Dempsey would take out Jeffries over any distance; best early HW h2h?

No love for Burns?

I think Dempsey would demolish Jeffries at some point, he's strong enough to fend off Jeffries attempts to manhandle him, hard enough a puncher to damage Jeffries, and big enough to be able to soak up the late drubbing Fitz received. This would be a mad bout, I wouldn't be surprised if Dempsey mullers Jim inside six or seven rounds.

 

Allot of primed boxers of this era beat Prime Jeffries, Jeffries was never a master boxer and relied on his size and athleticism. Old versions of Fitz/Corbett outboxed him for long durations in his prime, past his prime Johnson toyed with him, for this fight Jeffries was only as inactive/past prime as the Corbett he got outboxed by. Johnson also laughed at Jeffries power shots and manhandled him, those attributes don't really leave you with age even if others do. So it's reasonable to deduce Johnson always beats him and it's also reasonable to deduce Prime Corbett beats him too. If Corbett/Fitz/Johnson all hit Jeffries at will, then it's reasonable to assume Wills/Tunney/Dempsey/Langford would too. Out of those he maybe too big for Langford and that's the match up you'd have to give him the best shot in although you'd have to pick Langford to be a bigger challenge than Sharkey. All of them probably have the power to stop him on at least accumulative punishment. Fitz was past prime but Jeffries may always have been a bit too big for him. Jackson I don't really know enough about, we know he was literally at death's door against Jeffries however

 

Sorry I didn't know Jeffries had Parkinsons and was punch drunk coming into the Johnson fight?

Jeffries fought 3 elite opponents in his prime and after his prime and in the first 12rounds against all of them didn't win a round pretty much. 1 of those opponents hadn't even won a fight in 6years. Not quite the same as Mayweather outlanding Oscar 2-1 while giving up 20lbs in bodyweight and Jones/Ali taking a pasting while shot. Jeffries unlike those men never proved himself a dominant fighter in his prime

If you don't want to make any judgements on fights where 1 opponent is past prime, then scratch Corbett/Fitz/Jackson from Jeffries ledger, all of a sudden his resume is a bit thin on the ground

 

I like Jack in this classic, but it wouldn't be easy. I rate Jeff very high but over the 15 rd. distance I think Jack would just win more rounds. Some question Dempseys stamina but a look at the Gibbons and Brennan fights show him getting stronger after the 10th rd.

 

1. He looked in fine shape to me and he was the better favourite, camp stories are pretty much hearsay. Let's look at the evidence - didn't want the fight in 1902-05, got completely dominated in 1910. His 2 biggest strengths, ie wrestling ability and strength basically got laughed at. And guess what you don't lose strength with age, so that would always be a factor

2. Ali had Parkinsons and as you know it's an idiotic example, how about we pick the Leonard who had 6years out of championship boxing to face Hagler? No that wouldn't work would it

3. After being made to look like an amateur for about 15rounds he knocked out a man who hadn't won a fight in 6years and a MW, yes a truly dominant display. For some reason you rate going life and death with Corbett a man who's has no wins for 6years but don't rate Johnson dominating Jeffries

4. On a reasonable scorecard FMJ should have beat Oscar by anywhere from 2-6points. Oscar was 20lbs bigger man for many people should have been WBA/WBC champion (was WBC) coming off a dominant performance against Mayorga, versus FMJ only 4years younger fighting at a weight he'd never fought at. Another poor example. The Jones 1 is a better example granted

 

It is quite possible that you are right on both counts.

 

Johnson then

Dempsey

 

1. After of before the fight :huh I'm guessing AFTER!!!! Either way I never talked about Jeffries being prime

2. Hmmm wait you forgeting your arguments about Parkinson's Ali and , wonder why

Jones clearly relied on speed, reflexs, stamina, he lost weight the wrong way, was possibly suffering low testosterone after abandoning steroids. It's a very different scenario to a fighter relying on strength and failing

3. Ahhhh actual facts like Whitaker drawing with Chavez and Holyfield drawing with Lewis, other facts, WTF why couldn't Lewis beat Holyfield, why couldn't Whitaker beat Chavez??????????????

4. Then you're wrong and using dodgy scorecards, did you think Tyson was ahead on the scorecards against Douglad too? :nut

5. Weight difference is an issue in boxing, you seem to give adequate wank time to Langford, Armstrong and Pacquaio for taking on bigger men. Because if you didn't you wouldn't rank any so high, none were particularly dominant

6. No because a fight at 147 or 140 or 135 doesn't give him the same size advantages, it actually makes him more drained if he doesn't get down to the right weight naturally. Oscar actually became a more balanced boxer at 154 too, he was very left centric at 147 and below

7. Says the man who rides on Jeffries wins over past prime Corbett/Fitz and ignores Johnsons wins over past prime Jeffries Hypocricy at it's finest.............Won't be reading = you can't debate

 

I figure i'll just respond with predictions of prime matchups for this.

Sullivan-Hard to say. I think his explosive power, strength and what seems to be greater speed would give Jeffries the same issues you cite with Dempsey. As far as science goes without footage it's hard to say who'd have an advantage... But even if we think of him as a crude come forward fighter Sharkey gave Jeffries plenty of issues in that regard.

Jackson-Prime for prime i think he tools Jeffries much like Corbett did but worse. As a man of similar science but greater size and physicality than Gentleman Jim, I favor him.

Corbett- Same as the above. Granted a come from behind flattening ain't out of the question, but I think the Jackson or Sullivan Corbett wins emphatically.

Fitzsimmons- Curious here. I can't say. Just like with Corbett, Fitz seemed to be quite superior until he ****ed up. Whether that ****up was luck, Jeffries engineering, or Fitzsimmons' carelessness or age, who can say.

Johnson- Beats him prime for prime, everytime. Up close he would smother. The uppercut is the natural antagonist to Jeffries' sunday punch, his left hook. And he'd torture him with it.

Langford- Loses by knockout. Too outweighed, and I don't think his outside game was quite good enough to win in that regard. I think he gets smothered, hooked, and outmuscled into the canvas.

Dempsey- Over the 15round distance, i see him as the winner as well. I think Jeffries would be too slow to start on this one, and an excited mauler wins on points.

Wills- Loses by knockout. I think he would just be ground down.

Tunney- Stays on his bike and peppers Jeffries with straight punches. Never truly hurts him, but keeps him at a distance with footwork.

 

Dempsey said Jeffries would have stopped him.