Definitely would be one of Roy's toughest fights pre-2004, Qawi would give him problems with his pressure and making his head a difficult target, but I think Roy would land enough to win a close decision.
Roy had better come out firing and get Qawi's respect straightaway in the 1st round - then he might be able to dance and potshot his way to victory after that. If not, then I think Roy finds out the hard way that Qawi was more than just a straightforward tank - he had deceptively good defense and counterpunching skills, even at a distance. Qawi of the 2nd Saad and Martin fights was an absolute beast IMO - I think only the very best LHWs in history would beaten him around that time.
I fully agree that only the best light heavyweights in history beat Qawi - and Roy was the one of the best light heavyweights in history. Roy takes a clear UD here. He had enough pop to gain Qawi's respect, but Roy would realize pretty early on that he's not gonna stop Qawi. He would box carefully to a decision. Qawi would have his moments, but Roy is ultimately too fast and elusive for him.
Qawi isn't going to let Roy pick his spots and fight when he wants to; he brings an intelligent but forceful pressure. He has the chin to take any single shot that Jones can land and is defensively sound enough not to eat combinations. But here's the thing...when Qawi starts rolling and countering and hitting the body, Roy is going to pull out. He is going to run and try to potshot his way through it; there is no way on earth that he will dig in and fight Qawi like Holyfield did the first time. Jones can't win that fight with Qawi.
I think Roy's power is being underrated. No, he did not have as much power as Spinks, but he hit hard enough to buzz Qawi and deter him. It's different when you're getting hit with shots you don't see. I think the image of the shot Jones has been in people's minds for far too long. I'm more thinking about the Jones who destroyed Merqui Sosa in this matchup. I'm not saying there's no path for Qawi to win, but Jones is definitely being sold short.
