Jeffries: "I could never have whipped Jack Johnson at my best" Credible Quote?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by guilalah, May 9, 2011.


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  1. guilalah

    guilalah Well-Known Member Full Member

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    guilalah, May 9, 2011
    guilalah, May 9, 2011
    #1
  2. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Jeffries definitely said "Six years ago the result might have been different." I've seen this in numerous reports.

    I've never seen the "couldn't have beat" quote, or anything like it. I did see him say "i never could have reached him" which might be the genesis of the quote, but to me that seemed to be "i never could have reached him [tonight no matter how much i had sparred]" (some said afterwards that Jeff hadn't sparred enough).

    If he said this it was monsterously under-reported. I don't think he said it, personally, though I don't rule it out entirely.

    The problem is it is harder to prove something didn't happen that that it did. This is why mis-information is so dangerous. Once some bull**** takes hold it is hard to shake it off.
     
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    #2
  3. Ramon Rojo

    Ramon Rojo Active Member Full Member

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    Likely false. In those days a white man wouldn't have admitted even privately that he's not capable of beating a black man.
     
    Ramon Rojo, May 9, 2011
    Ramon Rojo, May 9, 2011
    #3
  4. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Jeffries post-fight press-release in full:

    "I lost my fight this afternoon because I did not have the snap of youth I used to have. I believed in my heart that all my old-time dash was there but when I tried to execute the speed and youthful steam were lacking. The things I used to do were impossible. For example I used to shoot in a right-hand body punch, a short-range blow that never failed me. When I tried today the snap was not there and it was only a love-tap.

    I suppose most of my trainers and helpers will say that I did not box enough. It wouldn't have made any difference if I had sparred a dozen more times than I did, I simply was not there and that's all there is to it.

    I guess it was all my own fault. I was getting along nicely but when the started calling me the "white man's hope". I guess my pride got the better of my judgement. I worked long and hard to condition myself and I was fit so far as strength goes but the old necessary snap and dash, the willingness to tear and crush, were not with me.

    Six years ago the result might have been different.

    But now - well, I guess the public will let me alone after this."
     
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    #4
  5. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    Someone posted the newspaper article with this quote from Jeffries in it, I can't remember who it was.
     
    mcvey, May 9, 2011
    mcvey, May 9, 2011
    #5
  6. burt bienstock

    burt bienstock Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    M, Many years ago in a 1950s Ring Magazine interview by Nat Fleischer with Jim Jeffries in California, I recall Jeffries saying about the same thing as your
    post above. I'm going to rifle through all my old Ring Mags to see if I can locate that interview,once again...
     
    burt bienstock, May 9, 2011
    burt bienstock, May 9, 2011
    #6
  7. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    This content is protected



    Here is what was posted. Which paper is it from and when was it printed?
     
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    #7
  8. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Cool.
     
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    #8
  9. Pachilles

    Pachilles Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Whever he said it or not, it is certainly true
     
    Pachilles, May 9, 2011
    Pachilles, May 9, 2011
    #9
  10. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Does anyone know when Jeffries travelled home?
     
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    McGrain, May 9, 2011
    #10
  11. amhlilhaus

    amhlilhaus Well-Known Member Full Member

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    yeah, we all know that johnson was invincible. never lost, never hurt, never hit, only white prejudice reported his losses as such when it wasn't close to being true.
     
    amhlilhaus, May 9, 2011
    amhlilhaus, May 9, 2011
    #11
  12. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Obviously a 1959 Sports Illustrated that says "he told a reporter" doesn't really cut it as a solid source.

    (Then again, even the "solid sources" are possibly the words of press agents and managers with the help of the writers, and not fighters.
    I've noticed many of the great athletes and fighters in the dim past of American Golden Age of Sports tended to speak as eloquently and flowery as the writers who reported on them. :lol:
    As they say, don't believe anything you read in the papers.)

    Whereas we can be fairly certain that Mike Tyson did actually say "I wish that you guys had children so I could kick them in the ****ing head or stomp on their testicles so you could feel my pain because that's the pain I have waking up every day." .....
    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu57oIv8SLM[/ame]
     
    Unforgiven, May 9, 2011
    Unforgiven, May 9, 2011
    #12
  13. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    Solid points .Jack Johnson was often quoted like some Uncle Remus " dis am de best place to be", etc when actually he was very articulate, and affected a British accent.
    Personally I don''t think it matters one iota if Jeffries said it or not , we can watch the fight and draw our own conclusions I think.
    Jeffries put his name to an absurd quote that he lost because of " drugged tea" it made no difference at all because no one gave it any credibility.
     
    mcvey, May 9, 2011
    mcvey, May 9, 2011
    #13
  14. Pachilles

    Pachilles Boxing Addict Full Member

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    He whooped Jeffrie's racist ass. And we know Jeffries drew with guys 60lbs lighter than himself.
     
    Pachilles, May 9, 2011
    Pachilles, May 9, 2011
    #14
  15. Boilermaker

    Boilermaker Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I thought it was Boucher from my memory :yikes:oops:
     
    Boilermaker, May 9, 2011
    Boilermaker, May 9, 2011
    #15
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