James J. Jeffries vs. Jersey Joe Walcott

I don't really buy the argument that Jackson was significantly past it when he fought Corbett (the ankle injury he carried is a more convincing excuse). Otherwise, we have to take his performances against guys like Dooley as the measure of his greatness, which just isn't enough for me. As far as beating Sullivan, he had his hands full with an aged, Sullivan prototype in Goddard. I'm just not convinced on that count either.

It is possible that Jackson just wasn't as great as people say.

 

On a side note Sullivan's first title defense, was originally scheduled to be against a black opponent.

A local fighter who didn't show, and got substituted for another local fighter, who happened to be white.

Now it is interesting to reflect what might have happened, if that forgotten local fighter had turned up, and taken his beating.

Sullivan would not have been able to deny, that he had fought a black title challenger previously.

Jack Johnson's first title defense was originally scheduled to be against Denver Ed Martin.

Martin was by this time a shadow of his former self, so the outcome would not have been in much doubt, but it would have made it harder for him to refuse Langford and McVea.

 

But we have documented proof that he did not refuse to give title shots to Langford and McVey ,nor Jeannete for that matter.He signed to defend against all three of them ,the fact that the fights were cancelled was through no fault of Johnson's.

 

Still not a knockout. I don't think Ruhlin knocking Sharkey down a few times takes away from the fact that the man was incredibly durable, he had to be with his fighting style and opposition. Big punchers in Jeffries, Maher and Choynski (although rookie Sharkey was dropped many times in their first encounter) couldn't knock Sharkey out. These, IMO, are bigger punchers than Walcott.

 

Also, I have never understood how or why a "half cast" Herbert Slade was not considered a coloured fighter. I am pretty sure he might be insulted at that thought.

The other problem with stripping the lineage for not fighting Jackson is that Peter Jackson actually lost his lineage claim to Peter Jackson. You can find plenty of articles referring to Peter Jackson as the world champion but they had to stop when Jeffries knocked him out. It seems a bit rough to consider Jeffries only the white champion when he actually beat the black champion. He also fought arguably the next two best black fighters in Hank Griffin and Bob Armstrong. As well, he come out of retirement to fight the next great black fighter jack johnson (albeit in a losing effort).

INterestingly, Fitz, never considered himself as good as Jackson (and he would know they sparred and fought in the same gym often enough) when jackson was in his prime. A prime Jackson, i think, would have beaten Fitzsimmons purely because of the mental advantage he seemed to have.

In relation to the original question, Jeffries had the better legacy but i agree that this is a very tough fight and Walcott can outbox him early. I dont think distance matters too much. Walcott has to knock him out to win. If Walcott cant do it in 10 he isnt doing it. But no one is inpenetrable and i think he wins it as much as he doesnt. Same goes for Jeff. If he doesnt start hurting and slowing down Walcott by Ten, he has a pure hail mary chance only and i dont like his chances.

If forced to pick i go with Walcott in an upset (right now only this could change) 2:1 with 1 KO each and a controversial Newspaper Decision.

 

Being floored never,or only once or twice in a career indicates your chin is top notch.
Being dropped many times indicates your chin is not of the first rank.
That is traditionally how chins are measured.

 

I am aware of this.

My point is that thee were a few title defenses that were inked, that fell through for one reason or another, that might have changed the history of the color line.

 

As far as I can tell Sullivan never had any inclination to draw the color line, until he broke his arm, and found himself staring at Peter Jackson.

 

That is what he should have said.

 

This observation might court controversy, but the color line was largely an American invention, that emerged out of the ashes of the Confederacy.

Molineux getting a title shot, was by no means a stand alone event, in the history of the London Prize Ring.

Jem Mace defended his middleweight title against Bob Travers, and he was very critical of the American champions who drew the color line later in life.

He championed the causes of both Peter Jackson and Sam Langford.

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