Roy Jones talks Anderson Silva, Oscar de la Hoya and Bernard Hopkins
by Scott Christ on Sep 1, 2009 4:54 PM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
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Roy Jones Jr. spoke with FightHype and remains tremendously impressed not only with himself, but with his performance against Jeff Lacy. Jones makes typically illogical Roy Jones comments like, "They don't judge top ten [P4P] on skill anymore," because nobody else throws 13 hooks in a row or whatever, and then when the interviewer says, "Well, to be fair, I don't think it was ever judged purely on skill," Roy will respond, "Exactly!"
Well, no...
But Roy's Roy, and bless him for it. He also takes shots at Oscar de la Hoya, which is nothing new:
"I don't even think he's got enough respect to talk to me. I never gave up. He gave up to a smaller man. I don't owe no explanation for that. I don't even think he earned the right to talk to me. I ain't never quit. Got cut and still went on against what they called pound-for-pound one of the best fighters out there and never thought about quitting. And he gonna tell me what I need to do? I'm the kind of dude that will fight him, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins all in the same night. I don't care."
The whole statement is strange. Fight Oscar? Fight Mosley? Welterweights. But Oscar losing to a small guy is a great travesty? Was it a travesty they fought in the first place then?
I also love that Roy Jones suffering one cut in his entire career has turned into a huge thing for him. He's wearing that cut like a gold-plated badge of honor.
When asked if it was "a shame" that Roy thinks his biggest fight is with MMA's Anderson Silva:
"It's true, though. But you know, once they get their hearts built around a fight that the people want to see, they don't care about the rest of them. The rest of them are boring to the ans. They want to see someone who can bring something new to it and make it a little more interesting and not be boring. What fight do you think is bigger than that? Maybe me and one of the Klitschkos."
Roy also doesn't miss an opportunity to throw some jabs at Bernard Hopkins:
"He said, 'Why would I fight Roy Jones when the fans want to see me fight Chad Dawson or Adamek?' But the fans don't want to see that crap. The fans want to see you fight Roy Jones and see you redeem your loss, or try to redeem it, but you just talking about, 'Well, I beat the guy he lost to!'"
Just for fun, let's do a poll to close this out, because I think he might be right, or he also might be drastically wrong.
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Really? Twice as many BLH readers want to see BHop fight Jones as Adamek? That just strikes me as crazy.
Boxing writer: "Iran, what are you going to do when you retire?"
Iran Barkley: "Rob your house"
Honestly? I think I’d rather see Jones-Hopkins II than Adamek-Hopkins. I like Adamek fine but Adamek-Hopkins strikes me as a really boring, really ugly fight. At least Roy and Bernard legitimately dislike each other.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Sep 1, 2009 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
At least Roy and Bernard legitimately dislike each other.
That will have no bearing on how ugly Bernard will make this fight. Seriously.
At least with Adamek, there will be some blows thrown with dangerous intentions.
Hopkins will dominate Jones. Sorry Jones fans.
Boxing writer: "Iran, what are you going to do when you retire?"
Iran Barkley: "Rob your house"
I really don’t think a rematch would be as easy for Bernard as some people think. Calzaghe gave Hopkins a TON of trouble and wore him out, really tested his cardio. Pavlik, Wright and Tarver couldn’t do that with Bernard. None of them are that sort of fighter or athlete. The other “recent” fights BHop had with a really superior athlete? The two with Taylor.\
Roy doesn’t have Roy Jones Jr. speed anymore, but he’s still a lot faster than Hopkins, and it’s not like Bernard is a banger. I don’t think he’d test Roy’s chin much. P4P rankings, yes, Hopkins > Jones for sure. Head-to-head, I don’t think it’s so cut-and-dry.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Sep 1, 2009 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Everything that Hopkins did against Calzaghe that was in any way effective will be exponentially more effective against this version of RJJ. Count me in the “some people” who think Bernard will easily outpoint RJJ (in a tedious Hopkins stinkfest).
Boxing writer: "Iran, what are you going to do when you retire?"
Iran Barkley: "Rob your house"
I am, perhaps sadly, still a sucker for the idea of a Hopkins-Jones rematch. In part because otherwise I don’t really care to see them fight any longer.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Sep 2, 2009 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions
You have to understand guys that Roy Jones Jr has an ego bigger than his legacy. The great Roy Jones is 41 with his superhuman skills and speed a faded memory.Though still a contender,he just feeds off his name now. Ademek would be more fit for him.I feel That hopkins would die before he loses to Roy. I can see Jones Ademek early next year.
Not a huge MMA fan here but,
I feel Silva would KO Roy fairly easily if they fought.
by SmittytheCutman on Sep 1, 2009 10:06 PM EDT reply actions
In boxing? No. Roy would chew him up.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Sep 1, 2009 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions
OKAY
but……rjj is clearly shot and is also … claearly . . .a savvy (clever) marketing guy who can summon up enough interest to promote as crap a fight as rjj v lacy, i dunno what to say about that. what ever anyone says about ‘cal-slappy" he absolutely slapped rjj around lapril 2008, yes i know rjj was oast his prime, but IS THAT A FACTOR ANYMORE? i would say the only dude who has blown that out th water was B-Hop, love him or hate him, he bust up Pavlik good and proper. thanks lads / Cloughie (although i dunno what i’m trying to say here ha ha ha ha) THERE’S ONLY ONE RICKY . . . HA…..okay i give up
Dude lay off the stout
Boxing writer: "Iran, what are you going to do when you retire?"
Iran Barkley: "Rob your house"
I’m pretty shocked that more people don’t want to see Hopkins-Dawson. It’s the most meaningful (#1 versus #2), it’s a title fight, its an interesting matchup. Hopkins-Adamek is also meaningful and would have historical value. I mean, some guys don’t want to watch Hopkins fight anyone, which I’ve gradually come to accept. But Roy simply isn’t the fighter he once was, and Bernard still is.
One other possibility: What if the bribes don’t make it to judges in time, thereby allowing Johnson to beat Dawson? How about a Johnson-Hopkins rgrudge match, giving Hopkins the chance to recapture a belt and Johnson the chance to get his revenge. I am down for that.
"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
But Roy simply isn’t the fighter he once was, and Bernard still is.
I know what you mean, in that he’s still near the top of the sport, but he’s not the fighter he once was. Bernard has problems keeping up with guys that actually make him work. I really think this is a total “styles make fights” type of thing and that Roy’s athleticism and movement would still bust Bernard’s balls a little bit.
Dawson-Hopkins, Adamek-Hopkins, Hopkins-Johnson; I’d watch ‘em all. There’s significance to them and Bernard is still a top fighter, but BHop more often than not doesn’t make for good fights, and there are more exciting fights out there for all those guys. One thing I’ve learned over the time I’ve run this blog is that fights that people hear are awesome fights drive traffic, which is really just an indicator of interest among the general population.
If people are saying, “Wow, that Adamek-Cunningham fight was a war, everyone should see that one,” it generates way more interest and discussion and people saying, “Man I haven’t watched boxing in a while, but this was awesome.” I have found that when I go, “There is significance in this fight,” people that didn’t care before don’t care now. Adamek-Hopkins is Klitschko-Chagaev.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
I should clarify
Bernard has problems keeping up with guys that actually make him work
What I mean is he actually has problems with his cardio and stuff.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
Well
It certainly didn’t look that way against Pavlik. Pavlik looked like the older guy at the end of that fight.
I know what you mean too, though. Hopkins was never a speed demon or a powerhouse, but he was always phenomenally conditioned. I often wonder how Hop would have stacked up against the greats of the past 60 years or so, and he is one of the few fighter who I think, in his prime, would have translated well even in the days when guys were fighting 10-15 times a year. His reflexes appear to be mostly intact, but Mother Nature takes its bite somewhere and it appears to be his gas tank. But I’d bet still think he’s better conditioned than Dawson, who I’ve seen flat out wheezing inside 7 rounds before. I would like to see that fight.
"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
I agree with the Pavlik fight. I think Pavlik, Tarver and Winky all were great matchups for BHop because they didn’t have the athleticism to run him around. Roy still has that.
Of course Hopkins might tie him up and tear him up inside, too.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
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