In three categories Best win: In terms of quality of opponent, and manner of victory Most important win: In terms of historical significance Most spectacular performance: More for when we get to ones with footage, but not really regarding, just a great display of the champion's ability. My picks Best win: Joe Goss (1866 Aug 6), a dominat victory over one of his best opponents Most important win: Tom Allen, a good win, but mostly because it's where he won the World Championship Most spectacular performance: Sam Hurst, reads like a total schooling of his bigger foe, exhibitting the scientific boxing Mace was known for I thought it'd be fun to do a series of threads for each past World Heavyweight Champion: Jem Mace John L Sullivan Peter Jackson James J Corbett Peter Maher Bob Fitzsimmons James J Jeffries Marvin Hart Tommy Burns Jack Johnson Jess Willard Harry Wills Jack Dempsey Gene Tunney Max Schmeling Jack Sharkey Primo Carnera Max Baer James J Braddock Joe Louis Ezzard Charles Jersey Joe Walcott Rocky Marciano Floyd Patterson Ingemar Johansson Sonny Liston Muhammad Ali Joe Frazier George Foreman Leon Spinks Larry Holmes Michael Spinks Mike Tyson Buster Douglas Evander Holyfield Riddick Bowe Michael Moorer Shannon Briggs Lennox Lewis Hasim Harman Vitali Klitschko Wladimir Klitschko (Did I miss anyone?)
Arthur Bettinson, sat on the committee of the Pelican Club with the Earl of Lonsdale, and saw most of Mace's fights from ringside. He claimed that Mace would have beaten Jeffries in his prime!
Bettinson was born in the 1860's so the only fights he would have seen from ringside were exhibitions after Mace returned to England in the 1880's after years in the Antipodes. Mace was well into his fifties by then. I wonder which fights Peggy saw of Jeffries in his prime to make such a claim because he certainly didn't see Mace in his prime.
