Fighers up to Joe Louis you'd favor over Fitzsimmons

I've heard many times that Fitzsimmons was too primitive to fight against "modern" fighters, so let's focus on fighters until 1930s.

Pick all fighters from all divisions (other than Jeffries) you'd pick to beat Fitzsimmons. You have to believe in them as a clear favorites, not close calls.

 

Jack Dempsey and Johnson would both be favoured imo.

Langford is a very close fight

 

Sullivan, Dempsey, Wills, Willard stylistically, Tunney. I'm confident in those picks.

Also Fitz would slaughter today's Middleweight division under his ruleset.

 

The only ones I'd be sure of (around their best) are Jeffries, Johnson, Dempsey, Schmeling and Baer.

I'd favour Wills and Sullivan

I'd make Greb, and Langford pretty even, giving Fitz a slight edge.

One I don't have a clue for is George Godfrey II

 

Johnson
Langford
Dempsey
Tunney

 

The only candidates imo.

 

Exactly

 

Why Willard? He would took huge punishement against Fitz and Fitz wasn't a grappler, he would attack his head and body at will.

Fitz was lethal against pressure fighters. Of course Dempsey was better than any swarmer he faced, but that's important to note.

 

Again, not sure if that's clear.

Interesting opinion. Why do you think so?

I've never thought about that one.

 

I think Dempsey could take a lot more punishment, and I think that'd be the difference.

I think Schmeling just has the right combination of size, toughness, skills and power to make his advantages tell.

A lot of it is just down to guys who could dish it out and take it back well enough. Sure is probably an overstatement though

 

If Willard landed one clean shot to Fitz it'd be over, and he'd throw Fitz around in grapples which he could force.

Dempsey and Fitz are in different ballparks

 

Who did Willard ever throw around in grapples ? He fought at long range behind his jab.

 

It is possible that Willard might just have been too big and durable.

Couldn't rule that scenario out!

 

Johnson, Dempsey and Tunney.

 

Far from a sure thing. Fitz took the best punches of Maher, Choynski, Sharkey, Ruhlin and Jeffries and he was never stopped by one punch. He knew how to fight hurt very well and Willard was far from great finisher.

I don't think it's true. What makes him much better? Fitz fought better competition overall and he only lost to Jeffries close to his prime. Jeffries bouts could be examined the same as Tunney bouts. So what exactly makes him incomparable?