Is Jim Jeffries criminally underrated today?

I'd say rather that the jury is still out on that.
You know there was a good guaranteed purse for Jeffries to defend against McVey ,and you also know he ignored it and instead fought Munroe.So he had the chance to fight a 205lbs guy of ability but turned it down.Yes? or No?

 

And Fitz was 12 years his senior.

 

Nope Fleischer never changed his rankings, and he never placed Jeffries at number one.

 

Jeffries never fought Childs.Goddard was nearly 41 years old.
Jackson was 37 years old an alcoholic and consumptive and he had not fought for 5 and a half years. Fitzsimmons had not fought for 2 years when Jeffries beat him.
Reports of the Choynski fight state many thought Choynski worthy of a draw and Jeffries had 52 lbs on Choynski.

 

Fitzsimmons was old when he fought Jeffries, but at the time he was at the pinnacle of his extraordinary career. Over a period of 15 years (1890-1905), no one could beat him except Jeffries. A year after his defeat to Jeffries, Fitz became world champion in light heavyweight by beating Gardner. The following year, he defeated Philadelphia O'Brien. Fitz was 41 years old. Were they good Gardner and O'Brien? O'Brien is much, much appreciated, an Hall of Fame. Jeffries' victory was against the best Fitz.

 

No no no no.

It would realistically have been between Munro and Johnson.

He was either going to go for the most credible white challenger (Monroe), or the best challenger period (obviously Johnson).

He was never going to fight the second best black challenger (McVea).

 

How was he at the pinnacle of his career when he hadn't fought for 2 years? You think Fitz was at his best at 39 years old?

 

It is true that Jackson and Goddard were old.
But Jeffries was young and inexperienced, but he clearly won.
He didn't fight the best Jackson and Goddard (no doubt), but his results are important, becouse he was green.

Fitzsimmons was world champion HW, years later he became light heavyweight champion, defeated O'Brien etc. Fitz was at the top of his career when he faced Jeffries.

Choynski was sent down. For half of the fight he just ran away.
The draw was conceded for Choynski's technical prowess, but Jeffries had fought better.
Choynski was much smaller: true, but so what? Choynski was more experienced and much more than Jeffries. In his career he defeated many HWs, such as Johnson.

 

Excuse me, but I was talking about the first Fitz-Jeffries fight. Fitzsimmons was HW world champion, therefore at the top of his career.

Not necessarily of his form, but career yes. Yet, if he became light heavyweight champion at 40 and beat O'Brien at 41 ... he didn't have to look bad!

 

Johnson was not a heavyweight when Choynski fought him. You brought up Jackson and Goddard,I just pointed out where they were at that stage of their careers.After the Jackson fight Tom Sharkey commented "Jackson was a physical wreck,I would have been ashamed to do it".
Jeffries himself was honest about the affair and said Jackson had nothing left.

 

Foreman would gas out
Jeffries should be favored over almost any fighter in History, at least slightly, in a fight to the finish bout...gloves or bareknuckle

 

I couldn't resist having a look:

Marina Kuptsova (Russia) cleared 6ft 2.5in aged 14 in 1996 and became World junior champion (under-20) two years later at age 16.

Ursula Fay (Northern Ireland) cleared 6ft aged 14 in 1982 and didn't compete beyond the age of 16.

I'm sure there will be more.

 

To be honest, we can probably say that he would have done well against later guys, in a strong man competition.

He was obviously a bit of a freak in terms of natural strength!

 

Seems pretty pointless to me to try and compare track and field achievements, when everyone seems to agree they are poorly documented, and even if they can be well backed up were done in such totally different conditions as to be completely incomparible with modern achievments. Like people have said they didn't have modern tracks, or high jumping techniques.

It's not like any of it matters in rating a fighter all time anyway.

 

I don't dispute that Jackson was old and out of condition. But Jeffries was green and inexperienced when he faced him.

Goddard continued to fight and win even after the defeat against Jeffries and also against good professionals. He wasn't a finished boxer when he fought Jeffries. Moreover, a green Jeffries.

Choynski, of course, defeated a green Johnson. However, he beat him, while in fact he lost to a young Jeffries. Choynski defeated a few good opponents in his career: Armstrong, Childs, Denver Smith, Everett, Maher, Goddard. A draw with Fitzsimmons. He was smaller than Jeffries, but he was intelligent and able. There is no denying that he was a capable opponent.