[neil]

Anybody watch the Roy Jones vs. Ruiz fight last night on PPV? Man alive -- great fight. I mean, it was no super-duper slug fest, but man, did Roy Jones dissect Ruiz. I mean, heck, he had Ruiz second guessing himself by the third round.

The predictions in the house ranged from extreme (me) saying Roy would knock him out in the 5th, to the conservative (Jude) saying Roy would win in a decision. But if you watched it -- did you see the 4th round? Ruiz stumbled big-time and what that would have looked like to see Ruiz fall. Holy moley.

Great fight, nonetheless, and of course, people will try to minimize the thunder by saying that Roy didn't face a super-talented heavyweight like a Byrd or Lewis, but for the love of Pete, the man stepped up the challenge.

Congratulations to Roy Jones, Jr.. honestly, the best pound for pound fighter this generation has ever seen. (oh boy, here comes the flame responses from you old timers)

 

[kerelybonto]

I didn't catch the fight -- but wow, that's impressive. Sure, Ruiz isn't Lennox Lewis, but Jones proved that he can fight with the big boys. I really hope he sticks around to fight some of the other heavyweights. ...

kerely

 

[screwdriver]

wow - i knew roy would win that fight .

but now do i hear iron mike and roy slugging it out? .........

 

[Subsonic]

I would love to see one of the Klitcho brother's fight Jone's

 

[jude]

I would like to see Jones fight Byrd. I'd bet on him to win that one, and then he'd have two of the three major heavyweight belts. After completing that, he'd appear more legitimate to even his biggest critics (I'm a big fan of his, and don't see him as overhyped in the least). After Byrd, it'd be great to see him battle Lewis for the whole enchilada, and what would likely be a great deal of money. On that fight, I wouldn't know whom to bet on, but I'd lean slightly in the direction of Jones pulling it off by going the distance and getting a possible decision -- so hard to say given the even greater size differential than in this last fight with Ruiz.

 

[skippy]

i'm huge roy jones fan. there are a lot of roy haters in the boxing community that criticise him, and try to diminish his accomplishment by saying that ruiz was nothing more than a journey man fighter, and his size advantage (33lbs!) wasn't a factor. it's jones' mastery of boxing that made ruiz's size not a factor. while ruiz isn't the true HW champ, he is a top 10 HW... and jones made him look like one of those no hoper light heavyweights he can demolish with his hands behind his back.

he took ruiz's best shots and laughed. he's proven he can take a shot from a heavyweight, and i think he could do well against the smaller heavies, but lewis and the klit brothers are too big, too strong, and too skilled. jones is a smart boxer and a smart promoter, i doubt he'd let himself get into any real trouble. (maybe in a few years when lewis is old and on the verge of becoming washed up we'll see him fight. but i doubt it)

i tip my hat off to roy. in my mind he's right up there with ali and robinson.

 

[daycart1]

Yeah, Jones is great. And he could have easily won that one fight he lost through a stupid mistake.

I didn't see him beat Ruiz, but I was interested to read that at the final weigh in with no cheating he was 199. Maricano was about 185 as champion, Patterson about 190 etc.. So Jones is no longer so small. Though in the old days the biggest guys were smaller too (Compared with Lewis at 240 or Klitschko at whatever...).