What of Jeffries now?

He may not have been more racist than a lot of his contemporaries, but this thread is about why people don't regard him highly anymore. Thanks to the Johnson situation, Jeffries's racist jerk status has been pushed into the foreground more than most other champions.

 

We need to separate the interesting fighter Jeffries from how good he really was when compared with others.
The guy did have a very limited career as a boxer with few fights and the guys he beat well no one can say that they would bet on Jim Corbett against any other champion.
Anyway, as a person he is a interesting case to learn more about even though not as interesting as someone like Jack Johnson.

 

You have a lot to learn here!

 

:good

 

I was just messing lol. Obviously comparing Jeffries winning the title off of Fitszimmons to Spinks taking the title of Ali is ridiculous, as Ali went on to greater things after his episodes with Spinks. Muhammad lasted 10 rounds against a prime Holmes. That's 7 rounds more than Leon the great lasted a year later!

 

Please tell me that you don't think that Spinks beating Ali is a better accomplishment than Jeffries beating Fitzsimmons!

 

I have read that Jim Jeffries showed very little interest in boxing after he retired in 1910. Yet he refereed quite a number of bouts, managed some fighters, attended boxing shows and had a barn (the famous Jeffries Barn) which was the venue of numerous amateur boxing shows. Moreover, Jeffries was in the news on a fairly regular basis in connection with boxing during the rest of his life.

- Chuck Johnston

 

of course not

 

Mendoza says: Two main reasons.

1. Lack of clear film in his prime. Guys look best on film when they win. 95% of boxing fans have only seen clips ( Not rounds ) of Jeffries as an older / inactive fighter from his 1910 comeback fight with Johnson. To parallel, what if the only film on Ali was his outing vs. Holmes? Or What if the only film of Louis vs. Marciano? For those who watch the films ( I have several rounds ) they are close until the end.

2. Jeffries himself wasn’t a media friendly type of guy

However if the fighter’s testimonials of the time mean anything Corbett, Johnson, Langford, Burns and Dempsey said he was the greatest. Jeffries was a big man with athleticism, speed, power, durability and stamina that would rate high in any era.

Jeffries moved quickly up the ladder, and cleaned out the top three opponents ( Fitzsimmons, Sharkey and Corbett ) in a years time. He scored at least one knock down in all his fights, save the Johnson fight when he was shot.

Head

What rounds do you own? Yes-- it is true. Most of the viewable rounds are close. I have the DVD.

So you're saying Jeffries who had not fought in 6 years, and had to lose 60+ pounds would have been the winner or drew if it was 6 rounds as some of Johnson's title fights were, and would likely draw if it was 10.

Fitz also said Jeffries wasn't a quarter of the fighter he fought.

 

What would you call a man who beat up women, pimped them, and broke laws? I would say a scum bag, not a skunk.

 

those who say he had such a small amount of fights before he won the title...what is the source of that...we know so many fights from the era are unrecorded.

as for being racist..wasnt everyone then ?

 

I personally don't think him being racist should have any bearing on why his ranking declined. I think it should focus on what he did in the ring.

And if him being racist is a factor in his ranking, why was he ranked so high previously? What about Ali calling Frazier a gorilla? Not only calling him one, but going out finding one and taunting him about it?

If that's not racist I don't know what is?

Personally I just think his ring accomplishments have been overstated and now people are realizing it.

Boxers are product of their times, as we all are, and while I don't completely understand why anyone would be racist, it was certainly common then and by all accounts is still quite common and if boxer A was opposed to the colour line, and boxer B wasn't, that might make boxer A a better person, but it doesn't necessarily make him a better boxer.