Video footage of Johnson shows him losing balance and falling on the canvas while throwing simple combinations. He looks really bad.
Tripping over the prostrate body of Stanley Ketchel who he had just ko'd for around 10 minutes is another interpretation of the occurrence you refer to..
Yes and no. Johnson didn't outright trip very often, as far as I know, but his style looked weirdly off balance by modern standards. Anyway, I'd give Johnson a much better shot with his own era's rules. But a 235 pound, possibly steroid filled monster using 5 oz gloves who whacked Byrd unconscious and had a slugfest with David Tua...well, it gives me pause.
You realise they were wearing leather shoes and had to stand in resin boxes to get a grip on the ring right?
I’m not sure why it’s fun to prod the old timers have you considered sparring with old school gloves? You might realise why they did as they did and why and why not those skills transfer.
Well, at least on film, it was just one time in just one fight we saw Johnson propel himself toward the canvas by way of his own momentum in his effort to decapitate Ketchel. If you believe as I do, make it twice in the same fight when moments earlier Jack fell to the canvas by way of his avoiding Ketchel’s overhand right which actually slid over the back of Johnson’s neck. The literature might also contain instances of Jack hitting the deck due to imbalance, I can’t recall. Suffice to say, Joe Louis, the master of poise and balance met the canvas a few times by way of less often seen missed punches that were also designed and intended to take his opponent’s head off. As to Lil Arthur, exactly as he was, v Ibeabuchi, I will just say, I prefer not.