Jones, Hopkins and Toney in round robin on this day in 2009.

[BoxBuzz]

Ok here is a topic for the "Boxers of the Past" even though I'm talking about 3 competitors who are currently active. On this day after all the miles I'm of the opinion that Hopkins is by far the current best fighter of these three. I doubt few would disagree. But on a personal level between these guys does that mean if you take weight out of the equation that he beats the other two?

Once upon a time Jones beat both of them. Could he do that today? Would the obesity that Toney experiences be an advantage or disadvantage? Or is he likely to prevail because of his "giant" status?

So if we look at this like the recent Fenech vs Nelson match....except without rules for weight. Who wins today? By default this becomes a HW match since they will be allowed to come in at any weight this wish in my hypothetical here. Would Toney have an advantage simply being rotund? Or would Hopkins being fit be the ultimate winner? Or Jones who arguably at one time had the best skills be able to pull a win off from either of them today?

And just for the sake of argument does changing the weight expectation to Cruiser or LHW change the outcomes? And how. If Toney were forced to get in shape down to LHW would he simply suffer some sort of fatal health event leaving only Jones and Hopkins to carry on?

Jones VS Hopkins

Toney vs Jones

Hopkins vs Toney


Yep it's official...I have too much time on my hands.

[alexpaterson]

At the moment i think despite Toneys size Hopkins would still beat him whereas the RJJ-Hopkins would see RJJ getting beat up badly and Toney would also beat RJJ but in there primes a whole diffrent outcome

[Goodnight, Irene]

You don't gain an advantage from obesity, unless it's a pie-eating contest.

[BoxBuzz]

You don't gain an advantage from obesity, unless it's a pie-eating contest.

I would agree, but for those who see fighting as a HW would favor Toney I wanted them to have other options to imagine. And by the way more skinny people than obese people tend to win pie or other food eating contests. Somewhat of an odd statistic isn't it?

[Goodnight, Irene]

Do they? I would presume the stretching of the stomach lining associated with obesity would widen the gut, giving unhealthy individuals an advantage over their more moderate counter-parts. If more lean people win these contests (perhaps it's just a case of them getting more media coverage, as it is indeed an oddity?), then I don't know how to explain it. Could just be an issue of sheer numbers entering these pageants. If I were obese, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to enter pie-eating contests, adding to my humiliation.

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

I would agree, but for those who see fighting as a HW would favor Toney I wanted them to have other options to imagine. And by the way more skinny people than obese people tend to win pie or other food eating contests. Somewhat of an odd statistic isn't it?

- Not really. Much more room for expansion. I could always out eat the big boys. What's odd is the often very slight stature of participants with tiny 100lb girls sometimes taking the gold.

What in the world has anyone ever seen in Toney other than a few good fights? The guy has been gifted and coddled as a heavyweight and any tiny 100 lb girl with some footwork could work him around the ring like an obese lumbering hippo and do a paint job.

Not sure what the problem is with Roy. His speed is still superior in decline and if his legs were really gone we would see him more wobbled. It was a highlight one off punch by Tarver for the ages that did him in, the kind that almost did young Clay in against Cooper. Then it took a blizzard of nonstop punching by Johnson over several rounds to put him down in a fight he seemed to think all he had to do was to show up, lay back and the win would automatically be conferred on his record.

It's a loss of the warrior swagger, the self belief, that has chained his talent than marked physical decline. When he dropped Joe he backed off in spite of this was a more serious KD than the flash KD Popkins scored.

A match between Popkins and Roy would have to favor Pops, but with his lack of power and low workrate, Roy in theory could lay back easier than he had it the first fight and paint him up again unless they both retreat to ropes opposite each other. Have to be written in the contract that they can only use a designated side of the ropes so they'll have to fight over who gets to lay on the ropes.

At their ages and so many miles, no consistency is possible in these fighters save Toney being a face first plodder looking for a payday. It's gonna be an eyeopener for him as a self promoter when he sees the low ball offers coming in for his services.

[klompton]

Id favor Hopkins to beat Toney and Jones and Id say Toney-Jones would be a pick-em. Not because Im that impressed with Jones but Toney has really slipped badly in the last two years. If Toney didnt knock him out and Jones didnt go into a complete shell like he has done lately when fighting a warm body then Id say it would be close.

[Ezzard]

i agree with Klompton's analysis on this one.