That Jeffries was a precosious talent is beyond doubt but his pre-title run deserves to be examined in more detail. His four main fights were with Ruhlin, Choynski, Sharkey and Armstrong and he had some difficulty in each of these, thoughts?
Both Ruhlin and Jeffries were green for their first fight so not a lot to be learned there imo. Some felt Choynski was entitled to the draw .Some felt Jeffries had done enough to warrant the win. Jeffries beat Sharkey in their first encounter I dont think there is any doubt of that.Their second fight was more closely contested and quite a few thought Sharkey should have gotten at least a draw . Jeffries injured his hand in the Armstrong fight which I think was an overly ambitious match for his manager to make at that time in Jeffries development. Even more ridiculous was him matched to fight Steve O Donnell the same night!Jeffries injury precluded that happening and he was unfairly panned by the press as a damp squib. Jeffries was indeed a precocious talent.
effries and Ruhlin had been boxing for three/four years or more with decent wins, true a bit green but not novices either. Some reports gave Choynski the edge also. The Armstrong fight was after the Choynski fight and his last outing before the Fitz win, so hardly too ambitious? As you say, the plan to fight O'Donnell as well was crazy stuff.
Offical is the word Mac. In 1894 Jeffries was described as the renowned heavyweight. He had completed a thirty fight tour of South California and environs before the Long fight, plus an amateur that started when he was 14. Gus probably the same, he tackled Maher when he had only two fights, highly unlikely. Things were different in them days, "The past is a different world"! Armstrong drew with Choynski in his first fight, Ed Martin boxed Armstrong in his first fight. Truth is these fellas had loads of fights that will be for every lost.
