Bob Fitzsimmons vs. James J. Corbett (to be, or not to be blind)

Corbett must be gay icon with those thongs of his.

 

Another newbie that thinks that he is the only person on this forum who has actualy watched this footage, or that it is impossible to have watched it and come to any conclusion other than his own.

 

I don't think Jack Johnson would last more than a few rounds in the modern ring. Smallish, unimpressive, and low output. He feasted on stubblebums and middleweights.

 

Glad you recognize what a badass Jack Johnson was. And yeah, I agree with you and McGrain that comparing these guys to modern fighters is a futile effort (but fun sometimes). I absolutely shy away from doing that with Greb. I marvel at his record but don't claim to know what he was REALLY like. Must've been great though.

 

Yeah, he's no Francois Botha :nut

 

Botha was an excellent pedigreed fighter of the modern ring. He dispatches the Galveston Midget in the three rounds with a couple excellently timed rights to the bread basket.

 

Honestly, I think some of these guys can hang in the modern era no problem.

 

Is what a fighter looks like on film a reliable indicator of how good they are even with high quality film?

There could be examples put forward both ways to suggest otherwise.

 

Denver Ed Martin, Joe Jeanette, Sam McVea, Al Kaufman don't fit that description.

 

Johnson critics seem to work on the principle that if you repeat it enough times it becomes true.

In reality Johnson arguably fought more challengers over 200lbs than any other champion before the 70s.

He definitely fought more world class challengers than any champion before Louis.

 

I dont think he did.

 

Indeed. I believe this forum is becoming clogged with Jack Johnson detractors.

I made a post a while back, but I believe Jack Johnson's colored title reign was one of the better reigns in heavyweight history...Johnson's linear reign 1908-1915 was only the icing on the cake.

 

You do know I was just baiting you, right? I have come to a comfortable "agree to disagree" resolution in our relationship regarding my not quite as high as your opinion of Johnson.

 

Between the 1890's and the early 1900's thongs were pretty much in used in the ring. Corbett was not the only one in it.