In the Ring With James J. Jeffries by Adam Pollack K.O. Publications, Iowa City, IA 2009 This is the fourth title in the series of books that Adam has written about the heavyweight champions beginning with John L. Sullivan, and I think it's his best one yet. I just finished the book, and if you read like I often do, a little bit at a time before going to sleep at night, it will take you a while as this is also the longest of Adam's efforts, coming in at 666 pages, excluding the appendix. I have read all of the other books that have been written about Jeffries that I know of, and will say without hesitation that if you want to gain an appreciation of Jeffries as a fighter there is no book available that will enable you to accomplish that aim better than this one, nor can I imagine there ever will be. As usual, Adam provides us with numerous primary sources for each of his subjects fights, as well as for the events that took place before those bouts, and afterward. For many of Jeffries fights we are also given explicit details concerning the training regiment of both men. The amount of detail that Adam includes concerning and surrounding Jeffries fights with Fitzsimmons, Corbett, Tom Sharkey, Gus Ruhlin, and Jack Munroe is simply phenomenal and one is left with a real appreciation of Jeffries attributes as a fighter. It's a shame that Jeffries took the stance that he did in 1904/1905 and he and Jack Johnson didn't meet when they were closer to one another's primes. As Adam points out at the end of the book, Jeffries was a mere shell of himself in 1910 when he returned to face Johnson after six years of inactivity. The damage suffered to his legacy as a result of that one-sided loss is obvious. At the time he retired in early 1905 he was undefeated and viewed as unbeatable. He very well was at that point in time. We'll never know because he chose not to face Johnson at that point in time, vowing never to risk the heavyweight title to a black man. As I finished the book I stumbled across an article from a July 19, 1913 issue of The Mirror of Life and Boxing World in which Bob Fitzsimmons named Jeffries the world's greatest heavyweight. Fitzsimmons had fought and lost to both Jeffries and Johnson by then. I thought it was interesting that he said that "Jeffries at his best would have beaten Johnson in a couple of rounds, good as Johnson was." But the fact remains he didn't face him at his best, and we're left to wonder what would have happened if he had. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn more about Jeffries as a fighter. I can't help but think anyone who reads it will gain a much greater appreciation for him as a fighter. The sections concerning his fights with Fitzsimmons, Corbett, and Sharkey were of particular interest to me and I learned a lot about those fights that I didn't already know. There are many photographs sprinkled liberally throughout the book, and many of them were ones that I had never seen before.
Jeffries should of stayed retired that come back fight is was most people remember! him for, When it should be the unbeaten heavyweight champion jeffries that gets rememberd
also did it memtion in his book that anything about the rumors that fitzsimmons had no padding in his gloves for the jeffries fight?
I got one but I ain't started it yet. Looking forwards to it. It's the one i've most wanted to see from Adam. I wonder what will happen next? He's going to be writing about champions whose big fights are on film now. Books are still of great interest, but his style has been to break down fights based upon newspaper reports. That's fine, I love it, but for fights for which footage doesn't exist...give me grainy footage of Johnson-Burns over the newspaper reports any day, basically.
Thanks, CMOYLE, for your review -- I've read Mr Pollack's book, as well as your 'Sam Langford', their both terrific -- and also for passing along Fitzsimmons opinion of Jefferies v Johnson at their best.
I love all of adam's books, but his marvin hart book may well seal his fame as a historian because so many so called 'historians' swear there wasn't much information on him.
You might well be right. A Burns book could throw the subject wide open as well. I suspect however that the Sullivan book might go down as the one that resurected the Boston Strong Boy for a generation of boxing fans. Its full impact has not yet taken hold.
Yes, the book discusses the loaded gloves issue. I am working on a Hart bio. Check out Tracy Callis' review as well: http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/JamesJJeffries-AdamPollack-Book-Review.htm
IMO, Jeffries was the greatest HW of all time. Had boxing never changed its format, and championship fights were still 45 rounds, I dont think even Ali could have survived against Jeffries. Corbett chopped Jeffries up for 20 rounds, only to get kayoed a round or two later. This man's conditioning, speed, and toughness were unbelievable in his prime. Even the great Sam Langford wanted no part of Jeffries.
Jeffries was certainly very tough ,but he never went more than 25rds in a fight ,and then only once ,in the first Sharkey bout . Ali against Jeffries? Well,Ali would have had 24lbs over Corbett who outboxed Jeffries for 23rds, Ali was 2 inches taller than Corbett, had several inches in reach over him,and a lot more durable chin.Add the fact that Corbett had been retired for two years when he came back against Jeffries. I think Ali would have jabbed Jeffries head off, and, that the distance would not have been a factor ,because his face would have been raw hamburger after about 10 rds, Jeffries would have been retired on cuts.
Ali took more rounds off and breaks than Corbett did. Jeffries was a skilled body puncher, and even tougher & stronger than Frazier who as Ali put it had him close to death. Indeed, Ali collapsed after Frazier corner stopped the fight. No way he could have gone 25 rounds on that day. A key fight to look at is the prime Ali vs. Chavalo. Jeffries was bigger, faster, stronger, more skilled on offense and defense, and did everything as good or better than Chavalo. If Chavalo had more power, Ali would have been in trouble. Jeffries could have very well beaten Ali in a 25 round fight.
Ali was fighting men weighing over 200lbs,over 15 rds ,fought at a much faster pace than the fights Jeffries engaged in. Chuvalo who was a late sub for Ernie Terrell ,did not have much time to train for the first Ali fight, he came in at 216lbs ,only 2lbs lighter than Jeffries was for his first fight with the 188lbs Corbett,I don't think there is much between Chuvalo and Jeffries for size,except Jeffries was a couple of inches taller. Ali let Chuvalo hit him to the body to show his disdain for his attack, he won pretty much as he pleased. Jeffries was a superior fighter than Chuvalo ,and Ali would not have let him take the liberties he allowed Chuvalo. Jeffries had his face turned into raw steak by a supermiddleweight nearing 40 years old, a man who had been retired for two years , today that fight would have been stopped long before Jeffries could use his youth ,strength ,and huge weight advantage, to gain victory. These same advantages that Jeffries had in all his major fights would not be present against a prime Ali. Does any sane boxing fan think Jeffries could weather Ali's jabs and combinations without shipping horrendous facial damage? Does anyone think Jeffries hit harder than Liston,Foreman, Lyle ,Frazier, Shavers ? A 32 year old , thought to be past it ,Ali , took the body attack of a prime Foreman without ONCE going down. Is there anyone in the universe ,who thinks Jeffries hit as hard as Foreman? You pick a faded ,past it 33 year old Ali in his fight with Frazier in Manilla ,a fight in which the humidity was unbeleivable ,and the pace , incredible, and use that as an example of how Ali would do in a 25 rounder? Why would a prime Ali not weather Jeffries body blows? Jeffries was actually smaller than Ali, cruder,and slower. And for all the talk of his defensive qualities he was very badly marked up in several fights. Jeffries NEVER faced a 6' 3' 212lbs heavyweight ,with blinding speed terrific durability,and underated power, he would be embarrassed by Ali. My contention is that the 45rds distance would not be a factor ,because Jeffries would be stopped by tko ,long before it could come into effect. Want to see this fight ? Watch Randy Cobb against Larry Holmes.
See also this previous thread on Pollacks 'In the Ring with James J Jeffries' http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=173416&highlight=jeffries+guilalah -------- To my mind, Jeffries defeat of Corbett in 1900 is impressive, even though it was late rounds, as 1) observers thought Corbett had gotten in extremely good condition and performed his best since (and perhaps as well as) his 1892 defeat of Sullivan; 2) Jeffries (IMO) had not yet found his most effective style and, also, was still laboring with a bum left arm (examination after the fight showed that a bone going into his forearm was displaced, and Jeffries had that arm in a cast for several weeks afterwards). Similar comments could be made regarding the Sharkey defense. Jeffries got some criticism over his Sharkey and Corbett-I defenses; it seems to me, though, that after Jeffries left healed people realized Jeffries hadn't been firing on all cylinders, and had none-the-less triumphed over stiff competition. ----- In 'Facing Ali' Chuvalo claims that Ali only did the 'go ahead and hit my body' bit once. Does anyone know if this is true? -------- Anyways, Mr Pollack has written a heck of a book. Also, for those who enjoyed his Corbett and (my favorite) Fitzsimmons book, his Jeffries book will further extend their knowledge of Pompadour Jim and Ruby Robert.
New book review of this fine book available: Review of Adam J. Pollack’s In the Ring with James J. Jeffries by Zachary Q. Daniels - One of the things you discover in reading Adam Pollack’s series on the heavyweight champions is that while much has changed in boxing over the last century, how much things have also remained the same. So it is with his latest installment, In the Ring with James J. Jeffries. Controversial decisions? Jeffries - Sharkey I fits the bill. Debates about early stoppages? Jeffries’ fight with Gus Ruhlin generated arguments about this. Handlers entering the ring and terminating a fight? The fight between former champ Jim Corbett and contender Tom Sharkey offered this. Controversies over “loaded gloves?” Allegations of “being drugged” as an excuse for losing a fight? Bob Fitzsimmons covered both these bases long before Antonio Margarito or Wladimir Klitschko ever thought them up. Contentious fight negotiations? Jim Corbett offered this prior to his second fight with Jeffries, long before fighters like Floyd Mayweather came on the scene. Pollack’s books, then, while an excellent resource on the distant past, show us that much of what has occurred in the recent past and present in boxing is not at all new or novel. More here: www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=22524&more=1 www.eatthemushroom.com/mag/article.asp?id=1316&catID=6