Roy Jones v Mike Tyson

[fightfan]

When Roy Jones won the heavyweight title could he have beaten Mike Tyson at the time?

[McBride]

No, at anytime Tyson lands Jones is out cold. Even then Tyson was not a slug paced plodder like Ruiz.

[WelshDevilRob]

No, Tyson moved alot quicker than John ruiz and with alot more purpose. Tyson would probably walk through Roy in a similar way he did to Michael Spinks.

 

I rate Roy Jones Jnr very highly but he had no chance against the likes of Mike Tyson.

[Dallen]

Tyson would easily beat Roy Jones a missmatch in my opinion

[The Galveston Giant]

Yeah even though Tyson wasn't big as a heavyweight he would destroy Roy Jones, John Ruiz is a totally different fight and he done the right thing dropping back down although that was the beginning of the end.

[Crusader]

Tyson is not Ruiz, he's destroyed RJJ in max 4 rounds...

[smokin]

no tyson would ko jones

[irondave85]

He did say "at the time" though, not "in his prime." Tyson was only a four round fighter then, who's heart wasn't really in it and eventually lost to the likes of Danny Williams and Kevin McBride; two men who were much bigger than Jones, but also infinitely inferior, talent wise. And the Jones that fought Ruiz wasn't the sitting duck he was when he dropped back down to light-heavyweight. He was still Roy.

 

Anything could have happened in this one. Tyson mows Jones down in a matter of minutes, or Jones survives the early storm, starts to frustrate Mike and a gassed out Tyson packs it in after eight rounds. Or maybe Jones gives Tyson a complete boxing lesson for several rounds, then gets cocky like Botha did and leaves himself open for a monster right-hand that finishes it.

 

That fight would have been a HUGE money maker and if I remember correctly, was seriously talked about around mid 2003. Shame it didn't happen. Would have been a genuine event and I imagine would have done monster business on PPV.

[McBride]

With respect Dave. At the time Tyson had come off a severe beating from Lewis ( who could hit, Jones couldn't ) dont forget Lennox was nailing Tyson from the 3rd round onwards, and he took that shit for 5 rounds, and then had a confidence builder with Ettiene.

 

He still had enough purposeful movement to walk straight through Jones and punch him, anywhere between belt and the top of the cranium.

 

Lou Del Velle had put Jones on his arse previous to that. Tyson would have put his bully coat on and just hunted Jones, like a wolf with a chicken.

 

I am no Tyson fan, but the guy took his licks, and still tried to fight back. Jones could NOT possibly keep Tyson off him.

[irondave85]

I am no Tyson fan, but the guy took his licks, and still tried to fight back.

 

I would differ with you slightly on that last point. Tyson took his licks and went out his shield against Lewis, which was commendable. Did he really try to fight back though? I think Tyson - like he did so many times - seemed to go into mental meltdown when he realised his opponent wasn't going to crumble under pressure. Remember when, after I think the sixth round, Ronnie Shields started screaming at Mike to "let your hands go!" Tyson responded simply by saying "I can't."

 

To me, Tyson mentally quit in that fight very early on, but, as you said, he did take his lumps in that one, when he could have retired on his stool. However, Tyson didn't exactly take his licks against Williams and McBride.

 

After the first barrage of punches from Williams, Tyson went down and sat on his arse for the count of ten. Though Tyson was carrying a knee injury from the second round on, I got the impression that he was shocked at Williams' resilience and didn't have the hunger for battle.

 

And of course, against McBride, a gassed out Tyson retired on his stool despite not taking much punishment. Tyson confirmed in the post-fight interview that he just didn't want it anymore.

 

So all things considered, I wouldn't be so quick to write off a close to peak Roy Jones against a badly faded version of Tyson. I get were you're coming from about Roy not being able to keep Tyson off him, but let's not forget that Frans Botha managed to do this quite easily for four and a half rounds before stupidly walking onto a Tyson haymaker. If an ordinary fighter like Botha, who wasn't at all a big puncher, could outbox that version of Tyson, then I could certainly envision Jones doing it and more.

 

Like I said, it was a fight where anything could have happened, but I definitely wouldn't have written off Jones' chances.

[Shawerma818]

no way like people above me said tyson was quick

[James McKnight83]

Re: Roy Jones v Mike Tyson

 

Tyson KO's RJJ brutally.