Any LHW you'd pick to beat Jack Johnson prime for prime

Let's look at this reasonably.

Charles, Tunney, Moore, Langford, Fitzsimmons, Spinks, R. Jones, Foster, and Conn, in their primes were better than any title opponent that Johnson beat, and for the most part were also better the opponents that beat Johnson ( Klondike, Griffin, Choynski, Hart, )

Heck, they were likely better than Jack O'Brien who was far below the light heavyweight limit and according to some primary sources was the better in the 1909 fight ( Johnson's prime, O'brien past his )

Does that answer the question?

I can see quite a few top light heavy heavyweights beating Johnson, who was not a big puncher or a volume puncher. Johnson would be at a disadvantage in height and reach in some of these fights as well.

 

He was the best of his era no doubt but I can think of quite a few full fledged heavyweights that I would favor over him. It is tough to compare fighters of his generation to fighters from the 40's and on. Boxing was different back then and the film quality is not great. When I watch him with his hands down and standing flat footed throwing one punch at a time I question how he would be successful against a Louis, Marciano, Holyfield, Tyson etc.

I am taking nothing away from him, he is no doubt an all time great and innovator not just for being the first Black champion but for what he brought to the table as a defensive fighter. He paved the way and has my respect.

 

No, I don't think he ever fought at LHW....

 

I don't have a really reliable source for this, but I've read that Johnson never fought at less than 185.

 

On what results is this based? What is the gulf between his best wins (168 pound Burns, 150 pound Langford, decrepit alfalfa farmer Jeffries) and Louis, Ali, Liston, Holmes, Tyson, Lewis?

It's very difficult to take those assertions seriously.

Back to the topic at hand, Maske deserves a mention.

 

He did , he was below that in several fights.Early in his career he fought at what would be super middle today.

 

OK, I understand. I suppose Roy Jones would have been competitive, as he was way more agile and quick than anyone Johnson would have faced, and he successfully defeated a HW although a HW with less skill than Johnson.

I bet Archie Moore would have done ok...he fought up to 185 or so, and was The Mongoose.

Bob Foster? He didn't do well against the one HW he fought...but that was Ali. He may have been competitive vs Johnson.

Moorer did well obviously at HW.



Tunney, Conn, Maxim, Charles, Tarver.... nope.

 

I'd favor most of them (the ones who have a back-foot game, anyway). And I can also think of a number of lesser guys who might find a way to outpoint Jack over 12, but I don't want to give anyone a heart attack on this beautiful Friday afternoon.

 

Conteh won his first 18 fights all at heavyweight, he stopped 15 of his opponents, admittedly none of them stellar, but I don’t think he could’ve been described as awful.
He was simply too small in an era when heavyweights were getting bigger.

 

Conn or RJJ maybe .Someone who can move well ,not allowe Jack to fight at his own pace .But if we're talking 20 odd rounds then you have to favour Jack .I don't give many light heavy s a good shot at winning against a prime Johnson tbh.The man was light years ahead of his time.

 

Huh? Foster famously fought-& lost-to a bunch of HWs, including Ali, Frazier, Doug Jones, Ernie Terrell & Zora Folley. [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Foster_(boxer)[/url]

Most of these guys were boxers, Foster could not add much weight, all of the above but the older Folley (UD) Koed him...
He would not last vs. Johnson, unless Jack wanted to just toy with him.

 

I think there are plenty of light heavies that would give him a hard fight like Kid Norfolk, Billy Conn, Archie Moore, and Michael Spinks, but I can't see any of them beating a prime Jack Johnson.

 

Charles, Moore, Spinks, maybe Conn, Roy Jones, Jr., Kovalev

 

I don't question how successful he would have been vs a young Mike Tyson.... what I do question is what punch or combination thereof would Tyson have KO'D him with