The Roy Jones Jr vs Antonio Tarver Trilogy

[elmersalsa]

Was Antonio Tarver better than Roy Jones Jr in their 3 fights that they had?

Jones in his prime was ridiculous! One of the pure diamond in the rough talents that boxing has ever seen. He was truly a true all time pound per pound great that his rare combination of speed and power was scary as he went up to other weight classifications.

Before Jones went up to fight champion John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz for Ruiz's IBF World Heavyweight Title, Jones had a controversial decision against Tarver in a Undisputed World Light-heavyweight title affair.

Then, Jones went back down to Light-heavyweight and didn't want to deal with the Big Boys, the heavyweights for lucrative contract fights. He chose to leave the heavyweights and go back to his division that he was dominant for a long period of time.

Tarver knocked out Super Roy in the rematch. It was one of boxing's most stunning and nasty knockouts ever. Tarver erased the doubt that he was better than Jones.

And now in their rubber match, Tarver beat Jones by decision against a gun shy Jones that didn't want to engage, and was clowning most of the fight.

Was Tarver the better fighter? His physical advantages gave Jones a lot of trouble at 175lbs. It was like Jones couldn't cope with Tarver's skills.

Or was it that Jones after the Ruiz fight was done?

Did styles make fights in this scenario?

Or Tarver was simply better and beats Super Roy anytime at any era and at any weight class.

This is the ONLY FIGHTER in Jones' career that really gave him some difficulties. It was like if Jones couldn't figure out Tarver for some reason.

Your thoughts of this trilogy.

[gilgamesh]

The drop from Heavyweight to 175 sped up the decline of Roy's speed and reflexes, and once they were gone he was just an average fighter. His speed and reflexes are what made him Roy Jones. His fundamentals and technique was always lacking, and this is the trilogy where he found that out.

[margaret thatcher]

of course tarver wasnt better than prime jones, is that a serious question

jones struggled the first fight, but he won that legit. he was sliding hard that poiint and tarver was in the right place at the right time, as was glen johnson. good fighters but not in prime rj's league

not only did roy lose speed and reflexes, his output dropped significantly too. couldnt pull the trigger nearly as well. gave less talented fighters far more opportunity to get to him and beat on him.

[gilgamesh]

of course tarver wasnt better than prime jones, is that a serious question

jones struggled the first fight, but he won that legit. he was sliding hard that poiint and tarver was in the right place at the right time, as was glen johnson. good fighters but not in prime rj's league

not only did roy lose speed and reflexes, his output dropped significantly too. couldnt pull the trigger nearly as well. gave less talented fighters far more opportunity to get to him and beat on him.

His offensive skills had a lot to do with his reflexes too. Almost everything Roy did was stuff that only he could do. Stuff that he just had a natural talent for, but stuff you'd never train a young fighter to do because it is dangerous and risky, and if you don't have the reflexes of a Cheetah it's going to get you knocked out.

Once Roy had lost those lightning reflexes it was all gone. The Offense. The defense. All of it.

After the KO loss to Tarver in the 2nd fight he also seemed to completely lose all of his confidence. In the Glen Johnson fight he just completely shelled up, and barely fought back the entire fight. Same with the 3rd Tarver fight. Those actually may be 2 of his worst performances because not only did he lose, he gave practically no effort whatsoever. As if being knocked out had made him completely normal, and made him believe he couldn't even dream of being what he once was, and shouldn't even try.

[elmersalsa]

Some people believe that Antonio Tarver won the first fight against Roy Jones Jr outright. They believe that Tarver was robbed.

Many believe that Tarver was the better fighter and that he won the 3 fights. It was like the great Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton scenario. Many people, (I am one of them), believe that Norton won all 3 fights with Ali. Like Tarver with Super Roy, Norton was hard for Ali to figure out.

[Jaywheel]

Before Jones went up to fight champion John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz for Ruiz's IBF World Heavyweight Title, Jones had a controversial decision against Tarver in a Undisputed World Light-heavyweight title affair.

Then, Jones went back down to Light-heavyweight and didn't want to deal with the Big Boys, the heavyweights for lucrative contract fights. He chose to leave the heavyweights and go back to his division that he was dominant for a long period of time.

The 3 Tarver fights were after Ruiz.

[elmersalsa]

Before Jones went up to fight champion John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz for Ruiz's IBF World Heavyweight Title, Jones had a controversial decision against Tarver in a Undisputed World Light-heavyweight title affair.

Then, Jones went back down to Light-heavyweight and didn't want to deal with the Big Boys, the heavyweights for lucrative contract fights. He chose to leave the heavyweights and go back to his division that he was dominant for a long period of time.

The 3 Tarver fights were after Ruiz.

No, it wasn't.

[elmersalsa]

Before Jones went up to fight champion John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz for Ruiz's IBF World Heavyweight Title, Jones had a controversial decision against Tarver in a Undisputed World Light-heavyweight title affair.

Then, Jones went back down to Light-heavyweight and didn't want to deal with the Big Boys, the heavyweights for lucrative contract fights. He chose to leave the heavyweights and go back to his division that he was dominant for a long period of time.

The 3 Tarver fights were after Ruiz.

No, it wasn't.

Yes, it was. I stand corrected.

[NazNaci1]

Some people believe that Antonio Tarver won the first fight against Roy Jones Jr outright. They believe that Tarver was robbed.

Many believe that Tarver was the better fighter and that he won the 3 fights. It was like the great Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton scenario. Many people, (I am one of them), believe that Norton won all 3 fights with Ali. Like Tarver with Super Roy, Norton was hard for Ali to figure out.

Then again, no one questions if Norton was better than Ali. Ali had trouble with counter punchers and Norton's strong punching and skillset would always be tough on Ali.

Tarver had the style to beat RJJ and gave him a tough, close fight in the AM's. He would have always been a tough, awkward opponent for RJJ, but RJJ, in his prime, would have blitzed and blazed past him in a competitive win.

As Gil pointed out, RJJ was on slide by this point, with his reflexes slowing and getting caught more and more often. He was too fast and strong for Toney (albeit, a weight drained Toney) and reduced Hopkins to reluctant plodder. Both men beat him, much later on, which again, is an indicator that RJJ was not the same fighter, by the time the Tarver fights rolled around.

[goose 5]

I re-watched the first fight -Jones' leg speed was gone in comparison to the Woods bout 14 months earlier. I scored it a draw. Tarver wanted this guy bad and I think he's a handful for Jones at any stage of his career.

[Ezzard]

Jones got rumbled for PEDs and had to be careful. His lawyers had got him off the hook multiple times and the net was closing in.

[Flump]

RJJ was clearly on the slide by the time the Tarver fights happened. And the weight loss following Ruiz robbed him of his punch resistance, such as it was. Tarver got him at the right time.

[Noxy]

I also think a factor in this trilogy was that Tarver wasn't scared of Jones. They'd known each other as kids and I think Tarver had a decision win over him in the amateurs. Jones had an awesome reputation going into the first Tarver fight and that would have given him an edge over most opponents (but not Tarver).
It's like when Montell Griffin beat Toney. He said Toney was trying to intimidate him before the fight and Griffin just found it kind of strange (but not intimdating) as they had known each other before.

[margaret thatcher]

roy beat tarver when they fought in the ams. tarver was certainly up for the fights though and wasnt scared of roy, that helped him

[Ezzard]

Jones was junk. Bad for the sport.

[margaret thatcher]

Jones was junk. Bad for the sport.

fury used peds too and you cheer for him. or do you dislike jones for other reasons?

[Ezzard]

Fury's failed test was brought out into the open. He was forced to face what he did even if he sort of wriggled off the hook.

Jones got away with it. His career was putrid for a guy who was supposed to be p4p.

[elmersalsa]

Would Roy Jones Jr beaten Antonio Tarver before his big fight with John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz?

[margaret thatcher]

yes, and he still beat him after

[Ezzard]

Depends on whether Jones had his army of lawyers or not. Tarver sparked him. Weight loss excuses just more smoke...

[elmersalsa]

Depends on whether Jones had his army of lawyers or not. Tarver sparked him. Weight loss excuses just more smoke...

Good observation. Antonio Tarver looked like if he was all wrong for the great Roy Jones Jr for some reason.

Tarver was THE ONLY FIGHTER in Super Roy's career, that I can recall, that gave him lots of problems whether were technically or physically.

Can we rate Tarver in the top 20 Light-heavyweight boxers? I want to see your views.

[Flump]

Depends on whether Jones had his army of lawyers or not. Tarver sparked him. Weight loss excuses just more smoke...

Good observation. Antonio Tarver looked like if he was all wrong for the great Roy Jones Jr for some reason.

Tarver was THE ONLY FIGHTER in Super Roy's career, that I can recall, that gave him lots of problems whether were technically or physically.

Can we rate Tarver in the top 20 Light-heavyweight boxers? I want to see your views.

I'd have to think about that one. While losses to Harding, Johnson (both avenged) a 42yo Hopkins and the two Dawson defeats aren't exactly embarrassing, do his biggest wins offset those? Possibly.

[gilgamesh]

Depends on whether Jones had his army of lawyers or not. Tarver sparked him. Weight loss excuses just more smoke...

Good observation. Antonio Tarver looked like if he was all wrong for the great Roy Jones Jr for some reason.

Tarver was THE ONLY FIGHTER in Super Roy's career, that I can recall, that gave him lots of problems whether were technically or physically.

Can we rate Tarver in the top 20 Light-heavyweight boxers? I want to see your views.

Top 20 maybe, I don't know if I've ever tried to compile a list of Light Heavyweights that deep, but I doubt he'd be Top 10. He certainly wouldn't be Top 5.

Even in my own time as a fan though. I feel like Tarver would not be one of the 5 best Light Heavy's I've ever seen.

[elmersalsa]

I don't think that Antonio Tarver is nowhere in the top 20 all time Light-heavyweight rankings. He is probably top 25. He is right there in the top 30.

The Light-heavyweight division is very deep. Lots of great boxers competed at 175lbs.

While in the other hand, I think that Tarver probably psychologically intimidated Roy Jones, Jr in some capacity. I don't think that Super Roy was comfortable with Tarver inside and outside the ring.

Like in fight #2 when Tarver asked Roy the question: "If I beat you tonight, what excuse you are going to say, Roy?" Something like that he said.

[goose 5]

Agreed. Jones was psyched out by Tarver and humiliated during the ref's instructions prior to the second Tarver bout.