Could Jeffries have beaten anyone in the 1968 Heavyweight elimination tournament?

No, He loses to all of these.

 

Would you favor Karl Mildenberger over him ?

 

Absolutely. If he can go 12 with Ali, the distance with Folley and Machen, I think he could work Jeffries over the distance and pile up the points. Not even sure if Jeffries ever saw a southpaw. Maybe in a zoo.

 

All good points. But do you think Jeffries’ punching power might create a factor that Ali, Machen and Folley could not ?

 

Some of Jeffries best fights he took beatings till he gutted it out and came back. Fighters like Fitzsimmons and Sailor Tom Sharkey. Fitz wasn’t even a full fledged light heavyweight. Same for Sharkey at cruiserweight at 183. If he’s taking huge punishment from the those guys thinking that more modern fighters taller and heavier would be hard to beat.
Best chance would be against Mildenberger or Spencer. I gotta think Thad is too fast and Mildenberger too sophisticated a boxer.

 

I suspect all the above actually hit harder than Jeffries and were in turn hit much harder by opponents they beat.