Michael Spinks V James J Jeffries?

Watch Johnson. Watch his footwork. Watch how off balance he is. Watch how he leads with his head.

He is a natural athlete who could learn to box. But he didn't have to, then.

 

To add I don't see the concern for Johnson lasting 25 rds with Jeffries?
Johnson went 20rds 10 times.He went 26 rds when he was 37.He went15rds when he was 48.He went 10rds when he was a week or so short of his 53rd birthday.
Jeffries went
25rds once
23 rds once
20rds 3 times
All but one over smaller men
Who is the more proven over the longer route?
Who has the style likely to conserve the most energy and stamina over the longer route?

 

Eddie Futch named
Ali
Louis



Johnson
As the three greatest heavyweights of all time.

 

Johnson gassed later in fights and even said he wasn't sure if he could go 20 with Frank Moran. after the fight. Doing very little in the 2nd half of the fight vs Hart is the reason he lost that one. His strategy of very little punching, and clinching would not work vs prime Jeffries and sign you obsessed with size Jeffries would be the bigger man. J

Johnson's best wins, came when he was under 200 pounds or very close to it, vs a 168 pound Tommy Burns and a string bean like Martin, who was frequently KO'd early. He was floored by smaller men, and out boxed by primary sources by smaller men as champion. Middle weight or super middleweights. Seriously?

Johnson also quit in fights early and late in his career, and was foul prone. His chin when tested wasn't very good. Choynski and Smith don't have a high KO% on their resume, yet each man put Johnson down and out with one punch.

All of the above are facts, not for you to learn from but for the readers who might not be familiar with his career to read.

 

Plus his guard is low, and he's often stationary. And he threw very few punches on film. A bad combination that worked vs smaller opponents, or the larger/ stiff /not very good boxers. Johnson was very good at clinching and hitting vs smaller or older / tired men.

His title defenses as a group are probably the weakest of any accomplished heavyweight champion. Even McVey will admit this. He also ducked more top contenders than any heavyweight champion I can think of. Instead he gave fighters on losing streaks like Tony Ross a match and got hurt in the process of winning. He gave middleweights shots, one floored and him by Johnson's own admission, the other out boxed him by primary sources in a fight that ended up as a Draw.

Could you imagine if half of this happen to Tyson Fury??? He would not be able to show his face.

 

Watch him in clinches, he was unbelievable there. Watch his quick hands, watch his odd but very effective left lead. His uppercut is one of the best at HW.

He would have to adjust some points of his style to modern boxing, but don't act like he didn't know how to box. As an old man he challenged some pros in 1920s and he had some stories about leaving unmarked against them. He was defensive master in a way most modern boxing fans dislike.

 

His guard was fine because he manipulated opponent's lead hand and he didn't have typical low guard - he used hands a lot in defense.
He was econimical with his movement, but he could move. He wasn't a dancer, but it didn't make him plodder. There are more ways to defend himself than just run away from fire.
Johnson beat many big opponents, so I don't see any reason to doubt his ability against fighters his size or bigger.

 

Good point, it's possible that Johnson had wrong style for Jeffries, but I'm still not cerain about the outcome.

 

Who stopped him in his prime? Johnson left boxing with his face unmarked,after 78fights

 

Johnson was never stopped in his prime, and he left boxing with his face unmarked after fighting from the age of 16 to 53.From unrecorded Battle Royals to his recorded 78 fights..What does that say about his defence?

 

Spinks technical victory via race riots.

 

Stop with the BS. Ketchel who was rather unskilled left a visible mark on Johnson's head. O'Brien had blood in his mouth. These guys were small and light. Old man Jeffries also had Johnson cut. Now add your excuses...

What puncher did Johnson really face that was in their prime? Teenagers, 20 year old fighter, and old men do not apply.

Choynski, slightly past his prime KO'd Johnson cold.
Klondike stopped him
GB Smith, who had some pop knocked Johnson silly in a 4 round ex match and he was very green.
And of course Willard floored Johnson for the count

Johnson never made a match with prime punchers such as Langford, McVey, McCarrty, GB Smith or Jeannette. These five were better than anyone Johnson beat in a title defense, period. Well Johnson did have a signed contract and secured money to meet Sam Langford in 1909 as champion but didn't honor it!