How would Jeffries fare. It took Johson 15 rounds to TKO a Jeffries that had to lose 100 pounds and hadn't boxed for 6 years in 110° Fahrenheit.
Jeffries and Johnson couldn't agree on the same question. Johnson said he could not have beaten Jeff in his prime. Jeffries said he could never have beaten Johnson.
Fleischer knew both fighters personally and watched JJ from ringside. He thought Johnson would beat Jeff prime vs prime. Also there is no doubt that during the reign of JJ he was considered head and shoulders the superior of Jennette, McVey, Langford etc.
All the noobs are so obsessed with weight. Boxing history is jammed full of huge fighters being absolutely destroyed by smaller faster more highly skilled fighters. Wlad went down in sections, crazy bad chin/low durability KOs by fighters like Brewster and Purity.
If I have learned anything from the Classicist Jihad it is that weight classes are a false construction of oppression put upon smaller fighters to protect larger fighters. Carry on, comrade.
Tough call. Johnson had a good style for Jeffries, with his defense, control of distances, strength tieing up inside and uppercuts. On the other hand, I've read (Moyle) an observer who thought Johnson was a bit tired inthe latter stages of 15 dominating rounds against Langford, and he seemed to be a bit tired in the last few rounds of his fight with Hart. Would you expect Johnson to be less tired against Jeffries? Then again, Johnson fought so many 20 rounders against good opponents you can hardly call hiss stamina a weak spot. I'd go Johnson in 15 or less, toss-up at 20, Jeffries in 25 or over.
Johnson was just a skill level above, Jeffries knew it, it took 15 rounds but Johnson was toying with his man 1910 for the Jeffries fight, according to himself
Ok, but were those huge fighters any good? I don't think that anyone says you can win with size alone. There are good big fighters and mediocre big fighters.