Could James J Jeffries Have Thrived In Later Eras?

He definitely has the tools to compete today, the only issue is that he’s generally unproven against people of his own size. Jeffries would probably weigh in the 230s under 12 rounders as he used to trim down to about 218 for the 25 rounders. Who knows how much he can gain while still maintaining his speed, stamina and overall athleticism.

 

Jeffries never met a young prime heavyweight of todays size.his biggest decent opponent he was successful against was Ruhlin 199 1/2lbs. The Boilermaker relied on his durability and strength to outlast the mostly older, smaller men he faced and often took severe punishment before winning the day.
He would have done okay in the 20's ,though I think Dempsey and Tunney would beat him.
In the 30's he would probably have won the title and if he did as he had during his own reign he would hold it for some time by avoiding Louis.
With Louis a spent force in the 50's,Jeffries would probably beat everyone not named Charles , Walcott,or Marciano.
I don't see him doing well against Liston or Ali in the 60's but he could have entertaining wars with Chuvalo,Bonavena and tough fights with Patterson,Machen and Folley.
After the 60's , Jeff's prospects look even bleaker,and I don't think he would be a factor at world level.
Against todays heavies he would be outsized and outreached,not a winning combination for a man with his style.

 

I'd say so. Jeffries packed a big punch, had an extraordinary chin, and picked up a lot of cute skills especially under the tutelage of Fitz. I prefer imagining a fighter being born in another era rather than being time warped into that era. I think this works better since you would have a fighter growing up with better diets than they would have in the late 1800s for example, so would be taller and would adjust to the average height and weight of the division they competed in. They would still have the same traits and style in this hypothetical though, as well as the "supplements" of today. Jeffries was also very fleet of hand and foot iirc and implemented a number of scientific aspects to his game. I think the athleticism and skill of Jeffries was translate well into any era honestly.

 

Then that fighter would not be Jeffries as he actually was,he would be a hypothetical chimera .

In the little footage we have of Jeffries actually fighting he does not display this fleetness of either hand or foot.He stands still waiting for 5feet 8 in187lbs Sharkey to come to him,and against Ruhlin plods after him left hand down by his waist.

 

If he was directly time transported? He could have thrived in the early 30s before Louis came along. Maybe in the late 50's before Liston. But Jefferies, as he actually was, never faced a big puncher who was also 200 lbs + like Louis or Liston or Foreman. He certainly didn't meet a 210 + lb heavy who had the movement and duralibility and speed of an Ali or even Holmes. I can't imagine him beating those guys.

If he was born in a later era and had proper training and developed good technique? Yes, quite possibly. He was 6'2, 220 lbs and athletic. If he was born a 100 years later, he might be even taller and bigger. Too hard to speculate.

Regardless, i prefer judging fighters based on the standards of their time rather than future standards.

 

That's true, but in modern times he would not be facing men under 200lbs and coming out of retirement.

 

He was measured by a Doctor at exactly six feet.

 

I wasn't aware of that. I always thought he was 6'2.

 

He'd be between Mark De Mori and Makmudenof in today's HW world, skillwise.

 

So did I , until I learned different.

 

It’s a fascinating question, Jeffries for mine is the most difficult of all Heavies to rank across time. I just don’t know. I would love to see it. I think he’d produce absolute barnburners against guys like Marciano & Frazier.

 

The 50's was the era I was thinking he might be competitive in,,,Style wise a prime Charles I believe would beat him, Marciano? that would be a brawl.