James J Jeffries Feats of Athleticism

You had a fight between somebody who was obviously very inexperienced, and might not prove to be all that, and a great fighter who was obviously well past his best.

The majority seem to have picked Jeffries, and Jackson's history seems to have been well known, but Jackson seems to have got a good training camp in, which started to sew doubts in peoples minds.

The San Francisco Evening Post wrote:

"Jackson can today deliver a much harder blow than Choynski, who judging from his last fight, has completely gone to pieces. If Jeffries hopes to be declared the winner of Tuesday nights fight, he must so to speak, get a move on, otherwise Jackson will win the battle on points, if he does not happen to end it before the limit is reached."

 

This isn't rip on your post but in a larger sense regarding the quoting of contemporary accounts from that age which I do often myself.

Do you often feel when reading critiques or analysis of boxing by the press from that era that they have no idea what they are talking about?

 

There a writers in every era who don't know what they are talking about, but you still have to work with what you have got.

 

I have Pollack's bio on Jeffries on my desk right now, you have it and know that there are plenty of concerns voiced in it regarding Jackson's chances against Jeffries, no need for me to type them out here.

 

Exhibit A
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/17/george-groves-chris-eubank-jr-fight-report

 

"Some of his friends contend that he has been on the retrograde since he whipped Slavin, and that his physical condition has been rundown to such an extent that any husky young fighter like Jeffries will stop the once great fistic general in short order."
"Jackson was up against a great beating."
" Jeffries looks like a comer,Jackson has been doing the booze business to such an extent it would be difficult to condition him for a fight".
" There are many who think the colored pugilist is no longer even a shadow of his former self".
"Although it was conceded that Jackson was the more scientific fighter and better ring general,it is feared that he will never be able to stand any length of time against the younger and hardier Jeffries.
"Jackson's former trainer' Parson Davies expressed himself as rather dubious as to Jackson's ability to get into good shape for the fight."
There are numerous newspaper reports stating Jackson had had his day.

 

I think the issue was, that Jeffries still hadn't really beaten anyone, and had only gotten a draw with Choynski, and Ruhlin at that point.

 

And it may ultimately be unknowable....