Does anyone stand a chance against a "prime" RJJ? Or was he invincible?

?

RJJ has now lost lop-sided fights to Tarver and Johnson, and looked less than stellar against Prince Abju and Tony the Tiger.

But some seem to suggest every weakness and vulnerability RJJ has shown is due strictly to his aging.

But my guess is some of those same vulnerabilities existed even in his prime - he just never fought anyone smart enough to exploit them.

Most seem to disagree.

So what is the consensus? Are we "really" comfortable with the claim that nobody in history could've beaten RJJ? And the other thing I keep hearing is that not only would a prime RJJ have beaten everyone, he would've done it easily and in impressive fashion. All B.S. if you ask me. The guy was over-rated as hell, even in his prime. It's time we admit it to ourselves.

 

Well nobody was invincible. Obviously a guy like Foster has a shot at beating Roy with his one punch punch power.

In Roys prime counter punchers gave Roy the most trouble im not sure what great counter punchers there were in the sport 20 years ago. Who knows if Tarver could have beat Roy in his prime, but he would have given him some problems style wise something i don't think Glen Johnson would have done.

 

At 168 I don't see anybody beating Roid. At that weigh, he was the best fighter I have ever seen

 

I agree. No one is invincible but a prime RJ is close to that statement.

 

Johnson wasn't just an ordinary come forward guy. His success against RJJ was attributable to his staying close to RJJ, moving his head, and being durable enough mentally "and" physically to not be discouraged by RJJ's occasional sick counters to the belly or his blazing flurries to the top.

So while I'd have to favor a prime RJJ to beat Johnson, I still think RJJ would've had a lot of trouble with him - at least the Johnson that showed up that night.

 

bullshit and you know it, RJJ-Sosa is the way Roy handled pressure fighters that were able to stay "close" to Roy...


And no way some overhyped oldtimer from 50 years ago beats Roy... :laughing:

 

lets be real. the only reason why haters hated roy was because he was indeed unbeatable. it's really hard to argue that any fighter in history of boxing would've beaten roy at his best.

 

you're comparing Sosa to Johnson? now "that's" stupid. especially when you're talking about the Johnson that showed up that night. Sosa is like a Iran Barkley (although not as good) - tough and strong but not particularly skilled. Johnson used careful pressure, good head movement, and steady pressure to beat RJJ. and short punching to the body and head.

i wouldn't even call Sosa a pressure fighter - that's giving him too much credit. pressure fighters are methodical and know how to handle themselves in close quarters. that's not Sosa at all.

 

I know someone who thought he was beatable.

Himself.

 

By handled you mean "got a quick stoppage"? ::

 

Michael Moorer at 175 would have been a really tough fight. Moorer was pretty heavyhanded and fast at 175, but his footwork wasn't that great.

 

No fighter is invincible..BUT...I'd pick a Prime RJJ over any other fighter in history, including Sugar Ray Robinson.

 

I agree!

 

so? funny guy...

 

The last guy before Johnson that tried that, guess what Roy's weight and speed was :nono:

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Dariusz Michalczewski was the guy that everyone wanted to see fight a prime Roy Jones Jr.
In hindsight and given RJJ's shaky chin, that would've been a good fight.

 

Sosa wasn't that good of a fighter to begin with, so the use of him as an example to demonstrate how Jones handles pressure doesn't mean much...but even using him, the fight was stopped prematurely. If the point is how well Jones does against pressure fighters, less than two full rounds doesn't prove much (unless you think he gets quick stoppages over every pressure fighter in history).

 

I don't think Jones had shaky chin in his prime. I think the move back down from Heavyweight at his age destroyed him.

Consider Sugar Ray Leonard in his mid thirties. He moves back down to 154 after companing at 160 and 168 and gets dropped and hurt repeatedly by Terry Norris.

granted Norris could bang...but he certainly didn't hit as hard as tommy Hearns or even Hagler.

 

what's your point? and who is this "last guy before Johnson that tried that?"

 

When a fighter tried that, they had too much hell to pay when he was prime @ 168, even in the Johnson fight, I think it was in the third round......just briefly Roy threw combos that had Johnson reeling away........then Roy tired out. Imagine doing that for 12 rounds, Johnson would be out or easily outpointed to a decision :dunno: Pressuring Roy always made him turn up the heat and make his opponent back off. Because he he is old now and it was effective at the end of his career, the myth was spawned that's all you had to do to beat him now

 

didn't answer my question. what fighter during RJJ's prime applied in close pressure with consistent head movement, a solid chin, a big heart and short punches? and a willingness to walk through some fire. can you answer me that question?

 

I thought that was answered in the video :dunno:

 

I did with the video :doh:

 

your video failed to broadcast - at least in my browser. can you just name the fucking guy. oh, and he'd better have a short jab too.

 

James Toney had those attributes aswell :dunno:

 

Bryant Brannon applied pressure on Roy, Virgil Hill applied pressure on Roy, and I don't care if you disagree or not, it is a FACT Sosa applied pressure on Roy :dunno:

 

:laughing:

those are all B.S. examples. and not comparable at all. Virgil Hill applied pressure? :laughing: Virgil Hill has the heart of a lion like Johnson and head movement and is a good inside fighter? :laughing:

James Toney? Great fighter but stylistically couldn't be more different than Johnson.

I'm not saying prime RJJ doesn't beat a fighter like the Johnson that showed up that night, but I can't think of an example of when he did. and you haven't provided one.

Bryant Brannon? :laughing: Please.

 

You asked who applied pressure, I told you. Of course Toney and the other are different fighters, ALL fighters are different fighters :notallthere:

So it's funny Toney has a chin, head movement and short punches on inside fighting? It's your list of attributes you are laughing at :dunno:

Hopkin's pressured Roy too, but I just went before prime :doh:

You are telling me to compare a pressure fighter and how he did against Roy when he was shot and MUCH slower Laugh it up, but take a GOOD look in the mirror.....

 

Who here disagrees with this statement enough to apply FOUR LMAO smilies? ::

 

DM had legit power though, yes?
Moreso than any of RJJ's oppo. at 1698-175lb from 1996-2001.