How washed up was Jim Jeffries

He should get about as much credit as Wlad should get, if Lennox Lewis were to come out of retirement and fight him later this year.

 

After being gone for a full 6 years, having to lose over 100 lbs within a very short time and entering the ring at 35 years of age ( which was positively ancient in his day ), I'd say Jeffries was finished. In some of the photos I've seen of him before and during the Johnson fight, he looked fairly fit, but I think his appearance was deceiving. In Jeffries' day, the only way to drop 100+ lbs in just a few months was basically to starve yourself and in the process, I think he lost a lot of his strength. This also says nothing about the diminished stamina and slowed reflexes or the ability to take a punch that comes with age and inactivity.

In 1910, Jack Johnson defeated an opponent with a "name" but little else to offer.

 

Agreed-Jeffries,after a 6 year retirement, a 100 pound loss, was a shell of himself. Like an Ali,against Holmes and Berbick,only more so.
And without a tune-up bout.hmmm.
In terms of history, the bout was important. In terms of a prime H2H between Jeffries and Johnson,MEANINGLESS...

 

Johnson deserves a decent amount of credit, Jeffries was considered a great, someone who ducked him that he wasfinally facing. Jeffries was past his best but at least looked in great shape. Johnson was only 4 years younger and completely dominated him

LEwis was 38 when he retired and 45 now Jeffries was 35 when he fought Johnson and was prime when he retired - completely different. It's much more like Holyfield beating Tyson or Frazier beating Ali. Or Hagler losing to Leonard for that matter

The 100lbs was a big exageration, we've seen pix of Jeffries in between and no way he got upto 330lbs. Probably used as an excuse after the loss

Because Jeffries was suffering from parkinsons disease Jeffries admitted he'd never beat Johnson, Jeffries biggest strength was his strength/wrestling ability - that's the last thing you lose and Johnson treated him like a ragdoll

 

Jeffries was totally washed up.

 

And you forgot to ad that if Jeffries had taken Johnson the distance and won a decision, that it most certainly would have been " a robbery".... Right?

 

You don't 'get it back in the ring' you get it back in sparring

But yes ofcourse it did, Jeffries biggest strengths were his ability to out muscle opponents and his power, you don't lose those in your 30s and Johnson pushed him around and literally laughed at his power. What would a prime Jeffries do? HE never had good boxing skills - Fitz and an old Corbett outboxed him so he isn't outboxing Johnson

 

IF? Jeffries was about to get knocked out, wasn't going to happen

All we need to know is, Jeffries feasted on shot versions of Corbett and Fitz, pussied out of the Johnson fight retiring in his prime, he got stick for 6years about pussying out of the fight and felt bad, then he got in great shape took the fight and got completely dominated

 

Course not. Your man won the fight and that's all that matters. Why bother listing facts about a 6 year retirement period or being aged 35 years, or the need to go from being totally deconditioned to making fight weight within just a matter of a few months? Now if Jeffries HAD won the fight, then we'd be going into excuse mode, but for right now, there's no need.

Funny how you don't seem to have a problem making concessions for Fitz and Corbett being " shot" but somehow it doesn't seem to work the other way. :huh

Jeffries retired around the same time that Johnson lost to Marvin Hart, who then was proclaimed as the next champion.. What you're saying isn't making sense.

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" feeling bad" had nothing to do with it... He was being offered a fortune for that fight...

 

Well he could have fought the fight 6 years prior, or 5 years prior, but he thought 6 years retirement was a good time....sooo? Johnson was 32, only 3 years younger

Funny how Jeffries fans talk about Corbett and Fitz being legacy fights despite the fact they were older than Jeffries was when he fought Johnson? And Corbett was as inactive as Jeffries. And guess what that counts for Jeffries but not Johnson? Consistant? NOPE.

Let's face it if Johnson's win over Jeffries means nothing, then Jeffries has zero legacy because his wins over Corbett/Fitz mean even less

Johnson didn't lose to Hart, it was a robbery

 

That makes perfect sense. Waiting for 6 years. What was he waiting for?

Three years in age, COMBINED with six years of inactivity is more than enough to place one fighter in prime and another out of prime... You know this.

I have never claimed that Corbett and Fitz were prime.

Naturally.

 

Being INACTIVE for 6 years, can have no benefit for a 35 year old [or any age],without some tune-up fights.If that was the case that a 6 year layoff
replenished a fighter's energy, why not a 10 year rest. ? Jeffries was doomed when he came out of his retirement against an-alltime great
Jack Johnson. Public pressure forced the Boilermaker to leave his alfalfa farm, after his 6 year retirement...