jones of several years later vs the young Moorer of his LHW days.

I can understand people saying Jones would have embarrassed that inexperienced version of Moorer, but I know Moorer had the power & intensity to end that fight early, & I believe there's a solid chance he would.

Cracking to find out. I don't think Moorer was ever 220 though, unless it was later in his career. Didn't he come in for the Foreman fight at 214 & they criticised him, saying he was 8-10lbs heavier than when he fought Holyfield? I think that was the case, anyway.

Moorer was known to have problems with the drink impacting his weight & drying out before bouts.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Cracking to find out. I don't think Moorer was ever 220 though, unless it was later in his career. Didn't he come in for the Foreman fight at 214 & they criticised him, saying he was 8-10lbs heavier than when he fought Holyfield? I think that was the case, anyway.

Moorer was known to have problems with the drink impacting his weight & drying out before bouts.

He was 214 for Holyfield and 222 for Foreman. For his very first heavyweight fight in 1991 he was 213 and only 4 months earlier he was fighting at 175. That would tend to suggest he was a massive weight drainer who was at least 190lb as an already malnourished light heavy and was comfortably able to add 20+ pounds on that within a few months while staying in good shape.

Anyway...I guess I would have to go RJJ at LHW, because he's RJJ and you'd have the LHW (pre- moving to HW) RJJ over almost anyone, but my point still stands that there is a big size difference there which might bother RJJ- I'm not sure he ever faced anyone with the combination of size and skill that LHW Moorer had.

However, you're comparing a seasoned RJJ who's comfortable at the weight vs a young Moorer who is drained, so the size difference is a double-edged sword.

 

[bender]

I really can't imagine Jones threatening any all-time great HW, & I don't think he could've imagined himself doing that either. Ali was comparably quick & out-guns Jones everywhere else, including punching power if we're talking a straight comparison at Heavy.

Jones would not compete IMO.

Do you think that Roy Jones Jr was a better fighter than Doug Jones, who did indeed trouble a prime Muhammed Ali?

I dont think he beats Ali either, but he does pose an interesting stylistic challenge for Ali, or any other All time great heavyweight.

 

[Amadaca]

I don't consider that a prime Ali by any stretch.