I remember watching this in 1994. My grandfather and I would eat Oreo cookies and he would drink coffee when when we watched boxing. Grandpa was a huge Toney fan but he refused to bet any Oreos on him for this fight. When Toney got knocked down I remember grandpa shaking his head like he knew it was going to happen. He looked at me between rounds and said “you just can’t play games with a fighter like that”.
@BattleMuffin They are betting on the filling half after the oreo is split. Loser gets stuck with the chocolate cookie with no filling half. Full oreo buy in is to rich for most, but maybe grandpa got it like that
Roy Jones gets this stigma that he was only a freakish athlete that lacked fundamentals. Not true. You don't get robbed of the gold medal is Soul 1988 without knowing the fundamentals. He knew them very well, but knew how and when to break them to fit his style. His genius in the ring won't be appreciated by most people because they don't understand boxing and how the elite boxers all have a foundation of the fundamentals first.
@poindextertunes probably because PEDs were pretty rampant during his peak years, safe to assume a good portion of his opponents were equally Saucy. Muhammad Ali failed a drug test for diuretics, not much reason to drop water weight at HW, but they have long been used to mask other PEDs. Or the time Angelo Dundee ripped his glove to buy him time in the corner after Henry Cooper floored him. How come no one mentions this?
Please David don't Retire. I have a Playlist filled with nothing but your excellent Breakdowns. You're the Best in Business by a Country Mile. This Channel is pure GOLD. I understand you have other things in your life and this might not be your #1 Priority, but please give us a Video once or twice a year. If not it's been a pleasure enjoying your channel and best of luck in all your future endeavors.
Prime RJJ was something else! Certainly in the top 5 of all time. P4p implies the lighter men couldn't hang with heavier ones, but I think this rjj would have a shot against anyone!
@@poindextertunesa 4 division champion, going from champion at middleweight, undisputed light heavyweight, all the way up to heavyweight champ - first boxer to ever do so - and had he retired by age 35, would be hard to argue against having him top 2 or 3 all time
Roy Jones Jr. is my favorite boxer of all time. And IMHO he was definitely one of the best boxers in history. Had he retired after defeating Ruiz, Roy would be on everyones tongue for GOAT>
I don't think his late career losses hurt him. Real ones know the weigh fluctuation did him in. He is an all time goat. P4p he's a top 25 guy, or should be on everyone's list. No matter how little someone rates him, top 25 is worst. There's been so many boxers at so many weights, that top 25 among all fighters, all eras, all weights, makes you a goat. Like Hagler, or Ali, or SRR, or Marciano, RJJ, etc. There's so many options go choose from and many greats. I personally think a prime RJJ could go with anyone between 155-200lb. Few others can make the same claim of having a 50 lb weight range , while reasonably being the goat of that range. Most guys are just one of the goats at a specific weight. Move them up 10 lbs and they're getting wrecked
@@kenw2225 This man gets it. All his losses came after the Ruiz fight, and his arrogance to think he could go up and down so quickly really cost him. You dont play with your weight at 35 years old, regardless what kind of athlete you are. RJJ would give any boxer problems, especially like you said, under 200. Prime RJJ was violent and beautiful master of the art of punching. Simply amazing to watch.
I watch every single one of your fight breakdowns despite not having a massive interest in the science of boxing, you are so compelling as a storyteller as well as teaching people the art of boxing.
I'm gonna miss this channel when it's gone but I'll always appreciate how good this last run of yours is being. I can feel the fire of motivation behind every video. I'll enjoy the next few months.
Speaking of the four kings: would you mind doing the hagler vs duran fight to conclude the four kings saga before retiring? Just out of curiosity. I really enjoy your videos and your insight/breakdowns and will really miss them🙏
@@TheModernMartialArtist please;_; such technical war there, if anyone had doubts duran was a goat boxer, he probably removed any of those doubts in that fight
I was in the 4th grade this fight..... That Roy Jones Era had me 🤣. I also loved Toney. Prince Hamed, Oscar, Sweet Pea were also some of my favorites. Good times 😢
Great times. I was a fan of all those guys. Prime RJJ was as good as anybody. Sweat Pea might be the best technical boxer I ever saw. What he did to Chavez was a masterclass.
Not a fan but Mayweather was far more complete. You take away a man's physical talent then you get to see the real man. Floyd remained undefeated. What happened to Jones?
@@johnaustin209Peak Roy was more then 10 years basically untouchable. He would had become a undisputed champion but Michalczevski was smart enough not to fight against Roy...end of Story.
@@JohnnyGoodBehavior Agreed about him beating anyone. For 10 years the guy barely lost a round. People don't realize how good Toney was at that point. 46 fights and unbeaten. 2 titles. A granite chin, great defender and amazing counterpuncher. And yet Jones made him look average and slow.
I think Roy was such an athletically gifted boxer and coupled with a very high fighting IQ made him almost unbeatable in his prime. You literally cant train for such an unorthodox style with the speed, power and reflexes Jones had. Styles make fights and I always wondered what a Nunn vs Jones fight before Michael lost to Toney would have looked like. Nunn had a way of beating hard fighter and having harder times with the “easer” ones.
Fuck that, he was beatable. He wasted too much time at night heavy knocking off old men & safe opponents. Matching him up with other All time great light heavy's doesn't help his case either. Bob Foster would beat the breaks off him.
@@eol6632 It's not his fault the competition was weak, only person he ''ducked'' was Dariusz and it was because he was scared of losing money and getting robbed if the fight went to distance That being said u just saw how Roy dismantled an arguably top 20 boxer of all time with ease
@@eol6632 Btw no Foster wouldn't, he 100% has the power to knock him out but Roy is simply too fast and intelligent for him He also had a bad habit of letting his hands go too much, similar to Roy when he fought Ron Amundsen, he will exploit that weakness and eat him up with counters (not sure if he could knock him out since that mf was tough tough as hell, but inside the ring everything is possible.)
Not true. Dude didn't have a chin, only that had yet to be exposed. Hearns, McCellan, Benn, Jackson all would have had a very good puncher's chance against him at 168.
Toney skill level is insane, underrated these days, skills far above rjj. But Roy had great skills and is one of the greatest athletes this planet has ever seen
Rjj is obviously extremely technically skilled. You don’t have footwork and accuracy like that without good technique. He was just such an athlete he could get away with “breaking the rules” of fundamentals more often than most.
Love when you cover Roy, and have been waiting for your insight into this fight, which I think is low key one of the best IQ fights I’ve seen. I love what Max Kellerman said about Roy, which was that Roy’s prime and Floyd’s prime overlapped a bit but Roy was SO much better than everyone when he was in his prime that nobody was asking “do you think Floyd is as good as Roy?” because it would’ve been a ridiculous question. I wish Roy had retired after the first Tarver fight, even he has said that his body was never the same after bulking up to heavyweight and then coming back down. If he’d retired after beating Tarver, he’d have been 49-1 with that 1 being the DQ loss. I think he’d be more people’s GOAT if he’d done that. But he’s mine. At his best, I’ve never seen a more unbeatable fighter. Not Ali, not Sugar Ray, not Hagler, nobody. Roy had it all.
Roy was superhumanly talented, and had solid basics. He just broke them all the time because for so long he was SO fast, and hit so hard that even when he screwed up and missed because he was being fast and loose on the techniques, guys just couldnt make him pay for it. Even Toney, the master of aggressive countering made Roy miss more than a few times, but as he came back to make him pay for it, Roy would often already be gone.
You tell fight stories like it's a motion picture. Movie I'll tell you you make me want to become a fighter so that I can have fights narrated to me. Marinated for history delight
Toney didn’t have an offensive inside pressure game. He caught up to Roy multiple times and would just clinch him. Which is insane. Tarver in particular exploited this weakness as did others. Toney just wants to react and counter too much. Not gonna work.
That's easier said than done my friend. You can have the plan to attack in close quarters and have it totally nullified by a superior fighter and they can make it look like you just aren't attacking properly when really they are shutting down your movements in subtle ways.
The difference in footwork and foot speed was the big difference in this fight. Toney would keep his feet planted, ready for a counter, but Roy rarely attacked from head on, he came in from different angles and constantly would turn Toney, making him have to constantly reset, and use more energy than he'd like
Nah jones was clinching him inside, and Tarver was the benefactor of jones slowing down just enough later in his career to catch him . Jones speed and output was so next level he didn’t leave much of a window to counter or set up an offense
@32gigs96 Toney is one of the greatest infighters in history. Shut with the Tarver BS. Everyone on the planet knows Roy wasn’t the same after heavyweight
You should do Jirov vs Toney too, since you did Holyfield vs Qawi. It's maybe Toneys best performance and maybe the best cruiserweight fightaside from Holyfield/Qawi.
If RJJ had retired after Ruiz I feel he would be in the conversation for the Greatest of All Time . I personally think there is an argument to be made for him as P4P the best to ever do it .
Excellent video 😎👍 Would've been nice to see a rematch between these two at light heavyweight. Also would've been nice to see how RJJ would've did against the likes of Benn, Eubanks, Collins, Frankie Liles, and Michael Nunn
RJJ will always be so underrated. A lot of people knocked his skill because his style incorporated a lot of his freak athleticism but the clearest way to see his actual skill set is watching him make these small adjustments mid fight. He had a very unique and off beat style but he was an incredible ring general and had top notch footwork. Conversely, Toney is also incredibly underrated. No shame in not being as good as guy who is top 10 pfp. Incredible defensive work, sharp and powerful counter punching, great chin and the heart of a warrior.
Those where good and honest and clean and no clause or advantage of either side fights..that’s why they are always being remembered for the true champions that they were..until this day and future years to come they will always be remembered..
Great vid! Watched Roy’s entire career starting with the Olympic travesty. This was really his best win. I wish he would’ve stayed at 168. At that weight, he was in the conversation of best of all time.
Roy Jones Jr. from his prime days is top 3 on the list of my favorite fighters to watch that ever lived. That’s saying a lot because I’ve trained in combat sport since I was 8 years old, 6 days a week and have never stopped in nearly 20 years. I watch combat sport religiously, I love the skill, the strategy, and the athleticism of it, not to mention tons of other things. I love the mechanics of striking, the physics of how to translate power to your limbs. When to deliver concussive and snappy blows to the head vs when to push powerful strikes that drill into the body. I just love combat and I’ve seen countless fighters across every notable combat sport. I say all that because I want to make it clear that I’m not saying RJJ is one of my favorites lightly. He was a FREAK of nature in his prime. For anyone curious, my top 3 favorites throughout all of combat sport in no order are RJJ from boxing, Aleksandr Karelin from Greco-Roman wrestling, and Saenchai from Muay Thai.
James Toney and Bernard Hopkins both have a case for being better than Jones given their longevity, resume and superior chin, but Roy convincingly beat them when they were in their physical prime. People discrediting the win because Toney had a weight cut in the division he was currently residing over as champ also do not tend to give the same courtesy to Jones after he literally moved back down from heavyweight. No, he is being "exposed" as unskilled.
Bernard, As Great As He Was, Isn't Better Than "JT" Or "RJ" 🤷🏿♂️! Roy Should Have Fought Tarver A Year After Beating Ruiz. He Beats Tarver Easily In The Center Of The Ring. When You Drop 20 Plus Pounds In A Matter Of Weeks, Everything Down Regulates Hormonally. Testosterone, Thyroid Function Etc. Cortisol Levels (Stress Hormone) Shoot Way Up! In Other Words, You're Lethargic, Weak And Your Reflexes Are Dull. I Forgot To Mention You Have No Stamina. James Went Through The Aforementioned In This Fight With Roy. Roy Suffered The 1st Loss To Tarver And Actually Messed His Career Up Due To Extreme Short Term Weight Loss 👊🏿.
JT & Hopkins were better fighters. Also JT was not in his prime when he fought RJ. He was already in the downside. Both of those men were able to beat bigger men on toughness & skill. At higher weight classes, well past their prime. When RJ lost his speed he literally had to relearn how to fight to adjust. After that he was just hanging around being an opportunist. He took a fight were he could bully a ex smaller great like Tito. An became an opponent for guys like Joe over in Wales or that Too little to late rematch with Hopkins. RJ wasted his prime. So yeah Hopkins & Tony, better career.
When Roy Jones steps inside of James Toney's counterpunching range, he knows how to jam Toney's mid-punch movements. Plus, Roy's too close for Toney to throw body shots, and Roy has his hands up to guard. All Toney could do was uppercut, but Roy bounched back out of range too quickly. I'm sure Roy Jones practiced this stuff, but it just seems like his instincts were so on point. More so than others.
Quality stuff man. Toney was a Counter-Puncher but he couldn't Counter Jones Jr becomes of his Movement n Speed, Toney couldn't lead either due to being a Counter-Puncher. Styles makes Fights and Roy Jones Jr Style was perfect against James Toney, he really had no answer and that is why Toney wouldn't Fight Jones Jr again.
These are 2 of my top 5 fav fighters I remember being in high school and watching this fight with no joy all pain not wanting either fighter to win or loose. Sweet p / mike Tyson / Augustus round out my top 5
I have been asking for a couple of years now, on facebook, insta, youtube, mail, everywhere....an in depth breakdown of Bivol's style...or a video on How u see Bivol vs Beterbiev....that would be my cherry on top of your playlist.
Hey David, great breakdown as always. I'm bummed to hear that you will be retiring from this channel but I respect your decision very much too. Is it possible for us viewers to learn more about your life in fighting or otherwise? Thank you so much for the great years man
How do you out-box such a speed demon like Roy Jones Jr with pure technique? Is it possible or you have to rely on relentless pressure and have a Thanos chin?
Normally you tank some shots to land harder ones or control the rhythm so they can't get set. Most can't combo if they can't plant down in place. But Jones hit super hard so you couldn't tank his shots and he could punch as he moved so getting him out of position didn't work. It's the same problem people had with Manny but Jones was comparatively (for his weight classes) even faster.
@@baseupp12 I think Hagler could pull it off because he had the chin, had no weaknesses, and could adapt but even then, Jones was so fast and quick I would still favor Roy. Roy wouldn't knock Hagler out but several guys gave Hagler a hard time and none of them were as talented as Roy.
I met Roy at a college game Very humble and kind I asked him if he minded being called mini Mike Tyson by admirers He seemed genuinely confused and inquired I said that I was from Jacksonville Florida and I didn’t know anyone that didn’t love him and watch every fight and the reruns He was vicious and very savvy in the ring and nobody wanted his career to end like it did the training staff let him down and back into the ring way too soon
I remember a couple a days later waiting on the aftermath, cause i knew James wouldn't take the lost lightly. He was on a local Michigan sports radio 📻 station going berserk. He wanted to turn against his training team & Jackie M
How much do you reckon that weight cut affected Toney? Watching the fight, i can imagine it must've been grueling, but the poor choices in strategy seem to have mattered more, the weight cut seemed to have sapped his endurance but that came out later in the fight.
I was sad because Tony showed up in less than stellar condition and motivation. This could have been an even better fight. Two greats and Tony was one of the best but he wasn't one of the most motivated
Roy Jones is the man! Such a good dude regardless of what you hear. Had the privilege of meeting him in Pittsburgh before he was famous. Glad he's healthy and one of the greatest of all time to do it
Skill Building Books: bit.ly/4eg4AnL
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I cant help but wonder how the Gman Gerald Mclellan would've done against these champions
I remember watching this in 1994. My grandfather and I would eat Oreo cookies and he would drink coffee when when we watched boxing. Grandpa was a huge Toney fan but he refused to bet any Oreos on him for this fight.
When Toney got knocked down I remember grandpa shaking his head like he knew it was going to happen. He looked at me between rounds and said “you just can’t play games with a fighter like that”.
Oreos are too high stakes to bet on.
Haha that's great. Your gramps sounds cool.
@BattleMuffin They are betting on the filling half after the oreo is split. Loser gets stuck with the chocolate cookie with no filling half. Full oreo buy in is to rich for most, but maybe grandpa got it like that
This is a great story. Thanks for sharing.
Grandpa was a smart man! 😂. He was not playing about those Oreos..
Roy Jones gets this stigma that he was only a freakish athlete that lacked fundamentals. Not true. You don't get robbed of the gold medal is Soul 1988 without knowing the fundamentals. He knew them very well, but knew how and when to break them to fit his style. His genius in the ring won't be appreciated by most people because they don't understand boxing and how the elite boxers all have a foundation of the fundamentals first.
In my opinion a lot of fans are obsessed with seperating skill and athleticism and pitting them against one another somehow.
@@maxmustermann9058 Agreed. Well stated.
Man what's up with boxing legends always getting robbed at the Olympics?
Couldn’t have said it better.
lmfao.
There is something so special about watching a guy so talented, so athletic that he can break all the rules. Roy Jones Jr was such a force.
Yeah, and crazy he was able to get away with it for about a decade-and-a-half. This fight solidified him as P4P number 1 for the next 10 years
Didn’t he get popped for anabolics? How come no one mentions this?
@poindextertunes probably because PEDs were pretty rampant during his peak years, safe to assume a good portion of his opponents were equally Saucy.
Muhammad Ali failed a drug test for diuretics, not much reason to drop water weight at HW, but they have long been used to mask other PEDs. Or the time Angelo Dundee ripped his glove to buy him time in the corner after Henry Cooper floored him. How come no one mentions this?
Please David don't Retire. I have a Playlist filled with nothing but your excellent Breakdowns. You're the Best in Business by a Country Mile. This Channel is pure GOLD. I understand you have other things in your life and this might not be your #1 Priority, but please give us a Video once or twice a year. If not it's been a pleasure enjoying your channel and best of luck in all your future endeavors.
Bro i would GLADLY take once/twice a year uploads over him 100% retiring from TH-cam lol
@@osverhernandez8435 100% Facts
That thumbnail picture pulled me in man! Roy Jones with the matrix reflexes and speed vs James Toney with the gladiator shoulder armor.
RJJ played in the movie Matrix Reloaded 😎
Prime RJJ was something else!
Certainly in the top 5 of all time.
P4p implies the lighter men couldn't hang with heavier ones, but I think this rjj would have a shot against anyone!
James Tony and Roy Jones Jr are two of my favorite fighters.
Same, would have been great to see a rematch when they were both at heavyweight
RJJ is so underrated as the best in his prime. He really was fantastic to watch. He was the total package.
stahp bro this is straight up glazing 😂
If he had retired after Tarver 1 he would be in contention for GOAT. He hung on too long and tainted his legacy.
@@poindextertunesa 4 division champion, going from champion at middleweight, undisputed light heavyweight, all the way up to heavyweight champ - first boxer to ever do so - and had he retired by age 35, would be hard to argue against having him top 2 or 3 all time
Roy Jones Jr. is my favorite boxer of all time. And IMHO he was definitely one of the best boxers in history. Had he retired after defeating Ruiz, Roy would be on everyones tongue for GOAT>
If he retired after Tarver 1 many would consider him the GOAT. Hung on too long and ruined his legacy.
@@chrishenry5945 totally agree, father time wins every time. IMHO he was the greatest offensive boxer of all time.
I don't think his late career losses hurt him. Real ones know the weigh fluctuation did him in. He is an all time goat. P4p he's a top 25 guy, or should be on everyone's list. No matter how little someone rates him, top 25 is worst. There's been so many boxers at so many weights, that top 25 among all fighters, all eras, all weights, makes you a goat. Like Hagler, or Ali, or SRR, or Marciano, RJJ, etc. There's so many options go choose from and many greats. I personally think a prime RJJ could go with anyone between 155-200lb. Few others can make the same claim of having a 50 lb weight range , while reasonably being the goat of that range. Most guys are just one of the goats at a specific weight. Move them up 10 lbs and they're getting wrecked
@@kenw2225 This man gets it. All his losses came after the Ruiz fight, and his arrogance to think he could go up and down so quickly really cost him. You dont play with your weight at 35 years old, regardless what kind of athlete you are. RJJ would give any boxer problems, especially like you said, under 200. Prime RJJ was violent and beautiful master of the art of punching. Simply amazing to watch.
I watch every single one of your fight breakdowns despite not having a massive interest in the science of boxing, you are so compelling as a storyteller as well as teaching people the art of boxing.
I'm gonna miss this channel when it's gone but I'll always appreciate how good this last run of yours is being. I can feel the fire of motivation behind every video. I'll enjoy the next few months.
Where’s the channel going ?
Speaking of the four kings: would you mind doing the hagler vs duran fight to conclude the four kings saga before retiring? Just out of curiosity. I really enjoy your videos and your insight/breakdowns and will really miss them🙏
Maybe, but no promises! A LOT of people have been asking. I know it wouldn't get many views but maybe just for you hardcore fans I could work it in.
@@TheModernMartialArtist please;_; such technical war there, if anyone had doubts duran was a goat boxer, he probably removed any of those doubts in that fight
@@kakashihatake6176if only that Duràn appeared for the third Leonard fight.
@@HaraDuran neither Duran or Leonard showed up for that fight, what a disappointment
@@Boxing_Gamer yeah,that fight was really an expensive exhibition.
Defense so good the guys can't event touch one another. Incredible !
amazing breakdown, feels just like your first couple of videos which I fell in love with. Thanks david!
Thanks, we love you man!
I was in the 4th grade this fight.....
That Roy Jones Era had me 🤣. I also loved Toney. Prince Hamed, Oscar, Sweet Pea were also some of my favorites. Good times 😢
God damn yess 💪
Great times. I was a fan of all those guys. Prime RJJ was as good as anybody. Sweat Pea might be the best technical boxer I ever saw. What he did to Chavez was a masterclass.
Don't forget Felix Trinidad and Julio Chavez.
@@skydust1269 yessss 😭
@@BraktoothUntil he got floored
There'll never ever be a fighter as totally complete as peak Roy Jones. He was simply from another planet.
And you're simply overhyping. Marvin Hagler and a bnch of others had outclassed him long before he even started.... End of story.
Not a fan but Mayweather was far more complete. You take away a man's physical talent then you get to see the real man. Floyd remained undefeated. What happened to Jones?
@@kevlark3184 ok… that still doesn’t disqualify or discredit his statement covering peak RJJ.
@@johnaustin209Peak Roy was more then 10 years basically untouchable. He would had become a undisputed champion but Michalczevski was smart enough not to fight against Roy...end of Story.
@@lancemurdoc6744 Riiiiiiight...
Breakdown Qawi vs Holyfield 1986! Great video as always.
He has Tyson vs Holyfield 1 on the video schedule
That was an insane fight, I never saw anything like that in modern times
The last great 15 round championship fight. A fucking war too.
Need to do McCallum vs Toney 1 and 2 as well, which are classics
Another superb analysis this.
Thumbnail is sick
And it’s an actual matrix picture of RJ
Roy Jones looking so SWOLE.
Dope armor on James arm
Man please dont retire buddy your channel is like finding gold while you're walking on the street!
Gotta let the man rest he’ll come back whenever hes ready
RJJ was otherworldly. You watch and think “there’s NO way I could do that.”
Wonder how his style would do against mayweather since its so successful against toneys philly shell.
@@Night-op7zf I’m of the opinion that when RJJ was dialed in, in his prime, he could beat anyone.
@JohnnyGoodBehavior his exhibition fight with Mike tyson was interesting clash of styles as well.
@@Night-op7zf on paper. But they were so old they had no cardio
@@JohnnyGoodBehavior Agreed about him beating anyone. For 10 years the guy barely lost a round.
People don't realize how good Toney was at that point. 46 fights and unbeaten. 2 titles. A granite chin, great defender and amazing counterpuncher. And yet Jones made him look average and slow.
RJJ is f*cking hilarious 😂😂😂😂😂
Jones could hit from any angle, footwork was amazing his balance was crazy
Toneys signature counter when he Bob and weaves is one of my favorite punches. Throwing a right destructive punch from the weave is lethal.
I think Roy was such an athletically gifted boxer and coupled with a very high fighting IQ made him almost unbeatable in his prime. You literally cant train for such an unorthodox style with the speed, power and reflexes Jones had. Styles make fights and I always wondered what a Nunn vs Jones fight before Michael lost to Toney would have looked like. Nunn had a way of beating hard fighter and having harder times with the “easer” ones.
Ill never forget this one. I was a fan of both, but more so Junior. Watched this at my buddies house. What a party
Nobody could beat the 1994-11-18 version of Roy Jones Jr, no one in history
No one beats 1989-1999 roy jones jr
Fuck that, he was beatable. He wasted too much time at night heavy knocking off old men & safe opponents.
Matching him up with other All time great light heavy's doesn't help his case either.
Bob Foster would beat the breaks off him.
@@eol6632 It's not his fault the competition was weak, only person he ''ducked'' was Dariusz and it was because he was scared of losing money and getting robbed if the fight went to distance
That being said u just saw how Roy dismantled an arguably top 20 boxer of all time with ease
@@eol6632 Btw no Foster wouldn't, he 100% has the power to knock him out but Roy is simply too fast and intelligent for him
He also had a bad habit of letting his hands go too much, similar to Roy when he fought Ron Amundsen, he will exploit that weakness and eat him up with counters (not sure if he could knock him out since that mf was tough tough as hell, but inside the ring everything is possible.)
Not true. Dude didn't have a chin, only that had yet to be exposed. Hearns, McCellan, Benn, Jackson all would have had a very good puncher's chance against him at 168.
toney- technically sound, jones- naturally gifted.
Toney with RJJs gifts may have been the GOAT of 5 divisions. Or maybe Hearns with Haglers chin.....
Toney skill level is insane, underrated these days, skills far above rjj. But Roy had great skills and is one of the greatest athletes this planet has ever seen
Rjj is obviously extremely technically skilled.
You don’t have footwork and accuracy like that without good technique.
He was just such an athlete he could get away with “breaking the rules” of fundamentals more often than most.
i watch it live, Roys speed was beautiful to watch in his prime.
That "PRIME ROY, B-HOP AND JAMES TONEY" would have BLOWN AWAY THE SO-CALLED OPPOSITION IN THE 160-175 LB. DIVISION.
@@freddy8479 Don't forget McCallum
@@TylerHingleton
INDEED AND AGREED 👍💯
Another great breakdown, man I’m going to miss these!
Also: still praying for that Spence vs. Porter fight breakdown! 🙏
Great break down of a classic fight !
Love when you cover Roy, and have been waiting for your insight into this fight, which I think is low key one of the best IQ fights I’ve seen.
I love what Max Kellerman said about Roy, which was that Roy’s prime and Floyd’s prime overlapped a bit but Roy was SO much better than everyone when he was in his prime that nobody was asking “do you think Floyd is as good as Roy?” because it would’ve been a ridiculous question.
I wish Roy had retired after the first Tarver fight, even he has said that his body was never the same after bulking up to heavyweight and then coming back down. If he’d retired after beating Tarver, he’d have been 49-1 with that 1 being the DQ loss. I think he’d be more people’s GOAT if he’d done that. But he’s mine. At his best, I’ve never seen a more unbeatable fighter. Not Ali, not Sugar Ray, not Hagler, nobody. Roy had it all.
Roy was superhumanly talented, and had solid basics.
He just broke them all the time because for so long he was SO fast, and hit so hard that even when he screwed up and missed because he was being fast and loose on the techniques, guys just couldnt make him pay for it.
Even Toney, the master of aggressive countering made Roy miss more than a few times, but as he came back to make him pay for it, Roy would often already be gone.
I agree.
Then along came the Calzone.
Both at the end of their careers and Roy did his best and went out a champion.
Calzaghe was a Bad Ass.
@@SerelawMediaToday Calzaghe didn't wanna fight him, until Roy was already past it.
@@TylerHingleton
A keen observation.
We will never know for sure.
But both in their prime?
That would be a real treat for the fans.
@@SerelawMediaTodaytoo fast, too strong, too talented. Calzaghe would've lost in their primes
Either One of Them would clean up the 168-175 Divisions Today...Roy was a Frigging Monster..
Prime Roy Jones Jr was so good man, Speed and skill. Ive never seen anything like it.. trully great
You tell fight stories like it's a motion picture. Movie I'll tell you you make me want to become a fighter so that I can have fights narrated to me. Marinated for history delight
"a few watching truly comprehended" -that's an understatement. The skill and athleticism here are just on a whole... nother... level
Someone ask Roy Jones who was the hardest hitter he ever faced. He said it James Toney.
Toney didn’t have an offensive inside pressure game. He caught up to Roy multiple times and would just clinch him. Which is insane. Tarver in particular exploited this weakness as did others. Toney just wants to react and counter too much. Not gonna work.
That's easier said than done my friend. You can have the plan to attack in close quarters and have it totally nullified by a superior fighter and they can make it look like you just aren't attacking properly when really they are shutting down your movements in subtle ways.
The difference in footwork and foot speed was the big difference in this fight. Toney would keep his feet planted, ready for a counter, but Roy rarely attacked from head on, he came in from different angles and constantly would turn Toney, making him have to constantly reset, and use more energy than he'd like
Nah jones was clinching him inside, and Tarver was the benefactor of jones slowing down just enough later in his career to catch him . Jones speed and output was so next level he didn’t leave much of a window to counter or set up an offense
@@CliffMoir Exactly. Roy going up to HW, then back down to LHW is what killed him. Tarver ain't beating RJJ at his absolute peak
@32gigs96 Toney is one of the greatest infighters in history. Shut with the Tarver BS. Everyone on the planet knows Roy wasn’t the same after heavyweight
Prime Roy Jones Jr. was one of the greatest boxers of all time.
🐐
100%
This was such a good breakdown, thanks
You should do Jirov vs Toney too, since you did Holyfield vs Qawi. It's maybe Toneys best performance and maybe the best cruiserweight fightaside from Holyfield/Qawi.
That was a brutal fight for both !
this is a great study on how to smother the philly shell to stop the counters. I see where Andre Ward got his techniques from. RJJ
This sky rocketed Jones and was the beginning of Toney’s war with food. If Toney was in shape I’m sure he wins 9/10. His skill made him lazy.
This one of the best fights in history. Right there in top 5.
As always. An incredible video with incredible insight. Thank you❤
If RJJ had retired after Ruiz I feel he would be in the conversation for the Greatest of All Time . I personally think there is an argument to be made for him as P4P the best to ever do it .
He still is and still should be, however he should also be an example of when to give it up
@falasha1st I agree with you pal 💯
Excellent video 😎👍 Would've been nice to see a rematch between these two at light heavyweight. Also would've been nice to see how RJJ would've did against the likes of Benn, Eubanks, Collins, Frankie Liles, and Michael Nunn
RJJ will always be so underrated. A lot of people knocked his skill because his style incorporated a lot of his freak athleticism but the clearest way to see his actual skill set is watching him make these small adjustments mid fight. He had a very unique and off beat style but he was an incredible ring general and had top notch footwork.
Conversely, Toney is also incredibly underrated. No shame in not being as good as guy who is top 10 pfp. Incredible defensive work, sharp and powerful counter punching, great chin and the heart of a warrior.
Fantastic video, two of my all time favorite boxers
Those where good and honest and clean and no clause or advantage of either side fights..that’s why they are always being remembered for the true champions that they were..until this day and future years to come they will always be remembered..
Roy kept showing up for a check and it killed his legacy. Prime Roy is arguably the goat
An amazing fight makes me sad we dont have 15 rounds any more i could watch them fight for hours ❤❤
Awesome fight awesome analysis
Breakdown these fighters
Wilfred benitez
Alexis arguello
Aaron pryor
Arturo gatti
Love your channel, man. I hope the best.
What make Jones so great is that his punches are not telegraph. Never notice until now Toney rockin the shield of David. Nice!
Two of my favorite boxers from that era 🔥🔥🔥
Would love an Ali Norton 3 breakdown or Foreman Frazier 2 breakdown in the future please 🙏🏻
Thanks for the video!
Great vid!
Watched Roy’s entire career starting with the Olympic travesty. This was really his best win. I wish he would’ve stayed at 168. At that weight, he was in the conversation of best of all time.
Already is
1st timer to the channel here. Ggs on this video. Im enjoying it so far
Roy Jones Jr. from his prime days is top 3 on the list of my favorite fighters to watch that ever lived. That’s saying a lot because I’ve trained in combat sport since I was 8 years old, 6 days a week and have never stopped in nearly 20 years. I watch combat sport religiously, I love the skill, the strategy, and the athleticism of it, not to mention tons of other things. I love the mechanics of striking, the physics of how to translate power to your limbs. When to deliver concussive and snappy blows to the head vs when to push powerful strikes that drill into the body. I just love combat and I’ve seen countless fighters across every notable combat sport.
I say all that because I want to make it clear that I’m not saying RJJ is one of my favorites lightly. He was a FREAK of nature in his prime. For anyone curious, my top 3 favorites throughout all of combat sport in no order are RJJ from boxing, Aleksandr Karelin from Greco-Roman wrestling, and Saenchai from Muay Thai.
Toney and Jones were so amazing. Both legends in the sport.
I’m going to miss you so much on this platform. I don’t use any other.
I think you’re amazing.
Jones was my favorite to watch. I didnt watch enuff boxing to be called a fan, but I always had fun watching him.
James Toney and Bernard Hopkins both have a case for being better than Jones given their longevity, resume and superior chin, but Roy convincingly beat them when they were in their physical prime. People discrediting the win because Toney had a weight cut in the division he was currently residing over as champ also do not tend to give the same courtesy to Jones after he literally moved back down from heavyweight. No, he is being "exposed" as unskilled.
Bernard, As Great As He Was, Isn't Better Than "JT" Or "RJ" 🤷🏿♂️! Roy Should Have Fought Tarver A Year After Beating Ruiz. He Beats Tarver Easily In The Center Of The Ring.
When You Drop 20 Plus Pounds In A Matter Of Weeks, Everything Down Regulates Hormonally. Testosterone, Thyroid Function Etc. Cortisol Levels (Stress Hormone) Shoot Way Up!
In Other Words, You're Lethargic, Weak And Your Reflexes Are Dull. I Forgot To Mention You Have No Stamina. James Went Through The Aforementioned In This Fight With Roy. Roy Suffered The 1st Loss To Tarver And Actually Messed His Career Up Due To Extreme Short Term Weight Loss 👊🏿.
JT & Hopkins were better fighters. Also JT was not in his prime when he fought RJ. He was already in the downside.
Both of those men were able to beat bigger men on toughness & skill. At higher weight classes, well past their prime.
When RJ lost his speed he literally had to relearn how to fight to adjust. After that he was just hanging around being an opportunist.
He took a fight were he could bully a ex smaller great like Tito.
An became an opponent for guys like Joe over in Wales or that Too little to late rematch with Hopkins.
RJ wasted his prime.
So yeah Hopkins & Tony, better career.
You could say they were greater boxers
But not better fighters it’s what showbizz usually says
The Boxers, THEIR LEGENDARY RING EXPLOITS...
BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES!!!!😢😢😢😢😢😅😅😅😅
@@eol6632In what way was James Toney not in his prime when Roy beat him? He was undefeated and had just come off of several of his best performances.
When Roy Jones steps inside of James Toney's counterpunching range, he knows how to jam Toney's mid-punch movements. Plus, Roy's too close for Toney to throw body shots, and Roy has his hands up to guard. All Toney could do was uppercut, but Roy bounched back out of range too quickly.
I'm sure Roy Jones practiced this stuff, but it just seems like his instincts were so on point. More so than others.
Quality stuff man.
Toney was a Counter-Puncher but he couldn't Counter Jones Jr becomes of his Movement n Speed, Toney couldn't lead either due to being a Counter-Puncher.
Styles makes Fights and Roy Jones Jr Style was perfect against James Toney, he really had no answer and that is why Toney wouldn't Fight Jones Jr again.
These are 2 of my top 5 fav fighters I remember being in high school and watching this fight with no joy all pain not wanting either fighter to win or loose. Sweet p / mike Tyson / Augustus round out my top 5
Nice presentation.
Thanks 🙏
YAYYYYY DAVE UPLOADEDDD
As a kid i never really understood the artwork in the fighting this shit is some beautiful stuff lol
One of my favorite fight ever both Legends ❤
I have been asking for a couple of years now, on facebook, insta, youtube, mail, everywhere....an in depth breakdown of Bivol's style...or a video on How u see Bivol vs Beterbiev....that would be my cherry on top of your playlist.
Awesome work 👌👌👌⭐️ Thanks a lot.
Hey David, great breakdown as always. I'm bummed to hear that you will be retiring from this channel but I respect your decision very much too.
Is it possible for us viewers to learn more about your life in fighting or otherwise?
Thank you so much for the great years man
Thumbnail amazing 👍🏾
The way that dude in the first clip got up and ran was like if he just won the lotto 😂
Do a video on fedor or ken norton style next🤔?
Great video!!!!
How do you out-box such a speed demon like Roy Jones Jr with pure technique? Is it possible or you have to rely on relentless pressure and have a Thanos chin?
Normally you tank some shots to land harder ones or control the rhythm so they can't get set. Most can't combo if they can't plant down in place. But Jones hit super hard so you couldn't tank his shots and he could punch as he moved so getting him out of position didn't work. It's the same problem people had with Manny but Jones was comparatively (for his weight classes) even faster.
@@TheModernMartialArtistso could Marvin Haggler pull it off by coming forward and tanking Jones shots to get close for big shots against his chins
@@baseupp12 I think Hagler could pull it off because he had the chin, had no weaknesses, and could adapt but even then, Jones was so fast and quick I would still favor Roy. Roy wouldn't knock Hagler out but several guys gave Hagler a hard time and none of them were as talented as Roy.
@@jamesmarshall6619 Ray was more talented than Roy
@@velvet47478 in terms of pure physical talent no Roy was more gifted then Ray.
I would love to see you do video on Carmen Basilio that would be so cool
I met Roy at a college game
Very humble and kind
I asked him if he minded being called mini Mike Tyson by admirers
He seemed genuinely confused and inquired I said that I was from Jacksonville Florida and I didn’t know anyone that didn’t love him and watch every fight and the reruns
He was vicious and very savvy in the ring and nobody wanted his career to end like it did the training staff let him down and back into the ring way too soon
Great video. Thanks :)
Thank you Roy, as a kid 🙏 I really enjoyed his fights just like Tyson's
Look at those early exchanges.
Both men were very prepared for the opponent!
Bruh that punch at the very beginning, my goodness, a fuckin 💣!
James Tony 😮was a beast in his prime a great fighter yes sir😮
Damm, l will surely miss seeing this channel and him changing the name of the video 4 times before finding a perfect title
Great thumbnail keep it up!
It's Sad we never got to
see Gerald McCLellan
face these two.He was
a monster.
Good to see Dick Steele cocking things up as usual.
I remember a couple a days later waiting on the aftermath, cause i knew James wouldn't take the lost lightly. He was on a local Michigan sports radio 📻 station going berserk. He wanted to turn against his training team & Jackie M
How much do you reckon that weight cut affected Toney? Watching the fight, i can imagine it must've been grueling, but the poor choices in strategy seem to have mattered more, the weight cut seemed to have sapped his endurance but that came out later in the fight.
That RJJ thumby send me into stitches❤😂
I was sad because Tony showed up in less than stellar condition and motivation. This could have been an even better fight. Two greats and Tony was one of the best but he wasn't one of the most motivated
Cool video. Takes me back...
Roy Jones is the man! Such a good dude regardless of what you hear. Had the privilege of meeting him in Pittsburgh before he was famous. Glad he's healthy and one of the greatest of all time to do it