Is Roy Jones Jr. the Most Athletic Boxer Ever?
Being athletically gifted doesn’t necessarily mean that someone will turn into a great boxer. There’s a lot more to boxing than just having physical gifts. There have been many boxers who have looked like they should be able to dominate their opponents but can’t get it done inside the ring. Some fighters have trouble with the technique and skills needed to be a top fighter. Other boxers simply don’t like getting hit.
It’s also true that some boxers have risen to a world championship level despite being less than perfect athletes. Anyone who remembers Joe Frazier’s performance on the American television series “The Superstars” – including bombing out of weightlifting and almost drowning in the pool – can attest to this fact. However, it certainly helps if a boxer also happens to be an excellent athlete. A person who can combine raw athletic ability with the technique, determination and desire to fight will have a better chance of reaching the highest levels of the sport.
When boxing experts talk about the most athletic boxers in recent history, there is one name that is almost always mentioned – Roy Jones Jr. His boxing ability has led him to a sure Hall of Fame career as he has held world titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. Much of his success has come from his unbelievable athletic ability.
One of his favourite hobbies has been basketball, which is something that he has pursued in more than just a casual level. While many boxers enjoy playing in pick-up games with friends, Jones Jr. has pursued basketball on a more serious level. In the summer of 1996, Jones Jr. played professional basketball with his hometown Jacksonville Barracudas of the United States Basketball League. In fact, he even played in a basketball game in the morning before defeating a challenger in the evening – one of the more amazing feats of physical endurance in recent sports history.
Jones Jr. has said that his basketball playing is more about enjoying the sport and wanting to play. According to him, basketball has greatly helped his fitness and stamina over the years. There’s likely something to that. Basketball is one of the most strenuous cardiovascular activities that a person can do. It’s just the sort of exercise that can help a boxer to remain strong later in the fight. It’s also likely helped Jones Jr. continue fighting later in the career.
However, Jones Jr. might not be the most athletic boxer of all time. Another strong candidate for this honour is Ken Norton. In the 1970s, Norton won the heavyweight championship and is one of the few people to defeat Muhammad Ali. However, Norton didn’t start boxing until he joined the Marines as a young adult as his focus as a youth and high school athlete was on other sports.
Norton was an incredible track and field athlete at Jacksonville High School in Illinois. In fact, he once was entered in eight separate events in one track competition: he won five of them and placed second in the other three. This led the state high school athletic commission to institute the so-called “Ken Norton Rule” limiting a track athlete to three events in one competition. Norton was also a football standout who attended college on a football scholarship. The athletic genes ran through the family: his son Ken Norton Jr. was a star NFL linebacker and the first player to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
A young prospect might have a claim to the title of the most athletic boxer in the sport today. Seth Mitchell is a promising cruiserweight who currently has a record of 17-0 with 11 KOs. He’s also a former All-American linebacker whose took up boxing after his playing career at Michigan State ended prematurely due to knee injuries.
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