Sullivan or Jeffries? Who is the Harder Man?

Who is the hardest puncher of the two then?

I lean slightly towards Sullivan who apears to have inflicted some sickening knockouts on his oponents.

 

I'd say Jeffries since Sullivan was knocked down by a 155lb. man, and I don't see that happeneing to Jeffries. Plus Jeffries had about 20lb on Sullivan, so there you go.

 

What's really interesting about this post is that Burns places Sullivan's prime so far back, implying he was a better fighter in 1878 than he was in the mid-1880's.

I've also read lightweight Jack MacAullife's opinion that, before he began dissipating, Sullivan was the greater than all his successors.(MacAuliffe opined this shortly after Baer-Carnera. He also said he regarded Tunney as the #2 heavyweight).

 

On the other hand, that was the only knockdown of his career, and was a flash KD. Mitchell was a pretty hard puncher, for that matter--he was regarded (along with Jem Smith) as the best heavyweight in England.

 

But the only person to floor Jeffries was Jack Johnson a 205lb. hard hitting heavyweight, when Jeffries was way over the hill on top of that.:good

 

Quite so. My point was simply that Sullivan's chin is still pretty good. :good

The amount of punishment Jeffries took in the Johnson fight is often overlooked. It's probably a better testament to his chin than even his fight with Fitzsimmons.

 

Yes, I do admit that Jeffries could take a great punch, after seeing a picture of Jeffries walking to his corner after the end of the 14th round. There was blood everywhere on his body, his nose was broken, mouth smashed, etc. Few people could have endured that beating under those conditions.

 

The reason I favor Sullivan is because of speed and aggressive ferocity. I simply think that he was so fast that he would hit Jeff with his right, and Jeff would see power like he never saw in his career. I don't think Jeff was as fast as Sullivan, nor as ferocious. Jeff was a bit of a slower starter and had a gradual, methodical style against his best opponents. I think the longer the fight went the better for Jeff, but great chin or not, when he got hit by Sullivan's speed and ferocity, not so sure how much he'd have to give even if he was still on his feet. Fitz hit him at will in the rematch, and Bob was only about 170 pounds soaking wet. Choynski and Sharkey gave him trouble, and they were also nowhere near as big, fast, strong, or skilled as Sullivan. Observers at the time said that Sully would kill Choynski and Sharkey. Choynski admitted it. If 200-plus Sullivan hit Jeff like Choynski, Sharkey, and Fitz did, it might be good night. Jeff did not move like a Corbett did, and that is the style one needed to give Sully trouble. That said, Jeff was one tough rugged dude, with great condition, and could wear Sully out himself if he got through the early rounds. Interesting fight.

 

Professor Mike Donovan said of Sullivan,

“He can settle any man in the world, sure, and the bigger the man against him, the better it is for him. Let me give you a pointer. I was with him in Hot Springs when they picked a terrible big fellow for him to knock out. I felt of this fellow at the hotel, and I tell you he was something immense. He had the broadest shoulders of any man I ever saw, was as hard as iron, and weighed about 240 pounds. I told John of the kind of a fellow he had to meet. ‘Is he a big fellow?’ says John. ‘You can bet,’ says I. ‘He’s a stunner.’ ‘Then the bigger he is the harder he’ll fall,’ says John…. Well, he knocked that big fellow out in just two punches. He hit him there once,” and Mr. Donovan landed his left under the reporter’s chin. “Then he cross-countered him and he went down. When he came to the fellow was silly….
I tell you that Sullivan thinks no more of knocking a man out than I do of eating an apple.

 

Who wins a drinking contest?

 

Irish Whiskey or Scotch?

 

Let's say single malt scotch.

 

On St. Patricks day, I'll go with Sullivan. Otherwise I'll take Jeffries. Legand says Jeffries once drank a case of whiskey to shake an illness.

 

I like to think of the great John L. as being a modern-day Greek Titan, stomping around crushing mortals with his irrestible power and being a menace wherever he goes. Drinking, screwing, and fighting better than the rest. John L. has such a great legend.

 

I'd day Sullivan no doubt has the better power, where as Jeffries definitely has a better chin and was slightly more refined...