This is the next in my blog series ‘Mythical Matchups’. The bout is between Michael Spinks and Roy Jones. My imaginary bouts all take place at Caesar’s Palace Outdoor Arena in Las Vegas, with the great Mills Lane as the referee.
Michael Spinks was born on July 22, 1956 in St. Louis, Missouri. Michael had a very successful amateur career that culminated with his winning a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Originally wanting to retire from boxing after that, financial pressure forced him to turn professional. He knocked out Eddie Benson in one round on April 17, 1977, then continued to grow as a boxer, and steadily moved up the rankings. He won the WBA Light-Heavyweight title by beating Eddie Mustafa Muhammad on July 18, 1981 in Las Vegas, then defended it successfully until the summer of 1985, when he moved up the heavyweight to challenge Larry Holmes.
Michael had a tremendous right hand he nicknamed ‘The Spink Jinx’, and a great left hook as well. He could also box behind his terrific jab, and was always in perfect condition for his fights. He never left his feet as a light-heavyweight, and never backed down from any challenger.
Roy Jones was born on January 16, 1969 in Pensacola, Florida. He had a storied amateur career, and finished it with a record of 121-13.
As a pro, Roy showed he was special from the start, easily dominating opponents with his amazing speed and power. He easily outpointed Bernard Hopkins on May 23, 1983 to capture his first title. He then added the super-middleweight crown 18 months later by dominating James Toney in Las Vegas. A few years later, he won the light-heavyweight belt to his trophy, and defended successfully for years. He even added the WBA heavyweight championship belt to his collection on March 1, 2003 by decisioning John Ruiz. After defeating Antonio Tarver in November of that same year, he was knocked out in two rounds by Tarver in their rematch, which essentially ended Jones’ career.
Roy had tremendous speed and power as a middleweight and at 168 lbs. as well. At light-heavyweight however, his power wasn’t as potent, as most of his opponents lasted the distance.
In my opinion, Michael Spinks would have been the aggressor in a bout between the two, and figured a way to get to Jones. Michael had superior punching power then Jones did at 175 lbs., and if you look at Roy’s career, he always fought as a ‘scared’ fighter. He never liked to get hit, and his speed allowed him to avoid it for most of his prime. In this case, Michael had the better chin, and would have been the better man. Spinks by unanimous 12 round decision.
It’s a matter of opinion, and what makes this stuff fun. Michael Spinks retired after losing to Mike Tyson in June of 1988, and was inducted into the IBHOF in Canasota, New York in 1994. The problem with Roy Jones is, he stayed way too long, and was knocked out on 5 separate occasions. His legacy is tarnished by his cowardly performances against Glen Johnson, Tarver in their third fight, and in his rematch with Bernard Hopkins. Jones is a prime example of a once great fighter damaging his image, and living off his past laurels.
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