Jack Johnson was stronger than Jim Jeffries

I have actually looked quite a bit for this. I cant actually find many (actually any that i can recall) contemporary newspaper articles which even refer to Jeffries great athletic ability or high jump ability.

The closest articles i can remember finding was a beach sprint between Jim Corbett and Jeffries. Anyone want to hazard a guess who won this? Arguably the most underated "athlete in heavyweight boxing". By the way, for what its worth, it seems that Corbett was also the better Handball player.

The next closest i found was an article from 7 foot athlete in the time. He was a champion university runner and good at all sports. Because he was such an atlhete, he seemed to think that he could take up boxing and beat Jeffries. He was hyped as a potential world title challenger because of size and athletic ability. But interestingly, that whole article about a world title challenger because of his world class athletic ability made no mention whatsoever of Jeffries supposed running times.

As an aside, and an interesting tidbit, Herbert Slade, the former world title challenger did finish 3rd in a New Zealand Shot put championship.

I found this Johnson time interesting. 12 seconds is not that great a time on its own, but if it is at the end of a 5 mile run it becomes a lot more impressive. I am not so sure Usain Bolt would necessarilly break 12 seconds at the end of a 5 mile run.

If anyone has any contemporary accounts or mentions of Jeffries or any other fighters athletic abilities, i would be interested to hear them.

 

I accept Jeffries was fast on the road ,especially for one of his bulk ,but through the years the pudding appears to have been over-egged to the point of bursting.
Herbert Slade The Great Maori,we don't hear much about him,this tit bit was new to me,thanks for it.
Johnson ,from his bulid ,looks more suited to longer distances than the burly Jeffries, who had tree trunk legs.

 

Heres a few notes i just found on Sharkey and Alex Gregains athletic abilities

http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cd...-----en-Logical-20--21----ryan+sharkey-all---

 

Off topic point on Burns. How ill was he when he meet Johnson? It has been a hard to pin down topic here.

 

According to corbetts manager, Corbett was a better athlete than Jeffries, but not fighter. Corbett seemed a pretty handy baseballer among other things.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...pg=2166,1964212&dq=sullivan+fitzsimmons&hl=en

 

I am not surpised Sharkey was a fine swimmer, he was a pocket Hercules with a huge tatooed chest, and powerful arms and legs.
Creggains was a fiery fellow by all accounts ,and started altercations at more than one prize fight ,when he disagreed with the verdict.
Sam Fitzpatrick of course ,managed Jack Johnson for a time.