Roy Jones Jr. sides with Manny Pacquiao as best in the world
Following recent comments by top fighters claiming that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the best fighter in the world, boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. has stepped in to say otherwise.
Appearing on a recent edition of On The Ropes Boxing Radio, Jones confirmed that he thinks Manny Pacquiao, and not Mayweather, is the rightful heir to the pound-for-pound title.
Pacquiao is listed as the pound-for-pound best in the world according to Ring Magazine. While many in the boxing community agree with the assessment, there are those who refuse to subscribe to the verdict.
Two of the world’s best fighters, Sergio Martinez and Juan Manuel Marquez, recently said Floyd Mayweather is proficient to Pacquiao in the ring due to his excellent defense and untarnished record.
But Jones, citing Pacquiao’s latest win over a much bigger Antonio Margarito, said, “Right now Pacquiao has the [pound-for-pound title] and Floyd’s going to have to take it from Pacquiao.”
Jones, no stranger to boxing’s accolades himself, bore the same title in the mid-90s and early 2000s.
Jones confirmed that he was most impressed by Pacquiao giving up close to 18-pounds against Margarito by fight time, though the difference hardly seemed to matter in the ring.
“Pacquiao is pound for pound the best fighter in the world, and he put on a magnificent performance—magnificent,” Jones said.
“I mean, I gave up 27 pounds and beat [former heavyweight champ] John Ruiz, but I’m a bigger guy, too. For him [Pacquiao] to give up the kind of weight like he did to this kid Margarito and beat him like he did, it was absolutely magnificent.”
Jones, a winner of the prestigious Val Barker trophy at the 1988 Olympic Games, is the only fighter in boxing to begin his career as a junior middleweight (154 pounds) and win the heavyweight championship of the world.
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