Roy Jones Jr names the best fighter in boxing after Terence Crawford’s retirement

Roy Jones Jr, in his prime, is regarded as one of the best boxers in history. In the current day, many have named Terence Crawford as their number one fighter. However, following his retirement, the conversation around the best boxer appears to be reignited, and when talking to Fight Hype TV, Roy Jones Jr named the best fighter in boxing today following Crawford’s retirement.

Roy Jones Jr names boxing’s number one fighter

When talking to Fight Hype, Jones neglected to give his opinion on the Crawford vs WBC situation, before being asked to name the best fighter in boxing right now:

“Right now, if Terence (stays) retires, got to be Usyk,” said Jones.

“When asked to repeat, he said: “Usyk. Usyk is the best without a question. If Terence retires, it’s got to be now,” added Jones.

Roy Jones Jr and Oleksandr Usyk

Roy Jones Jr dazzled, winning world titles in four different weight classes. Like Jones, Usyk has ruled in more than one division, becoming an undisputed champion at cruiserweight and twice at heavyweight. 

Jones and Usyk share similar characteristics, with slick footwork, fast combinations, and balletic poise.

Crawford created history in beating Canelo to become a three-division undisputed champion and four-division lineal champion. He has been linked with a rematch against Canelo or a move to middleweight, but “Bud” recently announced his retirement through the release of a video by The Ring Magazine.

This retirement followed Crawford being stripped of his super middleweight title by the WBC due to non-payment of sanctioning fees, resulting in him losing his undisputed status.

When looking at the current best fighters, it was difficult to look past Crawford and his achievements. But now in his retirement, it’s hard to not agree with Jones Jr and pick the mercurial Usyk. Others in the mix are Naoya Inoue and Jesse Bam Rodriguez.