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

Originally Posted by Mendoza [url]

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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.

When someone replies with an ad hominem attack, you know they are desperate. Got that Boucher?. A.K.A poster formally known as Mcvey.. Mcvey stopped posting on 12-16-10 then you registered with the exact same views on 12-18-10. I bet the IP address is the same. Now all I need to see is for McVey to comeback and join in.

As for hoods, sorry I do not even wear a hat. Also I qualify as a minority. Now go f' yourself if you can not reply to boxing here. Nothing that I wrote was false. Deal with it. Johnson was a great fighter at the turn of the century, yes, but he was also a nasty person too. Now I know why you like him so much.

 

Good read this thread.

I am reading James Carney Jr's book on Jeffries 'Ultimate Tough Guy', and I feel he does a great job of summing up Jeffries career without hero-worshipping and backs up every claim he makes.

IMO Jeffries beat every top contender he had around and then faced Munroe, who was the media's choice. Johnson was the only other viable contender but he was still pre-prime and not in outstanding form that would force a title fight.

Anyway, to answer the question, I think Jeffries was born in the right time. But for a different reason as most will think.

I think Jeffries was lucky he came around when he did, because he got a title shot. In the previous 3 champions reigns there were 4 title defences and only 1 successful one. Thats roughly a time-span of 10 years where top contenders were frozen out.

If Jeffries had come around earlier there is no guarantee that he would have been given a title shot, even if, as I feel, he would have earned one. A good example of this is Joe Choynski, who was a top contender for years but was basically frozen out by Corbett and Fitzsimmons.

Another overlooked aspect of Jeffries career is that he was the first champion to clear out his division beyond reasonable doubt, and in the words of the time was a 'fighting champion', he has to be given kudos for this, as he could have easily sat on the title like all the others before him, and a few after him.

 

I dont think Choynski is a good example. Both Fitz and Corbett fought him and knocked him out. If anything, choynski's efforts in turn (for the above reasons) knocked many promising contenders out of championship considerations for obvious reasons.

 

I suppose you are right, although he was a top contender for years and a 'fighting champion', would have nearly definitely seen him getting a title shot IMO.

 

Why don't you spunk all over the place about Jeffries then? It's all DEMPSEY DEMPSEY DEMPSEY

 

Maybe he would have forced a title shot at some point. But there is a good chance the title would have been frozen out for long periods and perhaps Jeffries prime, as it is unknown how long his prime would have lasted, he could have been a fairly fast decliner.

I think Corbett is the one who could have avoided him the longest.

 

Would Maher also provide an example of a top guy not getting his shot?

Also from the era Kid McCoy was the only stand out contender that Jeffries never fought, but circumstances conspired against the Kid.

 

I'm just saying McCoy was at one point the best contender but circumstances meant he missed out on a shot, I'm not saying Jeffries ducked him. As it turned out Jeffries probably would have steamrolled him.