Could Chuvalo Do As Well V Jeffries As Sharkey

One explanation for Fitz's vastly improved performance in the second fight could be that he seriously underated Jeffries in their first fight.

It's a matter of record that he was drunk the night before the fight and William Muldoon half carried him home in the early hours,not exactly ideal preparation for a fight.

 

Up until last year I always put Jeffries as the best of the heavyweights before Johnson,since I have learned more about Fitz, he now holds that distinction.

 

Jeffries received a lot of unfair criticism after the Armstrong fight, the ridiculous idea of having him fight two experienced heavyweights such as O Donnell and Armstrong on the same night was a non starter from the word go .His stock took a nose dive , but indirectly it might have got him his title shot,as Fitz saw him as just a big crude lummox.

 

Fitz said he would not give Corbett a rematch because of Corbett's behaviour before their fight, no doubt the fact that he was comprehensively outboxed early in their fight helped make up his mind too.

For what it's worth Fitz got the nod from Johnson as the best of his time.
The success both Corbett and Fitz had against Jeffries makes me put him lower than I once did.

I don't have an area of expertise ,I just muddle along.

 

My problem with Jeffries defences is that he delayed so long before giving rematches to those who had given him his best fights as champion. Both Fitz ,and Corbett had to wait three years for their second chances. Fitz lost his title in his first defence, Corbett in his second ,so the fact that they did not have many defences is not entirely their fault. Jeffries defended his title 6 times in 4 years.Two of those defences were mismatches.
Still the best up till then'



Burns had a very solid 11 defences over variable opposition in 2 years! Johnson 9 in just over 6 years.

 

It is true ,otherwise I would not have mentioned it, but this time you are either going to have to take my word for it or trawl for the info yourself I've already done that once for you regarding the fight reports.

It isn't proffered as an excuse just possibly an explanation for the marked difference and amount of success in his two performances against Jeffries.

In the first fight Fitz was three years younger, fighting a raw challenger he was clearly defeated, the outcome not really being in doubt at any time once they got to close quarters.

The second fight saw Fitz three years older at nearly 40 facing an incumbent champion with the confidence that being champion brings ,a champ who had 6 more fights under his belt including 4 successful title defences for a total of another 60 rds of ring experience.


Yet Fitz was emphatically more successful in the second fight?
As I said it isn't an excuse and doesnt reflect badly or detract from Jeffries , but is it possibly an explanation.

This seems perfectly possible to me , but then maybe I just want to beat Jeffries with that stick some more eh?atsch