He ain’t lying

[Old Cat]

People call him gifted and they almost use it as a pejorative, this revisionist thought denies the subtlety of what he did between those ropes.

Example: His traps were straight up sublime. They were some of the most creative ever to be plied in the ring, they made smart men gun shy and rendered the dull unconscious.

Years ago did a run down on the Hopkins fight w a few guys on NOBS, dude made Bernard think so much he couldn’t act. Shoot, Mike McCallum, the cerebral fighter of cerebral fighters, called Roy the smartest man he ever fought, He said Roy was steps ahead of him though out their fight, ridiculously high praise. Fast alone doesn’t yield this.

Yes, he was physically gifted, one would have to be blind not see his hand and foot speed. But more importantly, one would also have to have a sophomoric understanding of the sport not see his equivalent gifts, his mind and the effort it required to sharpen the tools he used to remain undefeated for the 16years, the run from the 154lb weight class all the way up to heavyweight, were strongly in play. Physical attributes alone don’t produce those kind of results. He was soooo much more than an athletic freak. I can understand why he would be annoyed w the language.

 

[Mr2urbo]

You could be right, the saying about Roy was he could have succeeded in any sport, maybe he could have, hard to imagine him being as dominant in basketball or football as he was in the sweet science

 

[WklySportsMemes]

You could be right, the saying about Roy was he could have succeeded in any sport, maybe he could have, hard to imagine him being as dominant in basketball or football as he was in the sweet science

I've seen his basketball highlights...He was not a NBA player or prospect.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

I've seen his basketball highlights...He was not a NBA player or prospect.

That's true. He's still arguably the finest athlete in boxing history though. I think Roy's athleticism may've been largely sport specific. The most versatile athletes have proved to be true high level multi-sport athletes - Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, and Jim Thorpe just to name a few. It's still hard to wrap my head around what Thorpe managed to accomplish in his time.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

I've seen his basketball highlights...He was not a NBA player or prospect.

i mean, he’s 5’10 on a tall day lol

 

[WklySportsMemes]

That's true. He's still arguably the finest athlete in boxing history though. I think Roy's athleticism may've been largely sport specific. The most versatile athletes have proved to be true high level multi-sport athletes - Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, and Jim Thorpe just to name a few. It's still hard to wrap my head around what Thorpe managed to accomplish in his time.

Jim Brown, Lebron could of been a NFL Wide Receiver by ALL accounts. The Patriots center that was a National champion wrestler that beat Brock but became an all time NFL great.....
I think size matters in multi sports at the highest levels.

Roy had freak speed, reflexes, and athleticism. But never had the size. Strange how when his went....it went.

 

[Old Cat]

That's true. He's still arguably the finest athlete in boxing history though. I think Roy's athleticism may've been largely sport specific. The most versatile athletes have proved to be true high level multi-sport athletes - Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, and Jim Thorpe just to name a few. It's still hard to wrap my head around what Thorpe managed to accomplish in his time.

You could be right, the saying about Roy was he could have succeeded in any sport, maybe he could have, hard to imagine him being as dominant in basketball or football as he was in the sweet science

I’m not sure how that stuff works. And truth be told I know nothing of basketball or football. I do however have a feel for boxing. The guy was unparalleled in certain areas, namely his traps, and those have little to do with ones physical prowess. Now granted, his “mature traps” worked off his unique physical gifts, but fundamentally they are a cognitive function.

 

[bjl12]

People call him gifted and they almost use it as a pejorative, this revisionist thought denies the subtlety of what he did between those ropes.

Example: His traps were straight up sublime. They were some of the most creative ever to be plied in the ring, they made smart men gun shy and rendered the dull unconscious.

Years ago did a run down on the Hopkins fight w a few guys on NOBS, dude made Bernard think so much he couldn’t act. Shoot, the cerebral fighter of cerebral fighters, Mike McCallum, called Roy the smartest man he ever fought, He said Roy was steps ahead of him though out their fight, ridiculously high praise. Fast alone doesn’t yield this.

Yes, he was physically gifted, one would have to be blind not see his hand and foot speed. But more importantly, one would also have to have a sophomoric understanding of the sport not see his equivalent gifts, his mind and effort it took to sharpen the tools he used to remain undefeated for the 16years he went from the 154 weight class all the way up to heavyweight, were strongly in play. Physical attributes alone don’t produce those kind of results. He was soooo much more than an athletic freak. I can understand why he would be annoyed w the language.

Disagree completely. I am not a professional boxer but Roys style aged poorly because it relied so much on physical abilities. It is almost always the case that technical fighters and tacticians have longer careers than physically gifted fighters. If RJJ was so smart why did he crash so suddenly ? Why didnt he achieve significant success beyond 34-35 years ?

RJJ is also a proven steroid cheat and was linked to BALCO back in the early 2000s.

Hard pass on this glamourization of cheats

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

I’m not sure how that stuff works. And truth be told I know nothing of basketball or football. I do however have a feel for boxing. The guy was unparalleled in certain areas, namely his traps, and those have little to do with ones physical prowess. Now granted, his “mature traps” worked off his unique physical gift , but fundamentally they are a cognitive function.

I agree. Roy's IQ is very underrated. This is the best film study on it out there.

 

[Old Cat]

Disagree completely. I am not a professional boxer but Roys style aged poorly because it relied so much on physical abilities. It is almost always the case that technical fighters and tacticians have longer careers than physically gifted fighters. If RJJ was so smart why did he crash so suddenly ? Why didnt he achieve significant success beyond 34-35 years ?

RJJ is also a proven steroid cheat and was linked to BALCO back in the early 2000s.

Hard pass on this glamourization of cheats

Riddle me this, historically speaking how many greats lasted past 32?

 

[Old Cat]

I agree. Roy's IQ is very underrated. This is the best film study on it out there.

Not a bad video. Edit. I’m gonna subscribe to the channel.

Dude was a freak but not simply a physical freak

 

[Old Cat]

Haha

 

[mozfonky]

I wouldn't doubt he worked harder than just about everyone else, or at the very least was consistently in top condition for every fight. That is very rare for any fighter. Roy never had a fight where he said, "oh, i wasn't in shape for that, let me train this time and see", which almost all great fighters have some where they can say that for.

I said it before but at his original weights he was as deadly as anyone ever in the sport, coupled with insane speed.

His decline? Often blamed on loss of reflexes, I'm not sure what to make of his entire career, never did see anyone fall apart that way after such a long time. I really don't think he even understood at the time, I'd like to see him speak on that and the PED allegations some day. The case that he just relied on his gifts isn't true, I mean, people say it like he didn't know a thing about the sport, a guy who had a pro father looming over him for years on end doesn't know anything about the sport?

I really think he just lost his legs and couldn't get around anymore, not just the spring but also pain, apparently, he couldn't do roadwork at the end of his career because his knees were shot.

Any case, I'm glad to see him get some props and I still think he is the best fighter post 80's.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

Haha

LOL!

 

[randomg1t]

He's still arguably the finest athlete in boxing history though.

jones' speed and power were otherworldly. we often talk about how incredible some boxers were, but he truly was ridiculous.

i mean, this isn't sped up.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

jones' speed and power were otherworldly. we often talk about how incredible some boxers were, but he truly was ridiculous.

i mean, this isn't sped up.

While it's debatable I view Roy and a prime Iron Mike as the two best athletes in boxing history. As far as explosiveness is concerned. It gets no better than those two. They were genuinely freak athletes in the ring. Would they have been able to excel in other sports at a high level? I don't know. Roy played basketball but not at a high level (the highest level obviously being the NBA followed by the EuroLeague).

 

[randomg1t]

While it's debatable I view Roy and a prime Iron Mike as the two best athletes in boxing history. As far as explosiveness is concerned. It gets no better than those two. They were genuinely freak athletes in the ring. Would they have been able to excel in other sports at a high level? I don't know. Roy played basketball but not at a high level (the highest level obviously being the NBA followed by the EuroLeague).

people often do this when athleticism is discussed, wondering how an athlete could perform in a different sport. i think it's unfair.

mike not being able to dunk doesn't somehow diminish what an absolute animal he was when he boxed.

how many people in history have managed to become the absolute best in two completely unrelated sports?

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

people often do this when athleticism is discussed, wondering how an athlete could perform in a different sport. i think it's unfair.

mike not being able to dunk doesn't somehow diminish what an absolute animal he was when he boxed.

how many people in history have managed to become the absolute best in two completely unrelated sports?

That's true but at the same time it tells you how versatile they are as an athlete. There've been some dominant multi-sport athletes. I just named a few of the very best earlier. Deion Sanders, for instance, was the first multi-sport athlete ever to play in both the World Series in the MLB and the Super Bowl in the NFL. Bo Jackson and Jim Thorpe were also incredibly versatile athletes that were successful at the highest level in other sports.

Roy's athleticism may be more sport specific is all I'm saying. Michael Jordan was super athletic but he wasn't anywhere near that level as a baseball player. Having attributes tailored more to a single sport doesn't necessarily make them lesser athletes. In some cases it can make them even greater. Tom Brady wouldn't have been a multi-sport athlete but he's arguably the greatest NFL player of all time. He still makes for one of the greatest single sport athletes ever.

 

[randomg1t]

That's true but at the same time it tells you how versatile they are as an athlete. There've been some dominant multi-sport athletes. I just named a few of the very best earlier. Deion Sanders, for instance, was the first multi-sport athlete ever to play in both the World Series in the MLB and the Super Bowl in the NFL. Bo Jackson and Jim Thorpe were also incredibly versatile athletes that were successful at the highest level in other sports.

Roy's athleticism may be more sport specific is all I'm saying. Michael Jordan was super athletic but he wasn't anywhere near that level as a baseball player. Having attributes tailored more to a single sport doesn't necessarily make them lesser athletes. In some cases it can make them even greater. Tom Brady wouldn't have been a multi-sport athlete but he's arguably the greatest NFL player of all time. He still makes for one of the greatest single sport athletes ever.

exactly.

i personally consider aleksandr karelin to be the greatest athlete ever. he probably would've been good at lots of sports, but to dominate the way he did greco-roman? no way. still, the man went undefeated for 13 years, with the final 6 not having a single point scored against him - in a contact sport at the highest level of international competition. he had 889 matches and lost 2. everyone has a bad day or just makes a mistake eventually. everyone. not this son of a bitch.

 

[StonedLemur]

That's true. He's still arguably the finest athlete in boxing history though. I think Roy's athleticism may've been largely sport specific. The most versatile athletes have proved to be true high level multi-sport athletes - Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, and Jim Thorpe just to name a few. It's still hard to wrap my head around what Thorpe managed to accomplish in his time.

Thorpe is not appreciated enough sir.
A warrior on and off the field.