How great could J J Walcott have been?

This is probably the bottom line.

My judgement is that the greatest heavyweight defensive masters of history like Jack Johnson learned their skills out of necesity. Early in their careers they were fighting genuine contenders or fringe contenders while they were working a 60 hour shift and not training. They developed an economical defensive aproach because it was simply the only way they could be competitive under such conditions.

A more protected Walcott might have enjoyed greater carer sucess on paper but would we ever have seen him moonwlaking Joe Louis into fits on confusion?

 

Isnt it so pretty? Who have you seen on film do something like that outside of him? No one in my estimation

 

Certainly nothing like it in the higher weight classes.

You might find a lightweight who did something similar.