Former pound-for-pound star Roy Jones Jr has overlooked both Bernard Hopkins and James Toney when naming the most skillful opponent of his glittering career.
Jones is widely considered to be one of the greatest fighters of all time, with his elite skills seeing him win multiple world titles in four weight classes throughout the course of his tenure.
He became a force to be reckoned with during the 1990s, defeating the likes of Toney, Hopkins, Mike McCallum, Montell Griffin and Virgil Hill to name just a few, as he established himself as the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the entire sport.
Perhaps the most impressive win of his career came in March 2003 however when he defeated countryman John Ruiz to capture the WBA world heavyweight title at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
In a feature with The Ring Magazine, Jones surprisingly overlooks Hopkins and Toney when revealing his most skillful opponent, instead naming none other than former rival Mike McCallum in a shock admission.
“Probably Mike McCallum, the ‘Body Snatcher’. Even as an older guy, he was very smart – had very high-class boxing skills.”
McCallum and Jones crossed paths on just one occasion during their respective careers, with the latter dominating his countryman over 12 rounds to capture the WBC interim light-heavyweight title back in November of 1996.
Despite this defeat, McCallum held world titles in three divisions during his career, with many crediting the Jamaican great as being one of the best fighters of his entire generation.
