You may well be right J, but can we proceed on the premise that those were his next challengers ,and that he beat them?
Hoping I can do justice to Pollack's book (which I HIGHLY recommend), Jeffries retired because he'd run out of highly lucrative white competition. A lot of money had gone out of boxing when boxing became illegal in New York. He had made good money in California fights with Fitzsimmons and Corbett, who were living legends, and Munroe because of the This content is protected controversy regarding their exhibition after Jeffries Fitzsimmons defense. Now, it was about 50-50, in peoples views, whether Marvin Hart could make Jeffries exert himself. Maybe it would have made some money, maybe not. Hart definetely wasn't seen as an outstanding challenger to Jeffries claim as the top heavyweight. Unsure how lucrative a fight with Hart, or any other white likely to come along in a few years, would be, and content with his accomplishment and recognition, Jeffries retired. As for Johnson, I don't think Jeffries especially feared him. Jeffries said that he wanted the title to stay in white hands and, if he was slated to loose, he wanted the title to go to a white man. Jeffries, after winning the championship, in fact said that he would not draw the color-line for defenses. Trainer Delaney was very much against giving blacks a title shot, and may have influenced Jeffries. Johnson stated he thought Delaney was a big factor in Jeffries barring blacks from title challenges. (Ironically, Delaney was in Johnsons corner in Reno). Jeffries said that he did not bar meeting blacks in non-title fights. It would have been interesting to have seen how the public would have reacted to a non-title Jeffries-Johnson encounter, if Johnson had lasted and performed well. On the other hand, one can't really blame Johnson for bristling against being banned from an actual title fight on the basis of his color.
Jeffries was such a hero, and seen as so invincible that I don't think the public would have objected.
Jeffries stated categorically that he would not take the chance of defending against a black challenger,lest he lose his title ,and the crown go out of white hands. Jeffries made his biggest purse against Johnson a black man ,in Reno Nevada. I look forward to reading Pollack's book ,but I understand that the Johnson fight is not covered in it.
It is my beleif that Jeffries was at his absolute peak when he retired and that he would have been when these fights took place. I think that Marvin Hart had the right style to give Jack Johnson trouble but that his style would not be appropriate for dealing with Jeffries. He would take the fight to Jeffries and would get taken out, perhaps fairly quickly. Tommy Burns was capable of playing a more subtle game than Hart, sor he would likley do a little better despite his physical disadvantages. Even so he would be a 5' 7'' 175lb who relied on his offensive arsenal to win fights, and Jeffries body attack would get him. So far neither fight would have left many what ifs. The Johnson fight is obviously the biggie. Johnson was a prime all time great and would have had the style to beat Jeffries. Who won would likley depend upon the ruleset, and I think that both fighters have enough in their game to render the outcome uncertain. What is certain is that the winner would have had a resume with no credible peer untill Joe Louis retired. If this epic battle had taken place then a whole range of mega fights would have presented themselves including matching the winner against the dusky trio.
A win over Hart and Burns does little for Jeffries legacy, imo. Most nowadays would consider a win against Burns and Hart a given anyway. In fact, it seems that the inactive Jeffries did better against Johnson than a prime Burns did anyway. Hart did nothing much after Johnson and Root, and he would probably have been a footnote, if he was not a lineal (technically) champion who was often forgotten and remembered only because he beat Jack Johnson. Burns did have a good run. Provided he still won the title (after Jeffries retirement) and defended it quite a bit, it would have been still a big win. But if he didnt ever get the lineal title (due to jeffries extending his run), then it would have meant pretty much nothing at all, and i think his weight would have actually seen Jeffries highly criticised for taking the fight to start with. This leaves Johnson. Definitely a huge win. I think it lifts Jeffries to a definite top 3 status and probably no 1. Johnson is an all time great no matter which way you look at it. Whoever one the world title definitely loses (on Jeffries retirement) loses it to Johnson somewhere. He was simply too good for too long, even with out the desire to train. It may have even met that Johnson were to take apart better versions of Lanford, McVey or co, which may have rated Johnson hire. Who knows, he may have been in shape for Willard which may have lead to him fighting and beating Wills as well. Johnson Dempsey could have been a definite realistic chance.
Hart was the leading challanger at the time and Johnson was obviously next in line. Ed Martin had been long eliminated by Johnson and McVey and IMO had never the style to compete with Jeff. Langford was not looking at the Heavyweights at the time and I suspect Burns, who was a little known MiddlwHeight, would never have ventured into Jeffries vision. Jeannette was just starting to make waves and provided Jeff could beat Jack his legacy would be enormous as he could retire undefeated around 1910. However the flipside is that Johnson COULD HAVE DEFEATED HIM and his legacy would now be less that it is, it all hinges on the result of that contest and furthermore that result would probably hinge on the conditions of the fight. Specifically I would pick Jim to win a 45 round contest (1906-08) anf Jack to win a 25 round affair. What do the rest of you think-Johnson and Jeffries haters excepted!
I would give a motivated Johnson a very slight edge at this time . If Jeffries had defeated those three I mentioned ,[two of whom I think would have been allmost certainties], I beleive he would have no trouble cracking the top 3 ,and possibly higher. I think Jeffries would beat Jeanette,and Mcvey,only Johnson really stands as a 50/50 fight imo.
We can go by the assumtion that Johnson carried Jeffries but lets face the facts Jeffires had not fought in 6 years. He had to lose 100Lbs at the age of 36 and had no tune-up fight and went in the ring against the world Champ. I would have to think a prime Jeffries would do a lot better than he did. Johnson was active when he lost to Willard but we cut him a lot of slack for being KO'd by Willard and its almost comparing apples to apples, except for the fact that Jeffries was inactive for 6 yrs. We do not count Ali's loss to 6 fight Spinks. I think Jeffires beat all of those oppnents and may have a tough close fight with Johnson or according to some experts would have beat him. From what I seen on film looks like a close competitve fight prime for prime. Which is why I try and rate them close