How good was prime Jim Jeffries?

Correct. Some believe that many heavyweight boxers from 1890-1960 were too small to compete today. I'm somewhere in between because good power and good speed would remains the same, though size clearly matters too.

It is here where Jeffries stands alone from 1890-1960. His tale of the tape was very impressive, even by modern standards. Jeffries had big legs, a huge chest, and a thick neck. His reach at 76.5" is a tad short by modern standards, but suited his style of body punching, hooks, and uppercuts.

[url]http://www.boxingnewsonline.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Jeffries-vs.-Fitzsimmons.jpg[/url]

 

I would take what the papers said back then concerning this fight with a grain of salt. From all the footage I have seen, Jack Johnson was winning very easily and was taunting whilst clinching with Jefferies from the start.

I agree, Jefferies wasn't the same fighter against Jack Johnson as he was prior to his retirement. After a six yera layoff and having to lose so much weight so quickly, he didn't do bad at all, but it wasn't close. Jack Johnson was playing with him.

 

decent hearts manager

 

Clear top 10 HW ever.

More accomplished than Dempsey. His resume is actually staggering given the era.

For his time, all fellow boxers and writers praised Jeffries endlessly as the perfect fighting machine.

 

This is pretty accurate. Based on resume he should still be considered top ten material or just outside of it. No fighter has had his legacy tarnished by a single loss as has Jeffries. Two reasons why Jeffries is forgotten.
1. No footage of Prime Jeffries
2. Fought on the wrong side of history against Johnson and lost decisevely.

 

:thumbsup

Great post!!

All of his contemporaries considered The Boiler maker to be the greatest..Indeed the legendary Sam Langford openly advertised that he would. "Fight any man on Earth, except Jim Jefferies". Jefferies was considered by many to be an athletic freak.

His fight with Johnson tells us nothing. As you rightly point out, JJ was well past prime and was over 300lbs prior to starting camp. Even Johnson himself acknowledged that Jeferies was the greatest of their time.

It is almost impossible to gauge just how great prime Jefferies was, but no doubt he was greatest HW of his time.

 

Well said Nonito!!

 

Dempsey himself had tremendous respect for Jeffries. It's not often that a sitting champion admits he's lose to a fighter of the past. When asked who would have won, Dempsey said he would have knocked my chin off.

Rickard, the famous fight promoter for Dempsey partnered with Dempsey's ( Doc Kearns ). The two grossed US$ 8.4 million in only five fights between 1921 and 1927 with Dempsey.

Rickard who was promoting and very familiar with Dempsey said, Jeffries was the hardest hitter he ever saw.