Jeffries vs Johnson. The picks before the fight.

Not having any luck with this M,but I know Langford and Jeanette both picked Jeffries ,and of corse Corbett was in Jeffs camp,and he never picked a winner in his life he was the kiss of death at predicting results,in fact he gave an interview to some reporter concerning a fight ,[I forget which ] made is selection,the reporter printed it the other way round and when he duly won Corbett claimed the credit!Corbett was a fine fighter but rather a nasty piece of work,I would like to have seen his face when Johnson answered all his insults with interest ,all the while punishing the used up Jeffries.Who did Choynsky pick?Jeff I suppose ,as he sparred with him before the fight,racial hatred certainly makes men blind,and of course ,in the eyes of many Jeffries was still the Champion ,still in his prime and undefeated.

 

Very very VERY interesting.

Thanks, Mendoza.

 

The fools.

 

Weird how Chonyski would pick Jeffries when he was so damned ring wise himself...

 

I don't know why anyone would have picked Jeffries. How long had he been on "vacation" before the fight?

A prime Jeffries would probably have have beaten Johnson.

 

Wonder what the betting line would have been if both were in their prime? I would guess Jeffires would have been a heavy favourite .

 

Gee, know much about the climate of the times?

 

I suppose Johnson was black I guess that excuses the Jeffries picks. How many blacks picked Jeffries to win?

 

I cant open it on my browser.

I'm not surprised they mostly picked Jeffries.

Corbett was especially hate-fuelled against Johnson from what I remember, it was mostly racial I assume. Johnson ended up taunting Corbett during the fight as he ripped Jeffries to pieces.
You gotta love Johnson ! :good

 

I sometimes wonder if Corbett got on all that well with anybody. Fitzsimmons hated him with a passion... and I don't think that was really in Fitzsimmons' personality to feel that way towards another.

I doubt Johnson would have ripped a prime Jeffries to pieces. In fact, the situation might have been much reversed. Hard to say though.

 

Jeffries was a fool to come back.
It was a foolish white supremacist plot that backfired.

Still, it wasn't only racism that fuelled the pro-Jeffries expectations.
Sometimes we have unrealistic hopes for our former favourites to regain that form that made them great, we remember them as they were. If Lewis announced his comeback today I'm sure plenty of guys would be saying he can be the best again.
And it becomes infectious, as the fight approaches sentiment obscures better judgment. Tyson, Holyfield, whoever. They were all expected by some to come back one more time after they were finished for good. Ali against Holmes, the list goes on.

 

An agreeable, well-considered, post! All of us have a soft spot for those we like best. From sports to marriage, the ones we like best will always be the best.. I suppose it is called the rose-coloured glasses effect, or something like that. Your thinking does make perfect sense!