Roy Jones vs Jess Willard

I see that the comparison doesn't sit comfortably with you, but there are certain stylistic similarities that cannot be overlooked.

Call him a poor mans Vitally Klitschko if you want, but he was doing much the same thing, and it was working for much the same reasons.

 

So size really is nothing?

You can be the size of Vitally Klitschko, with dynamite power, and a granite chin, and unquestionably world class, but it could be overcome by much smaller fighter with good speed/technique?

It is not a fatal problem in this fight, if you are a former middleweight, with a weak chin, who never fought beyond twelve rounds.

Honestly, this is on a par with me picking Jack Dillon over Vitally Klitschko!

 

Lets not forget that he went on to make the LHW limit.

 

You have half a point here.

The Rodel fight came immediately after Willard had killed Bull Young, and Willard seems to have been unable to let his hands go. Rodels manager seems to have spread rumours that Rodel had a weak heart, in order to exploit willards fear of killing another opponent. When Willard found out about this he was furious, and punished Rodel in the rematch.

In the McMahon fight, Willard was a late replacement for Battling Levinsky, and he does not seem to have been in good condition. He refused to disclose his weight.

At the time of the Smith fight, he had only been in the professional game for two years, and Smith was a veteran of 40+ fights. You could certainly argue that he was inexperienced.

It also should be noted that these guys all had fairly extensive heavyweight CVs.

 

I don't dispute what you are saying, but he was about 37 at the time.

I don't think that somebody like Tommy Loughran would have been a viable light heavy at that age.

Despite the disaster, it might actually have improved Byrd's legacy, because it put his wins over Tua and Klitschko into perspective.

 

Not necessarily.

A few light heavyweights, were coming into catchweight fights at 185+, prior to the 24 hour weigh in.