And an entirely plausible one. Jeffries, in recounting his ring battles does not state that he took Fitz lightly the second time and the articles are unusually frank, but it is one possible scenario.
I accept your word completely that the story is out there. That the story is TRUTH--I have some skepticism. Memories fail with old men. Did Muldoon mix up fights? Mix up dates? Exaggerate? Was just telling a good story and replaced obscure with famous names? If the story is the bald truth it paints this veteran professional fighter behaving very unprofessionally. That cuts no ice with me as an excuse (I don't know what else it is supposed to be) or some sort of criticism of Jeff. For me, if a contestant at the Olympics gets drunk before his event and loses, that doesn't make the winner less of a gold medal winner. As for Fitz's "better" performance, there could be other factors. Jeff was much heavier in the second fight. Perhaps this slowed him down against the quicker Fitz. Fitz also was apparently surprised by the Jeffries crouch in the first fight and had to figure it out. He would know what to expect by the second fight and be prepared to attack it. Fitz did cut up Jeff in the second fight, but he also got KO'd in eight rounds rather than eleven.
Getting back to the original thread discussion, do you Fogey or McVey think that Chuvalo could have beaten or at least really troubled Jeffries? I myself think that it would have been a tough proposition for James.
I said its a possible explanation and repeated it.Am I speaking Chinese or something? No denigration of Jeffries implied and I dont see how there could be, but then I'm sure I'm not beating him with a stick, and you're sure I am. Ftz was quicker ? What quicker in the second fight ,or quicker period? Yes the fight went 8 rds and Fitz won most of them ,how many did he win in the first fight? You're helping my case, not your own here.
Okay. Let's agree to disagree. We just look at things differently. I said straight out that I accept your word that the story is out there. But for me, while it is easy enough to believe Fitz might have taken Jeff lightly, I would consider a story that he was falling down drunk the night before the fight as deserving of a bit of skepticism. Fitz was a professional fighter who seemed a bear for training. I can't imagine anything more unprofessional than getting drunk before a major fight. "No denigration of Jeffries implied" Oh. I don't see how a story about Fitz being falling down drunk the night before the fight could be interpreted as doing anything but lessoning the credit Jeff gets for the victory. The whole point of repeating the story is to imply Fitz was not at his mental, or even his physical, best that night. "Fitz was quicker? What quicker in the second fight, or quicker period?" Quicker period. I think he was always quicker. With no film of the 1902 fight, though, there is no sense arguing about it. In my judgment, the very limited fight film we have of the two men shows Fitz with the quicker reflexes.
Adam Pollock has done the leg work, so let's see what he says about the consensus of the Jeff-Fitz 1899 fight round by round Round one--fairly even Round two--big Jeff round. He knocked Fitz down. Round three--fairly even, or Jeff round Round four--Fitz's round Round five--Fitz's round Round six--Fitz's round Round seven--Fitz's round Round eight--Jeff's round Round nine--Jeff's round Round ten--big Jeff round, Fitz down twice Round eleven--Jeff knocks out Fitz It appears Fitz was ahead of both fights after seven rounds, probably further ahead in the 1902 fight, although Jeff concentrating on the body perhaps led to scorers underestimating the damage he was doing. All of this is speculation without film. Much is made of Fitz doing better against common opponents than Jeff did. But I think it is easy to explain. Fitz could knock out those common opponents. He could not knock out Jeffries, and so Jeff was still there to counterattack after Fitz had fired his best.
I think Jeffries was a couple of levels above Chuvalo .I see Chuvalo lasting the distance but losing a clear decision.he might be more durable and bigger than Sharkey but he wasn't as quick nor a hard hitting. judging from news reads. I do give Chuvalo a good chance of beating Sharkey however.