Could Jim Jeffries Plausibly Have Beaten Every Champ Prior To Louis?

True, to beat Jeffries in 20+ rounds with Corbett style you had to have Ali-like durability. Jim troubled Jeffries but it was just a matter of time for James to break him down. Same happened in Fitz fight.

I also agree that Corbett would be much better in shorter distances. I see him as an extremely tough opponent to beat in 10 rounds. You need someone like Frazier to catch him in such a short bout.

 

I favor Jeffries in 20 rounds clearly over:

Jim Corbett
Bob Fitzsimmons
Marvin Hart
Tommy Burns
Jess Willard
Jack Sharkey
Primo Carnera

I'd probably pick Jeffries over:

John Sullivan
Max Schmeling
Gene Tunney
Max Baer

I'd pick:

Jack Johnson
Jack Dempsey
Joe Louis
over Jeffries.

 

anyone before 1910 beats anyone after 1920 duh it's the classic section

 

Tunney would school Jeffries in 10 rounder like he did with Dempsey, but I'm not sure he's durable enough to take punishment from Jeff for 20 rounds. Gene is simply not proven enough against elite HW punchers.

 

That's not a round by round report. I would not put much stock into it. A round by round report of the action that is primay with the location of the fight in its back yard such as the Brooklyn Union ( or the NY times ), like I posted is far better than a guy from 1900 somehow doing punch stats. Jeffries won quite a few rounds before the 17th.

Those reports ( Brooklyn Union and NY times ) are about even on rounds.

Don't buy all the web stories like Corbett saying he was up 22-0, the fight itself doesn't always play out like quotes might suggest. Research will show you. Even on filmed fights, the press stories that lives on doesn't always match up to the ring action.

 

Pretty close to where I stand. I would favor Willard, Tunney and Baer over him, too.

 

Willard case is interesting because he's so huge and durable. He wouldn't beat Jeffries to the punch though and James wouldn't try to knock him out with head shots like Johnson tried. Jeffries would go to his body and sustaining it for 20 rounds is really tough.

The only scenario which I can see Willard winning is if James tried to prove he's stronger man and didn't fight agressively but tried to maul Jess in clinches. If he didn't attack Jess body and fought at very slow tempo, I can see him losing.

 

Jeffries defeats Hart, Burns, Willard and is 50-50 over Primo, Baer, and Braddock, assuming he picks up his game in accordance with the skills of the eras. His chances end right there, IMO.

 

Right. You have to be careful quoting Corbett. He not the most honest man about what happened in the ring. A real hot head type, who felt his KO loss to both Fitzsimmons and Jeffries was a " fluke ". A 1897 and 1900 version of Lennox Lewis lottery punch if you will.

 

He probably beats burns, maybe beats Johnson at his best maybe, the problem with Jefferies is that's theres not much film of him and a whole lotta myth about him, so who knows.