Jack Blackburn who is probbly best known as Joe Louis's trainer was in his day an outstanding lightweight. Benny Leonard considered by many to be the best lightweight of all time was champion from 1917 to 1924. Blackburn retired from boxing in 1923. So, Would this have been a good match up from 1917-1923? Blackburn was 34 in 1917. Leonard was 21. Was Blackburn still at or near his prime? Was Blackburn still fighting at lightweight at the time? Was there any talk of making this fight? Assuming that from 1917-1923 that Blackburn was still at or very close to his prime. What would be the result of the match? 15 rounds. How would the result of this match up effect your Pound for Pound rankings. If Leonard won? If Blackburn Won? If they drew?
Nah, blackburn was on the decline and iirc suffering pretty bad from jail time and alcoholism, he clearly wasn't at his best during those years.
It's unfortunate this didn't happen, as it would have been fascinating to have a first hand comparison from Blackburn about Leonard and Gans. Still, this simply was never going to take place. Benny would have gained nothing from defeating Blackburn at this stage, and they were now well apart in weight. Leonard reached the top in 1917, while Blackburn's prime was long gone. After five years away due to his prison sentence, it's not reasonable to expect that Blackburn would be anything like he once was, especially past 30, and the interceding years saw him gain over 20 pounds, so he was long past the lightweight limit.
Blackburn was an incredible fighter who blew his prime do to jail time. He may be the most underrated boxer today. Frank Klaus and Packey McFarland wanted none of his game.
O rly? http://www.antekprizering.com/blackburnstoryparti.html http://www.antekprizering.com/blackburnstorypartii.html I think Jack is underrated ...A lightweight who fought at his best at 138 pounds, he was powerful enough and clever enough to best men of the middleweight and heavyweight classes....Ketchell and Papke avoided meeting him, and Battling Nelson also feared him..."- Police Gazette. July 24, 1909
I believe I have read as many fight reports of Blackburn's fights before his imprisonment, as Harry Shaffer, or more. From what I read, he wasn't as great as people consider him to be. Very inconsistent, easy to knock down, bad at finishing a hurt opponent, too defensive-minded, despite having a punch to be effective offensively. 138 pounds is bull****. More like 145 pounds or heavier.
Senya is far more knowledgable and informed about the era than most of us, but him calling Blackburn "overrated' seems very harsh. I hardly see Blackburn in any top 10 lists.
And I hardly see McFarland in any top 10 lists, who was light years ahead of Blackburn both in abilities and accomplishments. Like I said, Blackburn should never have been rated at lightweight. See "Research questions" at CBZ forum (search for 'Blackburn' in thread title) for more info. Both in the articles you posted a link to and in Kevin Smith's book (if you read it) you hardly if at all hear anything negative regarding his bouts, it's all praise for good performances, excuses or questions for bad ones (if mentioned at all, usually not, and he at times was worsted in several bouts in a row by mediocre boxers) and claims that he was avoided by everyone. The "avoiding" part was typical in boxing at all times and needs to be evaluated critically.
Out of interest, Senya, how do you rate George Dixon? Or have you done extensive enough research on him to come to a viable conclusion?
And you know this based on what film? As far as accomplishments go, Who did McFarland beat that compared to Sam Langford, Dave Holly, and a 1903 Joe Gans?