Jim Jeffries A Man Among Old Inactive Men

Could you elaborate on these "exhibitions" please.

For sure, "exhibitions" could denote some sort of respectable series of tune-ups against professional boxers. Alternatively it could mean some sort of cabaret or vaudeville act, sparring with a circus midget or tap-dancing around a bear. Or any many of things in-between.

 

Those were the best availabe in his era?

Whatever happened to the argument that it was hard to become the top back in the day because compeition was stiff because boxing was then very popular and the pool of participants were much deeper?

If that was the best available during Jeffries time, then I can definitely argue that Wlad/Vitali is greater than him.

 

I think that Jeffries has one of the best records in terms of taking on the best available challengers, of any heavyweight champion from any era.

If you don't like his choices of title challengers in some cases, then I have to respond that they uneoquivocaly the ones that the media were demanding for him to fight.

Jeffries took on the three best contenders in the division inside his first year as champion. Fitzsimmons, Sharkey and Corbett would be a hell of a first year as champion in any era, never mind one where the lst two champions took long sabaticals.

Jeffries did come allong at a time when the division was contoled by two ageing former champions (Fitzsimmons and Corbett), like Rocky Marciano did. Lets not forgett that these two ageing champions, beat the three best contenders of the up and coming generation between them in a period of a month, while Jeffries was champion. Fitz Sharkey, Fitz Ruhlin and Corbett McCoy all took place inside a month.

Most crass about the criticism of Jeffries title reign, is the assumption that Jeffries and his challengers were constantly available throughout his title reign. The fact that Jeffries was unavailable for significant periods due to injuries, as were his oponents, is conveniently ignored.

 

Hm, I wouldn´t call Bob Fitzsimmons or Tommy Burns circus midgets.

 

Thanks.
:good

I never knew about those exhibitions. Any eyewitness accounts available ?

 

Jeffries sustained a serious injury to his left arm in training for the Sharkey fight, and re injured it either in training for the Corbett fight, or in the fight itself. At this point the injury was so serious that it was thought that it would force Jeffries retirment. What it did was force a significant period of inactiveity while it recovered.

Jeffries was out of the ring for 18 months while the arm recoverd then took the Griffin and Kennedy bouts as warm up fights. His effective return to defending the title at world level was the Ruhlin fight.

At this stage Bob Fitzsimmons was seen as the top contender and Ruhlin was seen as the second best contender, but Fitzsimmons had himself anounced his retirment. Perhaps Fitz was playing for a better share of the gate receipts. In the final event the Ruhlin fight was signed. This then leaves his next two opponents (Fitz followed by Corbett) a fairly logical sucession. Given Corbetts recent inactivity he would have needed a significant period to get himself ready for a title fight.

 

Got those from cyberboxingzone. Guess there are some newspaper reports around.

 

I am gonig to speculate about where Jeffries opponents might have been ranked had rankings existed back then.

At the time that Jeffries wins the title from Bob Fitzsimmons, Tom Sharkey is on a winning streak that includes Gus Ruhlin, Jim Corbett and Kid McCoy. He is clearly going to be seen as the standout challenger. McCoy is also on a winning streak.

Tom Sharkey
Sharkey would be ranked either #1 or #2 depending on whether Bob Fitzsimmons was granted the #1 slot by virtue of being the defeated champion.

Jim Corbett
Would certainly fall beneath Fitzsimmons and Sharkey in the rankings on the grounds that both had beaten him. He might have slipped bellow McCoy also, though he would have been seen as a better scalp. He would probably have been ranked between #3 and #5.

Griffin and Kennedy
After the Corbett fight, Jeffries was out of action for 18 month recovering from an injury. He took two warm up fights against Hank Griffin and Joe Kennedy. Joe Kennedy had a win over Fred Russel and a draw against Frank Childs going into this fight, after which he fought three draws with Hank Griffin. It is possible that one or both of them could have been ranked in the trailing reaches of the top 10, but it is also possible that they would not.

 

Jim Jeffries, would he be considered one of the Top 10 heavyweights, if he didn't come back against Jack Johnson.

How many of his fights would he have lost, if the bouts were scheduled for 15 rounds.

 

How many fights would Tyson have lost if the bouts were scheduled for 40 rounds?