Did Jim Jeffries Benefit From Being Born At The Right Time?

...and JJ flat out ducked his 4 most dangerous challengers in his reign..what's your point?

 

There is no doubt as champion Johnson from 1908-1915, Johnson did not face his top three contenders. Bocher may say he beat no ready for prime time venison of Langford, Jeanette, or McVey. So what! Respectively they were 156 pounds, a novice with a losing record, and teenager. Hardly wins to thump one's chest about.

When Langford, Jeanette, and McVey were in their primes, Johnson skirted them despite big money offers. Jeanette said it best. When Jack became champion, he forgot his old friends and drew the color line against this own people. Harsh. But that is who John Arthur Johnson was. A racists against this own kind who had terrible things to say about women with color, a wife beater, a pimp, a lawbreaker, and a jealous SOB who wanted to be the only black champion ever. Johnson even picked Schemling over Louis.

 

yes but that happened long before he got his title shot against Burns; and those fighters matured in that time period.
Also Ed Gunboat was for 2 years the top white HW and easily top4 contender that's a little bit more then "briefly".

Your excuses still doesn't change the fact that those guys were much more dangerous then the O'brien's and Jim Johnson's that lil' Arthur choose as opponents.:good

Perhaps Jeffries ducked one guy, or perhaps he didn't; one thing is sure, don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.:good

 

Did he not become the lineal Black Champion when he knocked out the Reigning lineal black Heavyweight championatsch

 

I think this is a little unfair to Jeffries.

The coloured heavyweight champion when Jeffries held the title was George Byers, who was not in the same class as Fitzsimmons. The tow other fighters who held the coloured title in this period were Bob Armstrong (who Jeffries beat) and Frank Childs (who Jeffries might have beaten). Also Peter Jackson had never lost the coloured title in the ring when Jeffries fought him.

I think that Jeffries win over Bob Fitzsimmons is sufficient to establish him as the lineal heavyweight champion and his drawing the colour line only became problematic when more talented black contenders such as Denver Ed Martin came allong.