Manny Pacquiao thinks Roy Jones Jr. could have knocked out Floyd Mayweather in his prime. The Filipino boxing legend shared this opinion during a recent interview with ES News.
Pacquiao told the interviewer:
"You agree with me? Roy Jones is Roy Jones. In his prime, man, fast, footwork, strong. You see Roy Jones in his prime? [A knockout?] I think so."
Roy Jones Jr. made a name for himself as a four-division world champion. He rose to prominence in the 1990s and got considered one of the best fighters on the planet during his peak years. Jones Jr. racked up notable victories against Mike McCallum, James Toney, and Bernard Hopkins.
His most memorable win came in 2003 when he moved up to heavyweight. Jones Jr. outpointed John Ruiz over 12 rounds at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas to claim the WBA world heavyweight champion title.
Pacquiao's statement comes years after his own fight with Mayweather. The two squared off in May 2015 for what got billed as the 'Fight of The Century'. Mayweather won by unanimous decision, unifying the WBC, WBA, and WBO world welterweight titles at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Many fans and critics argued the fight happened later than it should have. The 12-round contest turned out to be an underwhelming affair, failing to live up to the massive hype surrounding it.
Mayweather retired from professional boxing in 2017, shortly after defeating MMA star Conor McGregor in a crossover showdown. He left the sport with an unblemished record, never tasting defeat in his professional career.
While we'll never know if Roy Jones Jr. could have knocked out a prime Mayweather, Pacquiao's opinion adds an interesting perspective to the ongoing debates about boxing's greatest fighters.
