I just thought I'd have some fun. In all seriousness though.... Jones of the Richard Hall fight vs Sergey Kovalev. What transpires?
Jones gets violently KO'd. Kov would be a very dangerous fight for any version of Roy after say... 2001. When Roy fought guys like Harmon, and Gonzalez, he was already starting to decline a bit. Couldn't move his body and his feet QUITE as fast as before, although he was still extremely fast. Jones at the PEAK of his powers, like the version that KO'd Hill, that Roy would do a number on Kov.
With Kovalev's power I think he has a chance against ANYONE in history (the same way Julian Jackson has in his weight class) and his more aggressive style would make for a more even fight than Jones-Toney was, but still, the difference in speed and movement is so huge that any other result than Jones by lopsided decision would be a surprise.
And in Roy's defense, we don't know how well Kov handles the speed and power of prime Jones. This ain't Pascal, or Cleverly we're talking here. I think Kov is too dangerous for Roy to step on the gas and attempt to stop, but I could definitely see Roy hurting him.
Prime Roy stops Kov or wins a wide decision. I don't think Kovalev would respond well to missing and getting countered and potshotted consistently.
Outta respect for Kov, I think a wide UD is more likely. Roy couldn't play around and afford to take unnecessary chances with Kov's power. I think very highly of Kov, and I think he's a future HOFmer. If he beats Ward, and continues to be dominant he can make a STRONG for going down as a lightheavy great. But prime Jones was one of the best fighters who ever lived and Kov would be outclassed.
I'm still curious to see how he deals with frustration. He seems like the kind of mean prideful guy that can lose it if he gets a little embarrassed. He gets that "you mitherfuvker" look in his eyes and he starts to lose composure. When Pascal was stumbling around and potshotting him I saw a glimpse of it. But yeah, at this point he looks like a solid boxer with murder in his hands.
Attributes in terms of what? Make no mistake about it, at this point, Roy's career opposition and resume is better than Kov's. Did Roy ever face anyone with Kov's POWER? No. But quite honestly, Kov is the biggest puncher 175 has had in quite some time. Has Kov ever faced anyone remotely CLOSE to prime Jones in speed, power, skill, ability? Absolutely not!
This is why style most certainly make fights. A guy like Kovalev would at least make Jones Jr think about what to do in the ring... Is this why Roy never wanted any part of McClellan in sparring? opcorn:
Jones' chin is a question mark. Is it that he lost the ability to take punches after moving back down from Heavyweight at an advanced age, or was it that he never had a strong chin and was just too fast in his prime to get hit cleanly?
A bit of both. The age and weight loss certainly had an effect on his durability, but if he had really solid chin the entire time he would haven't been that KO prone.
Kovalev is not a southpaw nor tall and rangy like Tarver. Roy beats him period. I still don't think Kovlev can handle speed...not speed like Jones. And please no one bring up Pascal. That's like comparing Berto's "shoulder roll" to Floyd's.
Have you seen examples where he couldn't handle speed? Obviously no one is as fast as Roy Jones...but until we see an example of Kovalev not being able to handle speed it's just a statement without meaning.
You meant to say until we see him in with someone with speed we don't know if he can handle it. It's easy to look like a destroyer when your opponents are standing in front of you. Didn't we learn that lesson last weekend?
We need to see Kov-Ward to get a better idea. Is Ward as good as prime Jones? No. But he is a guy who won't stand in front of Kov, and who'll give him angles. We'll see if Kov can figure that out.
And that is precisely my point and why I'd tip Ward to beat him if they meet. If Ward is sharp I see the fight playing out very much like the Kessler fight. Kovalev places a lot of weight/balance on his front foot which makes him reach in with his jab and overshoot his right hand a times. There are times he punches and both feet leave the canvas. Plus, he feints with his hands while his head remains stationary. All it takes is a few well placed counters to get him thinking about the incoming. That moment pause is huge if it makes him gunshy. Ward has faced guys similar to Kovalev but we haven't seen Kovalev in with anyone like Ward. Doesn't mean he can't or won't beat Ward, but that is certainly a question mark.
Forgot to mention...Hopkins showed tons of movement but he wasn't punching back. There was no fear of the incoming. He was a toothless and fangless lion trying to take down a water buffalo.
I think Kov has a dangerous chance against the older Jones who fought guys like Gonzalez, and Woods. I would still make Roy the favorite, but I pointed out even back then that Roy had began to slow at that point. His hands were still fast as fuck, but he didn't move his body and feet QUITE as fast as that point as he could in the 90s. And with Kov, only he has to do is find Kov's chin once to possibly turn the tide. Kov is light years better than Gonzalez and Woods. Against the 90s Jones, it's a different story. 90s Roy is too fast for Kov of hand, foot, and reflexes.
I'm not at all convinced that Ward wins, although I'm not putting it past him. Kov has more dimensions and creativity to his game than Kessler ever had. More than Froch as well. He's got a fluidity to him that Kessler and Froch lacked. And Kessler and Froch had GOOD power, but not the one-punch fight ending power like Kov has. It's a different challenge for Ward. As of THIS MOMENT, I'm favoring Kov over Ward. But If anybody can beat him, it'd be Ward.
