AJ can be dangerous again, says Roy Jones Jr.
The VegasInsider team got to talk to a very famous name in the boxing world, Roy Jones Jr. The former heavyweight champion gave his opinion on what's going on in the boxing world, talking about Anthony Joshua, Chris Eubank Jr. and more.
Anthony Joshua ‘did not get back to me’ about training offer
“We had had a couple of conversations about him coming to Brighton to trial me with, to see if we had any chemistry but we did not get to that stage, he did not come to Brighton. He went to the United States and met with Derrick James first before we had a chance to get together."
"I feel if you have the chemistry and the right connection there's no point in going back and forth, trying out different trainers. I texted him a message as I heard he'd been in America with James and just said maybe it's good to stick with James if there's chemistry as I do not want to make it harder for you to make a decision, going back and forth."
"He did not get back to me but I wish him all the best.”
New coach Derrick James can make AJ ‘dangerous’ again
“Derrick James is a great trainer, he's doing great things with Erol Spence, he's achieving more than people ever thought he would, so I think James will be a great trainer, that's why I told him if the chemistry is good he should stick with it."
"I think James is the right man for the job and can help Joshua with his confidence and his game. The way that Spence fights with the pressure, I think he will be a great teacher for Joshua because he does need to learn how to apply the pressure, he's most dangerous when he applies that pressure. That's why I think it will be the right fit. If I knew he was considering James in the beginning I would have told him straight away James will be a good fit. There's no disappointment on my side, I want him happy not me. If he's found someone to be comfortable with, I'm happy for him."
"As for AJ training in the States and fighting in the UK, it can be done if you're smart about it.”
Describes why Liam Smith is banana skin for Eubank Jr
"For most fighters it would be very difficult adjusting from one fight to another, but he seems to be handling it pretty well. This was the thing I was concerned about most."
"He was getting ready for a guy like Conor Benn in a big family feud type fight. He then had to adjust to Liam Smith where there's no feud but more of a threat. It's almost like a trap. You're now fighting Liam Smith, there's not much hype around Liam but this guy is much better than the other guy who had a lot of hype about him."
"That said, I do agree with Chris that in some ways Conor is a tougher fight than Liam. He's sparred Liam before whereas he has not sparred Benn. Smith and Benn have their own weaponry and he I think fares better with the weaponry of Liam Smith than he does the weaponry of Benn."
Wants to see Benn back in the ring but would prefer Eubank-Golovkin next to 'make a splash'
"I want to see Conor Benn back in the ring, I'm a boxer and I love boxing. I always fight for someone who has made a mistake, I don't want nobody to get ousted, like Muhammad Ali got exiled for years. If he's done bad things, punish him and then lets get back to work."
"If Benn's not available after Smith, I like Gennady Golovkin. But if it is Benn, then I like that fight, but it has dangers to it. A loss to Benn would be a drastic loss. It's a dangerous fight because Benn's coming up in weight and we are not, we're going down."
"But Golovkin would be a better fight because we've got more to prove and more to gain than in the Benn fight. I know Chris has the tools to beat Golovkin. I always prefer fights like Golovkin where people think we can't win, the 50-50 fights, those are the fights where you make a splash."
Top 5 P4P boxers of all time
"My top five is always Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Salvador Sanchez, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran."
"Ali sits on top of that list, he had everything. Offensively he had everything, defensively he was the best, you could not hit him. He could knock you out with either hand."
Reveals fighter he'd love to challenge himself against in current era
"If I could pit my skills against anyone in this current era it would be Artur Beterbiev because of his power, he's such a strong puncher and I'd love that challenge to face him."
"I think he has the advantage against Anthony Yarde, but Yarde has sparred him before so he knows him. If Yarde is willing to fight him after sparring with him that says a lot about Yarde."
Implores Usyk to find someone to teach him explosive punching
"Usyk can beat Fury if he makes changes. He has a chance of winning but he needs to make changes."
"If it's the same Usyk we've seen so far I can't see him hurting or getting to Tyson. But he can make it a difficult fight if the changes are made. He needs explosive punches and someone that can teach him that."
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Photo by Johann Walter Bantz
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