Despite feeling like he was in control from round three onwards, Roy Jones Jr encountered his toughest opponent in a fight that he won convincingly on points.
The pound-for-pound legend remained unbeaten until 1997, when he was disqualified for striking Montell Griffin after the light-heavyweight took a knee in round nine.
Jones then scored a first-round finish in their immediate rematch, winning his next 14 fights before suffering a second-round stoppage defeat to Antonio Tarver.
The American had just dropped down from heavyweight and won their first encounter by majority decision, only for their rematch to end far more emphatically.
From there, Jones was never quite the same fighter but, prior to that, many felt he was practically unbeatable while campaigning between 160 and 175lbs.
Perhaps most significant was his unanimous decision victory over James Toney in 1994, when Jones claimed the IBF super-middleweight title after dethroning Bernard Hopkins for the 160lb equivalent the previous year.
But despite scoring a third-round knockdown and winning comprehensively on points, Jones has told All The Smoke Boxing that Toney was likely the best opponent he faced.
“From the third round, I kind of felt like I could do whatever I wanted to do, because I felt like I was in control.
“But make no mistake about it – James Toney is probably the best fighter I’ve been in the ring with. Even when you’re in control, you’re not fully in control because James is that good.”
Like Jones, Toney retired as an all-time great and was swiftly inducted into the Hall of Fame, albeit after remaining in the sport for far too long.
