Johnson- Jeffries: What am I missing?

I'm not sure they look any more crude and unskilled than Tyson Fury. Lennox Lewis and Vits were pretty basic in their fight, too. So were Ron Lyle and George Foreman.

The oldies don't have a monopoly on scruffy fighting.

 

Credibility, knowledge of the sport, a brain

 

They'd love the first punch of the Foreman fight, too. Show that.

On Fury; I have seen maybe 10 of his fights and I still can't work him out. Sometimes he look ****ing terrible, other times he does something that surprises me(and his opponent).

I think he has an odd talent. He is weirdly effective. He may or may not have given Vlad fits any time in his career. I find him interesting and quite likeable.

 

You're not really missing anything, IMO.

These guys are playing a different game. They're both extremely skilled, but what they're doing isn't exactly "boxing". Their defensive and offensive techniques don't work like modern boxers' do.

It's like tennis and badminton. Superficial similarities, large differences once you take a closer look.

 

Boxers back then used to use the Force. 'Tis a "lost art" I tell ya!

 

Interesting clip, and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.
The film quality from back then, it makes everything look so 'jerky' when moving, it is so hard to get a feel for how well someone actually moves. Similar effect can be had watching reels of people dancing, running, rodeo, etc. the photography is just not up to the task.
That being said, I didn't think that either fighter looked 'bad' at all. They are fighting in the style of the time, which looks like a lot of 1, 1-2 kind of punches, and a lot of physically wrestling in close. That being said, they were at least as active as most of the modern heavies, and they looked in shape (hard to tell from the film). Seems to be a bit more emphasis on parrying, and a lot of feinting. These are not necessarily bad things.
So, considering where they were in history, and development of the sport, I would say they are pretty decent. It is hard to say for a h2h vs modern era. If you are assume a direct travel through time, then yes, they would be over matched by a modern trained heavyweight fighter, also partly due to size disparity, but they might have a few tricks up their sleeves too, and I bet they were hard as nails. They might surprise some people.
I always like to think for h2h you would take the 'best' of each candidate, and then also allow at least a comparable set o rules and training? Otherwise, if you don't let Johnson have modern training, then does he also get to wear 4-5 oz horsehair gloves? I don't think people would be lining up to be punching with that.
For me the biggest issues with heavies from era to era is the size difference, and that same kind of issue to a lesser degree is also occurring since same day weigh ins disappeared a few decades ago. The welters of today would have had to be middles, in yesteryear, etc. so h2h is more of a mess than ever.
There are some excellent modern fighters too, so unfair to dismiss modern guys outright. I think, but sadly, like soldiers, they will have to wait until they are dead before we can admire them. I am sure a great fighter would be great in any era. That is why they are great. They would adapt, and shine, in that time.
Yeesh, what a long post.

 

Jeffries in the Johnson fight is the last remnants of an incredible boxer.

You can see glimpses of his most dominant traits. His physical toughness, his nimble footwork and speed that doesn't seem to fit his size.

 

What do you guys see when you watch this sparring portion of the clip?

https://youtu.be/esnq-orAvo8?t=2m38s

Look at the footwork. The balance and finesse with his movement. His agility when he shifts left to right, his ankles seem like rubber the way he can maneuver. I don't think I've ever seen someone his size move like that. I can't imagine the destructive monster he was at 25. Yeesh.

 

With Jeffries against Tua I favour Jeffries because he had very good power and a relentless body attack plus was able to box from the back foot. He leaves openings with his low handed stance though but I think he's durable enough not to get punished by one mistake. Tua has gone to war until the final bell but he has also gone into impersonation mode when confronted with adversity in the past. Does Jeffries combination of power and movement sound like enough to put Tua off? I say yes. Jeffries via decision victory.

Johnson can do anything Byrd can do imo. But better. Tua might win 2 rounds rather than 4.

 

Back pedaling, stepping in and grabbing.
Yeah, wouldn't ever see that in "modern boxing".