Best five wins thread. Lineal / Ring Magazine heavyweight champions.

Jack Johnson

1. Denver Ed Martin I
2. Sam McVea II
3. James Jeffries
4. Tommy Burns
5. George Gardner

HMs: Joe Jeannette, Sandy Ferguson, Frank Moran, Jim Flynn

A lot of depth but weak top wins.

 

It's interesting that one poster thinks Jackson v Jeffries was in good shape at 37 having not fought for 6 years and being an alcoholic,yet Jeffries v Johnson, who also hadn't fought for 6 years , was old and shot at 35? Jeffries fought a 33 yrs old Corbett who hadnt fought for 2 years and a36 years old Corbett who hadn't fought for a year and a half.
A 36, [11days off 37 ,]Fitz who hadnt fought for 2 years and a 37 years old version who also hadn't
fought for2 years.These wins, impressive as they are ,are trumpeted as great victories, I'm surprised Jeffries win over 40 years old Goddard hasn't been trotted out! The double standards applied here by one individual are patently obvious.It's really rather a shame because the input from others has been top notch.

 

I hope it is not about me

 

A good list I would say.

 

No, you come under the "top notch "category on this thread.

 

We know Sullivan had a late in life contest with Jim McCormick his vaudeville partner which he won by stoppage.1905?

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We know Sullivan had a late in life contest with McCormick which he won 1905?

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That is a terrifying hint of how good Sullivan might once have been.

McCormick wasn't a world beater, but he was lasting the distance against guys like Ruhlin.

You have to think that guys like Ruhlin and Sharkey would have been out of their depth against a prime John L!

 

It is indeed striking that Johnson's pre title work dominates these lists.

 

Al Kaufman,6-1 and 190 plus pounds. Thrown to the wolves too soon versus O'Brien but then put togethr a very impressive run until Johnson defeated him. Sam Berger, Gardiner, Ross, Flynn, Jack Twin Sullivan, Mustain, Schreck was a whos-who of the white contenders at the time. After the loss to Jack, he defeated Lang and in a return, O'Brien. He then imploded but at the time of the Johnson fight he was a formidable opponent.

 

Kaufman narrowly missed the cut for me.

The reason that he did not make it, was because there were better contenders around when the fight happened, such as Sam Langford.

 

Sorry, don't get that logic...

 

I agree that Kaufman was a good contender, but if there were better available contenders, then that is not a career defining win for the champion.

Also Kaufaman had a very short spell as a top contender, which erodes his case further!

 

After Johnson was through with Kaufman he was basically relegated to sparring partner,trialhorse status,as you know.