If you could solve a boxing mystery, what mystery would you solve?

Good calls both, well done buddy.

 

I believe Alexis had only just started to get his life back on track too.

 

This is a good un. The ko of johnson has always imtruiged me.
I change my mind frequently whenever it's a true ko or Jack threw it.
Maybe he was just old and tired and had enough.
Perhaps he meant to beat Willard but by the 26 th, he just thought 'Ah screw this'.

 

Yea, reckon your last sentence about sums it up, Johnson prob thought he would beat Williard, I mean he was somewhat slow and predictable, that said , not sure why Jack signed for a 45 rounder !! plus by then Jack had enjoyed too much of the high life. stay safe buddy.

 

I think old Jack fought to win - you can see that in the earlier rounds, he was easily and purposefully punching Big Jess from pillar to post, looking for an early KO. On film and as described, Johnson began to flag badly approaching or after the 20 round mark.

Meanwhile Willard was stepping it up as Johnson tired and was landing some big, energy sapping body shots.

Now one would question why Johnson would wait until round 26 to take a dive. In Johnson’s claim of a dive he did cover that by suggesting his wife in the audience was awaiting the payoff and once she signalled it was in hand and left the arena, Jack then knew to dive.

The alternate explanation for that moment in time was that Jack instructed his wife to leave as he knew his time was coming and didn’t want her to see his ultimate fall.

If the latter is true I could accept that Johnson, though destined to lose anyway, might’ve mentally surrendered, partially voluntarily going down upon the next decent punch.

However, Big Jess’ right hand can be seen as plain as day - it snapped Johnson’s head back and literally moved his body back. Jack also tried to grab hold of Jess as he was falling, as if trying to save himself.

I think Johnson’s claim of a fix held strongest when the fight film went MIA for decades - sans vision, a fix was more easily sold. I think when the film resurfaced in the 60s, the vision therein lent far more to a legit KO than not.

An interesting tidbit is that when Johnson agreed to the fight and first met Willard he admitted that he didn’t realise Jess was so big - perhaps upon seeing Willard in the flesh, an older, out of shape Johnson then realised he might’ve bit off more than he could chew.

 

Think that's it Mike.

 

Sounds good mate.
The more you look at it the more that sounds the more likely scenario.
Just a tired out old guy, worn out in the heat.

 

How many Japanese geishas did Mike Tyson sample in the days leading up to his Tokyo bout with Buster Douglas?

Along the same lines....George Foreman suffered a cut in sparring before the Rumble in the Jungle, resulting in pushing the date ahead several weeks. In the interim, how many African hoes did he have? Rumor was 10 a day.

 

That's probably what I would go with.... Primo's KO of Sharkey being fixed would be my runner up....

 

Notice how nobody is bringing up the many many conspiracies about Wilders losses to Fury, all of course coined solely by Wilder....

 

Did Bill Farnan really fight Jack Burke?

Did James Jeffries really fight Frank Childs?

There are a few unconfirmed fights, that are supported by significant evidence.

 

The mystery is...who was the "deadliest pre-fight snacker/eater of all time?"

 

No, but James pinched Julia Child on the navel after an argument evening
boat ride one time...doesn't that count?

 

What substance was Duran injected with that allegedly made horses stronger?

 

You speak in riddles old man!