The Roy Jones we saw five years ago just isn't the same Roy Jones that will be facing Antonio Tarver for the third time this Saturday night (9 ET, HBO PPV) at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. That much is certain.
But the question is, which Jones will appear? Will we see the remnants of the moving, feinting, quicksilver Jones, who was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all-time? Or will it be the Jones who fight fans last saw stiff on his back in his last two fights, against Tarver and Glen Johnson?
Those are intriguing questions that three former foes that both Tarver and Jones once faced have been asked.
Since Montell Griffin, Reggie Johnson and Eric Harding faced Jones, the future Hall of Famer from Pensacola, Fla., has moved up to heavyweight, scorched John Ruiz in winning the WBA heavyweight title, then came back down to light heavy where he barely beat Tarver by decision in their first meeting, before his unlikely demise in his last two bouts by knockout.
Griffin was the first fighter to ever beat Jones, though in a controversial manner by ninth-round disqualification in 1997 when Jones hit Griffin while he was down. Jones avenged that loss with a thorough first-round stoppage in the rematch. Griffin later faced Tarver and lost by 12-round decision in 2003.
"I don't think Tarver or Johnson fought the same Roy Jones that I faced," Griffin said.
"That's not meant to take anything away from Tarver and Johnson, but I just think Roy killed himself when he came back down from heavyweight. It's probably one of the dumbest things he's ever done. First of all, when you win a heavyweight championship, at 36, 37 years old and losing 20 pounds of muscle, that killed his body.
Light heavyweight Griffin (47-6-0, 30 KOs) continued: "You hear different things about Roy Jones. I can't really say anything too much about the things you hear, because I don't have proof, but he looked great against John Ruiz and he should have stayed there. You win a heavyweight championship, you lose to a heavyweight, not to a light heavyweight. I respect all of the top fighters, there's not much comparison to Roy Jones at his best and Tarver at his best.
"Roy was probably skeptical about fighting certain heavyweights. Roy let everyone get to his ego and he got knocked out. Anyone can get knocked out. But with Roy getting knocked out two times in a row, that will tarnish his career. I just don't know what Roy Jones has left. He looked good for the first round the second time he faced Tarver, but against Glen Johnson, he looked worse and worse. If Roy don't stop him and knock him out, Tarver will beat him. I just don't know how much Roy Jones has left."
Light heavyweight Johnson (43-7-1, 25 KOs) lost a 12-round decision to Jones in 1999, and three years later lost a split-decision to Tarver.
"Of course, Roy isn't the same since he went to heavyweight and came back down," Johnson said.
"Since Tarver fought me, he's improved a lot; give a lot of credit to his trainer, James "Buddy" McGirt, but if you twist my arm and say I pick someone to win, I'd have to go with Roy. I still think Roy has enough natural ability to outwork Tarver and out speed and outwit him. When Roy was knocked out against Johnson, it didn't look good.
"But if you think about it, Roy wasn't a fighter who took a lot of chances, and even with him being a little tentative this time, anyone would be. That's a natural process. I had Tarver down in the ninth round and you can get into Tarver's head. Roy has the experience and ring generalship and he still has the speed. Any one of these guys could win this fight, and this could be Roy's last fight and I'm sure he doesn't want to go out like that. Roy doesn't want to be remembered as a great fighter who got knocked out in his last two fights. We all want to be redeemed. It's a 50-50 fight, but I'd have to pick Roy Jones, because he has to redeem himself. He has that extra incentive."
Harding handed Tarver his first professional loss in 2000, setting up a title shot at Jones, who stopped Harding in 10 rounds. Harding didn't fare so well the second time he faced Tarver, getting stopped in the fifth round in 2002.
"I think Tarver is going to win," said light heavyweight Harding (22-3-1, 7 KOs).
"This is a different Roy Jones. He's not even close to the same Roy Jones that I fought. The difference in Roy is that he's gun shy. His reflexes aren't the same as they once were. He's gone up and down in weight and it's taken a toll. I heard his father is going to be in his corner, and his father can't give Roy a heart and he can't give Roy a chin. Apparently now, Roy can't take a punch.
"I just don't think Roy wants to fight anymore. His heart isn't into it. Roy got by so much with reflexes before, he can't do it anymore. Plus, I don't think he has the confidence he once had. When you were as good as Roy Jones once was, where everyone says he's as good as Wonder Bread, and you get blasted out twice like that, that has to shake your confidence. If Roy had any confidence about Tarver, he would have taken time off and went right after Tarver after he knocked him out the first time. The feeling from real boxing people, at least the people that I talk to, they all say he's done.
"I respect Tarver a little more than I do Roy. Tarver isn't any better than the Tarver I faced. The Tarver I faced was undefeated and was big on himself. He has learned a lot of lessons and he trains now. Skill-wise, he hasn't changed. He trains now and that's the difference. I see Tarver knocking Roy flat cold in about the third or fourth round. Tarver knows he can knock Roy out. He knows he can do it now."