Would Roy Jones Jr. still be great if he could adapt to his slowing reflexes?
February 11th, 2010
By William Mackay: In the past six years, Roy Jones Jr. has slowed down as a fighter, losing enough of his hand and foot speed to the point where he’s been knocked out three times in the past six years. Jones was nearly unbeatable for the first 14 years of his career, racking up an incredible 48-1 record until suffering his first legitimate loss at age 35 against Antonio Tarver in a 2nd round knockout in 2004. Things have gone badly for Jones for the most part since that loss, as he’s been beaten by Glen Johnson, Tarver again, Joe Calzaghe and Danny Green in December 2009.
Some people suggest that Jones’ recent failures are because of a lack of fundamentals to fall back on to counter balance the loss of his once freakishly fast hand speed and reflexes. In the past, Jones’ hands and reflexes were so fast that it made it very difficult for his opponents to lay a glove on him. It also made it quite easy for Jones to land his shots almost at will.
His opponents never even had a chance to see many of Jones’ shots because they were thrown with so much speed that it made them difficult to see. But somehow even with the small amount of hand speed and reflexes that Jones has lost, it’s almost as if he’s a broken fighter. And that’s hard to imagine because Jones is still so incredibly fast with his hands.
Many boxers would be more than happy to have the hand speed of the 41-year-old Jones and they would be probably very successful if they had what Jones still possesses in the way of hand speed. But unfortunately, Jones isn’t able to fight at the same level he once was because of that slight drop off of speed. It’s crazy because he was so good and now he’s come down to earth to the point where he’s getting beaten by merely good but not great fighters.
Jones’ talent in his prime was so incredible that he stood out way above the other fighters, even Bernard Hopkins. Jones was the king for over a decade, but now he doesn’t how to succeed with the still great tools that he has. If there were some slight changes that Jones could make in his game, I think he could still the best fighter in the light heavyweight division. But there seems to be no way of fixing Jones’ problems.
He doesn’t move enough now, he makes silly amateurish mistakes of retreating to the ropes or corners and just covering up. This is really basic stuff that’s taught to young fighters when they start out. You don’t go to the ropes, yet Jones does it again and again in almost every fight nowadays.
Tags: 21 Responses to “Would Roy Jones Jr. still be great if he could adapt to his slowing reflexes?”
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Roy’s a nice guy anyway. If he had retired after winning the heavyweight title, he would have been remembered as one the greatest ever.
all i can say is i’ll be taking Roy Jones Jnr at $ 4 + on the sports tab for a win. Easy money i reckon.
he underestimated green and got knocked down (not out ). This fight while some people think is not important, is important to them.
PS our Danny Green is ready, willing and able to take apart any american champ. Our fighters always find it hard to get the recogintion cause the yanks always refuse to fight even on there own soil.
too many belts, too many ego’s and too much money. Should eb more stripping of belts for not fighting legitamate challengers.
who would ever know who the best boxer is ?
Tarver was Roy’s first ligitimate loss because he (Tarver) was also the first ligitimate figther Roy had faced in a decade.
I gave the 1st fight to Roy, by a round or two. Roy looked dead drained in the 10th, it was Tarver’s fight to loose but Antonio seemed tentative to attack. Roy dug deep to win an astonishing round & it gave him the fight.
But, Roy should have hung em’ up after that.
Teach Roy to box now? After all the experience he’s had if he hasn’t learned to box it’s just too late.
silly comment chiiinnq, at least the promotion of the fight last nite was great to see, what ever the outcome just get it on and retire gracefully both of you afterwoods,
Roy Jones was never Great he was an average fighter and a fast runner and a quick clincher
Green didn’t claim that he was the greatest after beating roy unlike calazage. He said roy isn’t what he was. Calazage should realize that too.
roy is done. he’s been living on his name since the third tarver fight.
Now when fighters fight Roy they go after him because they know if they can reach that chin they can put him out!
That being said I’m not sure if BHop has the kind of power to over worry Roy so I wouldn’t be surprised if Roy accually outspeeded Bhop and wins a decision! Remember styles make fights and even though RJJ has slowed down he is still quicker than Bhop,who has had trouble with speedy fighters before!
I don’t agree with most assesments about RJJ. Sure he might not be quit as fast and maby his reflexes have slowed a bit,but he’s still very fast and his reflexes are still quicker than many boxers who are world champions!
The thing is RJJ has always had a glass jaw and has always known it himself. Therefore he used his speed and reflexes to do ANYTHING to avoid getting tagged which essentially siked out most of his opponants!(I know,the game of boxing is suppost to hit without being hit but most or Roys fights were extremely boaring!Do you not rememeber the nickname,”reluctant Roy?)
I remember watching many of his fights and all I heard were boo’s most of the time. RJJ shaky chin is why he avoided so many fighters that could have made his name greater if he had beaten them!
History will remember this as the boxing historians will likly record how they feel about Roy,NOT what the public views!
I respect RJJ but he was NOT one of the greatest of all time!
I think in his prime, roy is without a doubt one of the all time best.
The problem with Roy, is tha he never developed the fundementals needed given his natural talent – he was so fast and had such reflexes.
So, I don’t see him learning those skills. In the heat of the battle, his muscle memory will be betrayed by an aging, slower and relfex-deficient body.
Now… Hopkins is his antithesis! This is a guy that has Mastered the art of boxing……
dont knock green for what he did, and at what age he fought jones at, in the game of boxing your job is to beat who they put infront of you.
jones is a huge name no matter what his age, if his skills have diminished from yester year then thats roys problem and his managements. maybe he shouldnt be getting in the ring….
but as long as he does and when he gets beat the accolades go to the victor and they should get the plaudits they deserve.
jones however should suffer the backlash not his opponent for beating a past his prime former super fighter. the past his prime problem is jones fault,if he aint good enough he should quit.
@boxb- please…Danny Green just got a notch on his belt by beating an RJ, who was nowhere near his prime. And if he’s as good as you claim he is…he shouldn’t be riding high off this victory. In rj’s better days, this clown would’ve been just another highlight reel for the now faded legend–”patty-cake” Calzaghe too. Let’s see if Danny is ever mentioned on anybody’s p4p list…or if he will instead make his name beating up more senior citizens. I think the latter. I read he was eyeing evander holyfield. He may even exume marciano…for a 12 round extravaganza, in australlia–of course. While I believe Roy should’ve hung up the gloves, years ago…I will be tuning into his b-hop fight. This should really be his last bout. But, how many seasons did it take Jordan to hang up the shorts….sadly, too many. Roy is just one of those competitors who’s too stubborn to leave the sport he loves behind, or be pushed out by it.
Super Roy is no longer super. His speed and reflexes are gone but he has failed to make an adjustment. Most importantly, his legas seem to be gone and therein lies the problem. You can make adjustments due to diminishing ability but you need strong, not necessarily mobile legs, and a decent chin.
Somehow it does not seem he possesses either. That was how Ali survived. I think he willed himself to stay upright but look, he is payting for that today. I think Super (no more) Roy needs to retire or learn to roll with punches more which requires some reflexes but more timing.
The problem with that is that if he mistimes a punch and gets hit on his porcelain/china chin, snap, pop crackle. He is still paying for his ego which made him great! After he went to heavy he had no right dropping right back down to 175 to try to shut up Tarver. That was an overblown ego! So all the King’s horses and all the king’s men can’t reassemble him again!
Roy Jones is a train wreck and shame on Hopkins for wanting this fight.What will it prove to beat a guy who is obviously shot?Its like Sugar ray Leonard once the speed is gone the jigs up Ali had the same problem unfortunatly Ali was able to absorb unlimited punishment.
Roy Jones Jr. doesn’t know how to adjust as a boxer. He’s very 1 dimentional in his boxing ability. When he was younger he souly relied on his speed and reflexes. Now that his speed and reflex is diminishing he can’t compensate for it. He’s still going out there thinking he can dance around his opponents and peppering them with lighting punches. That’s not tatics Roy Jones Jr. should be approaching in the ring at his age. He basically has nothing left but a little above average speed punch that can get him cheap points. But he hasn’t the stamina and endurance to take heavy blows. Roy Jones Jr. is still fighting because he wants to recapture the golden days he once had. Those days are over and he needs to realise that he’s just killing himself stepping into the ring at his age. Roy Jones Jr. is a family man, he is too greedy with trying to glorify himself back into boxing history and forgetting that he has a priorioty, his children.
Paramedics should be at ringside for the Jones/Hopkins fight. These fighters should also use hearing aids so they can hear referee instructions and when the bell rings or stops. They don’t even need mouthpiece since their dentures can do the job.
boxb, its been announced today in perth wa that green has offered motor mouth antony mundine a rematch on anzac day (oz bank hoilday for oz and kiwis army that gave there lifes in ww1 2)
please dont praise green like you did you make him out to be a worldbeater, do not like eiather boxer, and both would be destroyed if jones or hopkins were still 34, green has improved since he came out of pretend retirement, but lets face it , why would hopkins risk it against green when he can fight in the states and no matter how ,they will get a huge payday.
danny green is why americans will relise they have been cheated of watching good boxers who dont fight in america. Jones and hopkins were not the best. calzace showed that when he went there in the end of his career and now danny green is doing the same thing. you watch jones will win easy against hopkins than americans will relise why hopkins and tarver always refuse to fight danny green. Even when hopkins and tarver would make more money fighting danny green than any other boxer including jones. americans should love jones because he showed heart and took on danny green. AMERICANS RELISE DANNY GREEN COME OUT OF A 2 YEAR RETIRIMENT AND EASY BEAT ROY JONES.
Ew me next…*cough *cough well I will co sign what wdk mwntion roy has given us some good years I think its fitting that we see him face hopkins in a rematch; which is unfortunately late, but if he retires after this its a good way to go out
sorry roy luv to say yes to this but remember the ozzi noone beat you last time out in a minute and half, just get the money and go retire, thanks for the memories