Let's talk about James Jeffries

I admire Jeffries but really do not know if he was as good or better than a Chuvalo or a Bonavena might have been in 1900 ...

 

Most people believe he did, and the fact that he was cut to shreds after 8 rounds testifies to this. However, that happened in almost every Jeffries fight, so who knows.

One thing i am surprised at. Holyfield gets crucified for steroid use, but no one seems to give a **** about Fitzsimmons doing the same thing as Lou Resto/Panama Lewis ruining Billy Collins' life. An all time low if you ask me, and if it's true, then my respect for the bald nerdy looking champion certainly goes down a lot.

 

This was a write-up on the second Jeffries-Fitzsimmons fight from Boxrec.

Scartissue

1902-07-25 : Bob Fitzsimmons lost to James J Jeffries by KO in round 8 of 20
Location: The Arena, San Francisco, California, USA
Referee: Eddie Graney

"Robert Fitzsimmons has forfeited his last claim upon the heavyweight championship of the world. He stood off James J. Jeffries for eight rounds, and before receiving his quietus had astonished the thousands of spectators by his brilliant work. As early as the second round Fitzsimmons had Jeffries bleeding profusely from mouth and nose. Again and again he landed on his bulky opponent, getting away in such a clever manner that he roused the big crowd to enthusiastic cheering. It seemed indeed that Jeffries could scarcely stand the pace. But the 8th round came and after a series of hot exchanges Fitzsimmons paused with his guard down and spoke to the champion. The latter's reply was two terrific blows that saved him the championship." -The Mansfield News

Due to the manner in which the bout ended, claims of a fix spread throughout the fans and press but both fighters called the claim "absurd".
Post fight comments

"The fight was won fairly and to the best man belongs the laurels." -Bob Fitzsimmons
"You're the most dangerous man alive." -James Jeffries to Bob Fitzsimmons
"If a non-spectator had seen Jeffries and Fitzsimmons two minutes after the fight Fitz would have been picked the winner. There was not a mark on him, while Jeffries face was bloody and beaten to a pulp. Only Jeffries' stamina and capacity for punishment saved him." -George Siler, noted referee and writer



Gate - $31,880
Purses - Jeffries - $14,346, Fitzsimmons - $9,561

 

EXTREMLY, EVEN WITHOUT FIGHTING HART IF THE FIGHTER WOULD HAVE STAYED RETIRED,AND THE ALFALFA FARMER NEVER TRIED TO FIGHT HE WOULD BE CONSIDERD ALOT HIGHER IN RANKINGS.I BELIEVE IF THE WASHED up farmer would have taken a couple of tune up fights and slowly got into fighting shape instead of draining his body so quickly ,it could have been a real fight-also i believe johnson would have had a hellava time tangeling with the real jeffries and would have prob. got ko,d

 

The bottom line is that we dont know the truth one way or the other.

Also if Fitzsimmons did load his gloves we dont know if it was a major infraction or a minor one such as excesive taping.

 

What we do know ,judging from that account is that Jeffries was not anywhere as defensively clever as some admirers on here would have us beilive.

 

Louis Houseman asports writer for the Chicago papers was ringside for the second Fitz Jeffries fight ,he said that Jefries was beaten to a bloody pulp,blinded and reeling ,,and that the fight would have been stopped in more modern times.You will recall the strange end to the fight ,when Fitz stopped fighting lowered his gloves and spoke to Jeffries?Fitzsimmons ,after the fight told Houseman he said to Jeffries "hit me Jeff",exposing himself to Jefffries punches,the reason ,according to Houseman ,was that Fitz's hands were smashed,from the punishment he had meted out to Jeffries ,in simple terms Fitz had nothing left to fight with.

 

Before this fight Bob Fitzsimmons publicaly said:

"I will either defeat Jim Jeffries or make him into the greatest heavyweight the world has ever seen"

That is exactly what he did. After the fight Fitz acted as trainer for Jeffries and improved his offense, defence, and finishing ability.

 

Since Jeffries only had 2 more fights,one over an old Corbett ,and one over a joke Jack Munro I find it hard to see where this improvement can be seen . Jeffries may very well have been the best Heavyweight up to that time ,but defensively elusive HE WAS NOT.Its a pity Jeffries waited 3 years before giving Corbett a rematch,by then Corbett was a month from his 37th birthday,so it isnt surprising Jeffries improved on his performance in the first fight when he was badly out boxed .

 

I could show you contemporary acounts from the second Corbett fight that talk about Jeffries "newfound cleverness" aserting itself and talk of Jeffries outboxing Corbett. Even if Corbett was older we have to explain why Jeffries handeld him so much better from a technical boxing standpoint.

You make certain criticisms of Jeffries defence but a come forward fighter coming in towards fighters who are good technicians can be expected to take punishment even if he is defensivley adept.

 

Jeffries was not allways a come forward fighter,as the fight with Tom Sharkey shows. Fitz was a very good puncher,but not a great boxer ,yet he couldnt miss Jeffries.
Corbett had had ONE fight in THREE years when he fought Jeffries a scrap with Kid McCoy which was widely believed to have been a fake.Corbett was ring rusty and 37 years old,it would have been astonishing if Jefries had not improved on his first performance wouldn't it? It still took Jeffries 10 rounds to overpower Corbett,and I have read reports that Corbett was holding his own in the early rounds ,before his legs gave out.Stories of Jeffries being a better boxer than Corbett belong with the tales of him running 10 miles with a bull moose on his back.Jack Johnson called Corbett "The Father Of Modern Boxing",and "The Classiest Heavyweight Boxer of his times".Any such praise for the boxing ability of Jeffries is conspicuously lacking,Jeffries was strong ,Jeffries was tough,Jeffries was durable.WHAT JEFFRIES WAS NOT, IS A SKILLFUL BOXER,ENOUGH!

 

1896-05-22 San Francisco Call (that's prior to his first pro fight listed at boxrec) wrote that "Jeffries has fought and whipped twenty men during his short career as a prize-fighter, and is now looking for big game."

 

Jeffries seemed to have a better punch than either man, landed more often, and, most importantly, had a champion's ability to pull off key victories.