Why did Jeffries defend against John Finnegan in1900 ?

You are aware that Jeffries has reported KO wins over Martin and Childs in newspapers and older versions of the ring record book. Probably not! Keep up the good work Lenny:hi:

 

that is true, I'm far from a real researcher but a casual search of a australian newspaper site revealed an un recorded bout for larry foley, the first big popular star in australia.

 

I can imagine the bad scouse accent being a winner combined with a mop top circa. 1965.

:good

As for the topic of Jeffries v Finnegan, I guess it made sense as an easy payday.

 

I have never seen the Childs and Martin fights claimed in a RRB but I haven't all of them but I doubt 100% that these two prominent fighters could get ko'd without;
1) It getting a mention in the press at the time and
2) Jeffries claiming these wins on his record as he made his way up through the ranks.
BTW I'm sure he would ko Martin and probably Childs too.

 

Two newspaper articles have emerged saying that Jeffries KOd Childs. Both Jeffries and Childs were active at the time, in the city where the fight alegedly took place. In the absence of a primary refference I have recorded an open verdict.

There is no known newspaper refference to Jeffries fighting Martin, and there was a whole heap of speculation about a possible Jeffries Martin fight later in their careers. Saying that Jeffries fought Martin would be a bit like arguing that Wladamir Klitschko knocked out David Haye early in their respective careers, but that it somehow got forgotten.

In summary, Jeffries almost certainly never fought Martin, but it is verry plausible that he fought Childs.

 

OK I'll open my mind a bit!

 

I have seen one small article mentioning these KOs (after the fact). From memory it was found by old fogey and posted on this forum. As far as i am aware it was a one off and never substantiated by anything. That is a big statement from Mendoze, I would really like to see the reports or get confirmation about the ring record books because i have never heard of anything other than that one small article.

Incidentally, if memory serves me correct, it was a different childs, not Frank Childs. May have even been a Craig Childs.

And to those trying to play the colour card, let us also not forget how many rounds it took Jeffries to KO the official coloured champ. And while he was admittedly inactive and passed it by that time, remember that none of the coloured fighters had been willing to step up to the plate and challenge their all time great champion.