If Johnson and Jeffries had fought close to their primes...

Clearly? I posted a report that said the green Jeanette got the better in round one. Johnson was lucky he kept his belt despite losing from a clear foul.

 

How can we be sure? Johnson never meet any of them close to their heavyweight primes. The other three men fought each other in their primes, so we know.

IMO we know Langford was better than McVey or Jeannette in their primes. We also know Langford wrecked some of the guys Johnson gave title shots to im more impressive fashion. Johnson avoided matches with Langfrod, McVey and Jeanette as champion despite many news articles talking about the purses!

Johnson's wins over the three men need to be put into perspective:

Jeannette was green as grass, he says below 170 pounds, and had a losing record in some of the matches.

Langford was 20 years old, and just 156 pounds.

McVey was a teenager for two fights, and just 20 for the third.

 

Good post , and not just because I agree with it.

 

I get so sick of the argument that Jeanette, Langford, and McVey were not in their primes when Johnson beat them so somehow those fights dont count. Well, guess what: Johnson got bigger and better as well.

I also dont find the argument that Langford "wrecked" some of Johnson's opponents better than Johnson as compelling at all. Styles make fights. Its cliche but true. Langford was an aggressive puncher. Johnson was a defensive boxer. Just because Langford knocked out Jim Flynn doesnt mean that hes going to beat Johnson.

Langford is one of my favorite fighters but I think he was made to order for Johnson, sad for me to say but true. I think a Johnson-Jeanette fight would have been an absolute snoozer with both fighters waiting for something to happen. In fights like that the champion gets the benefit of the doubt so I dont see Jeanette winning on points. If he gets aggressive he plays right into Johnson's hands. McVey, well, if their sparring footage is anything to go on McVey doesnt have a chance in hell. He looks no better against Johnson than Flynn or Burns. For all of the talk of his vaunted strength McVey gets smothered into ineffectiveness as easily as anyone else Johnson fought.

The bottom line is that you can criticize Johnson all you want (and theres plenty to criticize) but he got the title shot, he made the most of it, and once he was champion a certain ability to dictate comes with that. It was up to those other three to force a fight with him. Langford came the closest to being called a clear contender and Johnson should have fought him in December 1913. Thats the biggest stain on Johnson's record but Jeanette and McVey dont have a look in on that argument, certainly not to the degree of Langford.

 

^^^^ Couldn't agree more... McVey, Langford and Joe.. all had quality wins before johnson beat them... Whether they improved or not is kinda pointless so Johnson also improved and got bigger himself. If any of the fights were close.. sure.. I could see a claim that it might've been different.. but Johnson literally beat all of them with ease.. I just don't see how the case is made for them to beat Johnson or to continue to bring up this ohhh they weren't prime argument.

 

Johnson had much better skills than Jeffries who looks very raw in the footage of him.

 

I posted a report from a local reporter for the Philadelphia Public Ledger this man was actually there.It states Johnson thumped Jeannette in lively fashion in the first round and it casts doubts about the foul saying," an apparent foul".Why would Johnson need to foul Jeannette ? He was beating him nearly every week ,he had clearly established his dominance.

If he was worried about losing to Jeannette how come he met him a week later and dropped him 4 times in a 6rds fight? It doesn't make any sense. Thinking about it, that makes it right up your street!

 

Langford was 23, with over 50 fights under his belt.He received a bloody good hiding .

 

USA!

USA!!!!!

USA?

Usa?

uSa?

usA?

USa?

UsA?

usa?

U-S-A!

USA

U.S.A.

Usa!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

"USA"

'Usa'

u.s.a.

Oh.... Usa!

 

The man's a plank.atsch

 

The Allies would not have won either World War without the intervention of the USA, but let us be clear, they came in for their own reasons not to rescue Great Britain.