Jim Jeffries v Rocky Marciano 15rds

They were not like the wraps of decades later, and Jeffries mostly fought without wraps. The differences in the gloves from 1900 and 1950 and how they protect the hands is significant. Many researchers believe the reason why body punching was popular at the turn of the century it because it was easier on the hands.

Back in Jeffries day, they didn't even use mouth guards. There was no such thing as a cut man using ice or the paste like stuff to slow down cuts either. I have not seen bottles of water in-between the rounds either, and the fights often took place our doors in the heat.

 

This is an interesting one between two uncompromising strong men of their eras.
Both could punch, had good chins, were immensely strong and didn’t give ground, a tough one to call.
Jeffries problem would be Rocky’s output, he would never have faced anyone with the unrelenting will to keep coming forward throwing leather non stop.
Marciano’s problem would be he would have a bigger just possibly stronger man in front of him who he couldn’t push back, and who wouldn’t give ground.
This would be a helluva fight and while I don’t think Rocky is the obvious pick I think he would just edge it punching Jeff to a standstill in 9 or 10 rounds, but he would have had to take a helluva lot punishment to do it and wouldn’t be a pretty sight!

 

Well said, and this is the way I see it going too!

 

If the footage of Rocky was like what we have of Jeffries, I'm not sure how highly people would rate him from that either.

 

Some reports of Jeffries Vs Sharkey
The herald. [microfilm reel], May 07, 1898, Page 2, Image 2
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...eq-2/#words=jeffries+sharkey+Jeffries+sharkey

The record-union. [volume], May 07, 1898, Page 7, Image 7
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...eq-7/#words=jeffries+sharkey+Jeffries+sharkey

And the second fight
The sun., November 04, 1899, Page 1/2, Image 1/2
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1899-11-04/ed-1/seq-1/
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...eq-2/#words=jeffries+sharkey+Jeffries+sharkey

 

I am really starting to take the view that any guy who had what it took to rise to the top fighting in his own era has a huge advantage over a guy who rose to the top under completely different conditions fighting in an entirely different era. With very few exceptions to the rule I think that is the case.

In most cases this means two great fighters can plausibly lose in the other mans era whilst beating the same man under his own conditions.

You put Rocky in Jim’s day he would do well but maybe not well enough to rise so completely to the top and beat Jim. That’s plausible. and vice versa. Why should Jim rise completely to the top against men who developed under completely different circumstances?

 

How many actually weighed in though? Didn't they mostly just announce their weight?
Going through the title run of each

Bob Fitzsimmons 36 167
Tom Sharkey 25 183
John Finnegan 25 180
James J. Corbett 33 188
Gus Ruhlin 29 200
Bob Fitzsimmons 39 172
James J. Corbett 36 183
Jack Munroe 27 215

Average age= 31.25
Average weight= 186Ibs

Jersey Joe Walcott 38 196.5
Jersey Joe Walcott 39 197.75
Roland LaStarza 26 184.75
Ezzard Charles 32 185.5
Ezzard Charles 33 192.5
Don Cockell 26 205
Archie Moore 38 188

Average age= 33.14
Average weight= 192.9Ibs

 

https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a...-en--20--1--txt-txIN-jeffries+Kennedy-------1

Off topic, but it's interesting to note that Jeffries Vs Kennedy had two preliminary bouts, neither on boxrec.

 

Against his fight with the smaller retired Floyd mayweather I think mcgreggor had a year acclimatising to boxing. It was no use to him.

A lifetime of events and training a certain way makes a fighter the guy he is.

Each man is king in his own time seems the most plausible reality.

 

Jeffries is a 220 pound fighter. So he's already 30 pounds to the advantage.

He was documented to be an athletic fighter who was able to impose his strength on his opponents throughout his career. We know he has amazing heart and never gives up.

Rocky is a relentless pressure fighter but the only big man he ever faced was Shkor who is certainly not close to the fighter Jeffries was.

There's a chance Rocky can do this on points if he can get inside and stay there. But Rocky isn't the most defensively astute boxer so chances are he gets tagged on his way in, repeatedly.

If we're gonna handicap Rocky to giving away 30 pounds then I'm picking Jeffries by KO.

 

It isn’t an era advantage. It’s more plausible to consider the guy who rose to the top in the particular era in real life than it is to take a shot in the dark with somebody who never fought under those conditions. That is the real advantage here. Not weight. An issue that was never unanimously regarded that significant at championship level until the 1990s.

Your talking about a heavier guy who fought at a walking pace back when guys stood around fencing for openings... it’s practically the bare knuckle era where there were different types of targets and punches. An endurance sport. No combination punching. No hand wraps. No gum shields. No foul proof protector. Nothing wasted. A lot more wrestling. ...A fight to the finish under very different arrangements.

This is a massive disadvantage in the 1950s.

But like I say, throw Marciano into the ring with no mouth guard, no foul proof protector, no hand wraps, tiny gloves and raise him in the one shot at a time fencing period and he would be something completely different and most likely every bit at the disadvantage against Jeffires in that era as Jim can be in Rockys era.