Roy Jones Jr. still thinks he could have beaten Joe Calzaghe
by Scott Christ on Aug 10, 2009 9:01 AM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
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First off: The headline over at the Miami Herald says "James Jones," and that's pretty sad. I mean, it IS Roy Jones Jr. we're talking about.
``I was a speed-combination puncher who has power, and when I went to the heavyweight division I focused on getting more power and less combination and speed,'' Jones said. ``Now I am focused on my combination and speed.
``Now I am back to that Roy Jones and that Roy Jones was a technician.''
Also back will be Jones' father, Roy Sr., as lead trainer. Throughout Jones' amateur career and his early days as a professional, Jones Sr. trained his son until they parted ways.
``My dad was with me from Day One and a guy that knew what I needed to do to beat Calzaghe,'' Jones said. ``I didn't have the knowledge of my skills in my corner that I needed to get through that fight.
``Then I got the cut and I didn't know I was going to have to go through something like that. I needed him to get me through that.''
Roy Jones has been a lot of things, but I don't think I'd really list "technician" as one of them. He was really one of a kind. Nobody fought like Roy Jones. Others have tried to, and nobody has been half as good at it. He was so fast -- with his hands, with his feet, with his reflexes -- that he was impossible to break for a good while.
Jones has got to give up the ghost on the Calzaghe fight, though. He had no chance at beating Calzaghe past the flash knockdown in the first that did seem to shake Joe up, but then he lacked the killer instinct anymore to really pounce and go for the throat. And that's the only round I had Jones winning. No "knowledge of (his) skills in (his) corner" was going to prevent Calzaghe from wiping the mat with him that night.
For the record, I actually thought Jones handled his first real cut quite well in that fight. It was his cutman that let him down.
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Everybody seems to know the Calzaghe fight was a sad piece of business except Roy. Watching Calzaghe humiliate Roy in those final seconds with his dance routine was one of the low points of the year. If Roy had sat down and watched the tape of that fight a couple of times, he probably would’ve figured out it was all over, and it was time to put more effort into promoting or something. I bet he hasn’t even worked up the nerve to watch that tape once. Meanwhile he’s probably got the stupid Shieka tape running on a permanent loop in his living room.
"This fight'll be the nastiest thing you'll ever see. I been sober for six weeks, and that makes me vicious."
-- Randall 'Tex' Cobb
“He had no chance at beating Calzaghe past the flash knockdown in the first that did seem to shake Joe up, but then he lacked the killer instinct anymore to really pounce and go for the throat.”
Basically.
I would have laughed my ass off it old washed up Roy would have KO’d Calzaghe in the first round. I would have loved it. Calzaghe is an ego-maniac. It really left a sour taste in my mouth seeing that match go down the way it did. This was the fight that would have brought Calzaghe back down to Earth had it been made…oh like 10 years ago. I couldn’t stand that man’s constant jibber-jabber about how he could beat Roy Jones Jr. Please.
A prime Roy would have beaten Joe Calzaghe worse then Joe Calzaghe beat old washed up Roy Jones.
"A prime Roy would have beaten Joe Calzaghe worse then Joe Calzaghe beat old washed up Roy Jones."
Yep.
Nothing else to add.
Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)
lets not forget
Calzaghe was 37 and right at the end of his career when he busted up RJJ, its not like he was in his prime beating the old man up, even though RJJ clearly had more wear and tear and been up and down weights. Yes, a prime Roy probably beats Calzaghe, but anywhere near the humiliation RJJ got that night? Not a chance, realistically.
We're all given some sort of skill in life. Mine just happens to be beating up on people. (Sugar Ray Leonard)
Roys fault for taking the fight...
A lot of people like to think they know a boxers body better than he knows it which is bs which is why I won’t make the argument people who know nothing about boxing do about Roy being past his prime.
He knew what he was getting himself into and I had confidence in his decision(he knows himself better than anybody else) but on that occasion it was Calzaghes night and now its over and done with and cant be taken back.
I think Roy could have tilted the advantage in his direction a little more by being more aggressive and not letting Calzaghe got off so much. Bernard Hopkins fought the right fight with Calzaghe in trying to reduce his punching output. Roy nearly decided to go toe to toe with Calzaghe and let fists fly.
"I needed him to get me through that."
Roy, you’re a veteran, a pro and you knew what you needed to get through the cut and the fight for that matter.
You could fight Joe a few more times and the result would be the same. Now, in your prime I’d take you to beat Joe, but, you’re nowhere near your prime. In fact I would not be suprised to see Lacy starch you. I pick you to beat Lacy, but as I said I would not be suprised to see it end brutally in Lacy’s favor.
You WERE a great fighter, a hall of famer, and will go down in history. Hang em’ up before you get seriously hurt.
by SmittytheCutman on Aug 10, 2009 8:34 PM EDT reply actions
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