Jeffries Retired Because He Was Terrified Of Being Defeated

Like Floyd

 

Mmmm...Interesting to say the least. I'm a big fan of Jeffries but this post illustrates a problem I have when rating a lot of the old time greats at HW and that is that for a man like Jeffries we have the "Big fish in a small pond" syndrome. There just weren't alot of quality big men around at the time. There were big mne who fought but how good were they actually? Fitszimmons ko'd Ed Dunkhorst but how good was he really? As the years went by we began to see more quality big men emerge not only in Boxing but in all sports for that matter. It wasn't until the 1960's that good and big and fast began to really come to the fore in sports. Ali, Jim Brown, Wilt Chambelain, Bill Russell etc.. and we never looked back after that. Back to Jeffries..The man was good and tough and strong but let's face it...most of his opponents were considerably smaller than him. What highly skilled big man did he ever meet? Does that mean we should dismiss Jeffries as a champion? Of course not! But I think we have to examine the field of competition with a more objective eye before rating many of the past time greats against future opposition. I'm speaking about heavyweights here. Middleweights were the same size 100 years ago...but heavyweights certainly weren't! I'm sure I'll make some enemies here but I think I've raised some valid points.

 

I heard he was sleepless for weeks at the purported news of McMustache's comeback.

 

Jack Johnson KO 15 James Jeffries

 

It's something that's effected my ranking him in the past to be honest - maybe a little unfair because I suppose everyone feels nerves and fear and what have you but it sometimes surprises you when it's someone as big and strong and rugged as big jeff who shows signs of mental weakness - I had read a few sources over the years which suggested that jeffries was something of a 'gentle ben' a massive guy with scary physical attributes and strength but maybe 'too nice'?? Maybe not enough of the 'killer' in him - I suppose for those that loved him this was what made him endearing but in the ring it may have limited him just that little bit- maybe? Maybe stopped him finishing people off who otherwise might have been based on the extent of the physical advantages he probably had over them - no doubt he did look really against Jack Johnson like he'd rather have been somewhere else than suffering in front of thousands who adored him

 

Because a day before he thought the fix was in for him to win.

Lil Arthur informed him to the contrary.

 

This is all bosh and revisionist history. Nothing Jeff ever did in the ring suggested he was yellow. In fact, I think he underestimated Johnson, as many did, and still do. Coming back after 6 years to fight a guy in his prime in your first fight back? Geez, you are either sorely underestimating a guy or just in it for the payday.

You have to study the era to fully understand the color line in American life. Even Tommy Burns, who was a Canadian, had to go to Australia to break the color line in the heavyweight division in 1908, and it wasn't broken again in the heavyweight division by a white champion until 1937.

Breaking the color line back then would be somewhat analogous to the gay marriage debate that has been going on for the past several decades. It was a very big deal to a lot of powerful folks who simply did not want it to happen. When it came to a white heavyweight champion defending against a black contender, there were a lot of social and political pressures for it not to happen, particularly in a sport like boxing which was constantly under legal fire as it was.

 

There's probably some soundness to the claims. Overall, The proof is in the pudding- he came out of retirement to gamble his zero against Johnson in a fight he knew carried a tremendous amount of risk for himself and much weight socially if he lost. Let alone if he got whipped in it, which he did. Fighters who are truly insecure about their 0 don't come back after a multi-year retirement.

That said, it's not at all uncommon for very good/great fighters to use a fear of losing as a motivating factor for training. And it can be a powerful one- the overall success of Jeffries and, as a contemporary example, Mayweather, can't be denied. I think it's important to separate how we rank what they actually did in their careers from what we perceive their attitudes about it outside the ring though. I don't think Jeffries was scared of anyone and it's offensive to portray him as a coward, but the concept of possibly losing may have driven him that much harder.

Fear of losing isn't necessarily a bad thing in boxing unless it cripples you. Used properly, alot of good can come from it.

 

Whatever mendoza says, I will agree with.

 

I have to fundamentaly disagree with the premise of this thread.

Jeffries was clearly perceived to be almost unbeatable when he retired. A large part of the problem was that the media didn't think that anybody was a credible opponent for him, including Johnson.

Even if he had looked at Johnson and seen something that others had missed, Johnsons loss to Marvin Hart would have given him a cast iron excuse to fight sombody else. Alternativley he could have just continued drawing the colour line.

Jeffries did not care what the media thought of him.

He did not particularly like boxing or boxing fans.

He saw the title as a means to enrich himself.

He probably didn't particularly care where he ended up in the pantheon of the heavyweight champions.

 

Isn't that why everyone retires?

Its either..

"****, I keep going I'm going to start losing."

or

"****, I'm losing alot. I should probably re-thinkg this boxing thing."


Unless your a manly man like Holyfield...

"I should have wore a condom when I ****ed that *****..sweet Jesus."

 

Part of the problem with these quotes is that they are all from people who ended up on bad terms with Jeffries, and some time after the event.

With regard to the Armstrong bout, it is prety reliably documented that Jeffries injured his thumb. He also offered to go through with the subsequent fight despite the injury.

Regarless of the veracity of these statments or otherwise, it is highly unlikley that fear of loosing played any role in Jeffries decision to retire.