BoxRec

Hadn't heard that one before but Eubank said it at the end of last year.

"I laugh. He wouldn't fight Chris Eubank and he wouldn't Michael Nunn. You had two boxers capable of matching him, but there was a complete lockdown.

"Jones didn't get the acceptance of the public because he didn't push boundaries and had never been pushed to his boundaries.

"It didn't matter whether he won or lost in his challenge for the world heavyweight title, as long as he didn't quit, because he'd have finally pushed the boundaries and got the publics acceptance."

He also didn't know where Jones ranked on the all-time scale, saying: "I am hesitant over placing Jones in the pantheon of greats, because I don't know my boxing history well enough."


He said Tyson was his boxing hero, because: "When Mike won the world heavyweight title, I said to myself: 'I've been everywhere he's been. He's a man and he did it. I'm a man so why can't I do it?' He set standards for the rest of us to aspire to."


His favourite boxers to watch when he was a youngster: "Thomas Hearns. Pernell Whitaker. That's about it. Pernell was poetry on the way up. I admired greatly the jab of Thomas Hearns, my jab wasn't like his though because we had different body structures."


He expected Hearns to out-last Tyson because: "Tyson's face was 10 inches closer, in accordance with stylistic technique. He was all youth and reflexes, all ferocity.

"Actually to win the world heavyweight title again 10 years later was something really great, and he showed that he really was a great fighter in the Lennox Lewis fight by fighting to the death and allowing Lennox a clean kill."


He also said that he "absorbed" the world's hardest pound-for-pound punches and Nigel Benn had a great chin!


The best quote of all from that interview (in reference to Oscar): "The pain will go away. But giving up will stay with you for the rest of your life."

When Roy was interviewed in BN years ago I thought he said Eubank would have given him the most trouble? That's it.

Its in the may 93 BN.. RJJ said Eubank is the only one he saw who would give him real problems.. Eubank in the next issue said what he says to RJJ is beat Henry Wharton in britain.. ( Wharton was WBC/WBO no.1.).. But after seein what RJJ did to Malinga Eubank didnt ever really mention him again..? at 175 Roy plainly ducked Nunn when Nunn was WBC no.1. and larry merchant wouldnt mention Nunns name (or Eubanks if Chris was calling for it), just like Collins ducked Joe..

I couldnt work out how Nunn wouldnt give him problems..! Tall southpaw slicker than himself.. At the time tho i probably thought he was mad thinking Toney wouldnt give him probs.. .. .. And i prob underrated him thinking he didnt look great against that average challenger.. that average challenger being..Bernard Hopkins..

Did Eubanks really say that? Eubanks turned Jones down when Jones was an up and comer and turned down the chance of being a challenger in '98 and never wanted a piece of Jones

Nunn would have been a nightmare for Jones, styles make fights and Nunn’s style was all wrong for Roy.

I remember when a peak Jones had major problems with a one armed Eric Harding, Harding was a good clever fighter but Nunn was superior in all areas, I reckon Nunn either beats Jones or loses a very close decision to him in a stinker.

As for Eubank I think Chris would given Jones problems, but Chris didn’t have great footwork and my gut tells me that he would have suffered one or two flash knockdowns or route to losing a decision.

HBO offered Eubank 5mill US dollar to face RJJ at the MEN arena in 2000, but if they kept all the receipts on ppv and gate this side..

Here- http://groups.google.co.uk/group/rec.sp ... n&ie=UTF-8

Chris turned that down..

But when he announced his comeback on his 30th birthday , he said he wanted J.Toney and RJJ at outdoor stadiums in Dubai.. http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/britnews.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMLTccf8_d4#
7:00-7:30 ( 7:21)

Interesting. Rocchigiani would of caused Jones problems with his guard. Rocky had a counter left hook to the body that would have been perfect against the reflex right hand of Jones, and a counter overhand right (from southpaw stance) that would of been perfect for the reflex left hook of Jones. Jones would have to throw rights to the body from out of range, and left uppercuts from out of range followed by lefts to the body, and keep changing direction/moving/feinting, and use the overhand left hook he used against Hall a few times. Rockys defence, stance, strenght and smarts would be difficult for him, and he was not going near Germany.

Eubank has said many times he could never have beaten Jones and had no interest in fighting him.

Eubank told me at a boxing dinner that he became no. 1 in Britain and Herrol Graham said he would not fight him, he became no. 1 with the W.B.A and Mike McCallum said he would not fight him and when he lost to Collins Roy Jones Junior said he would not fight him

I asked him about the sparring story of kayoing Herrol and he said he Herrol outboxed him for a round, then Chris knocked him down with a right hand, Herrol outboxed him for a round and a half and Chris put him down again with a right, then Herrol outboxed him for a further 3 rounds

"You couldnt hit Herrol he was a boxing genius, but you couldnt see my right hand"


Parksy