I have read descriptions of Jeffries as this durable powerhouse etc.... but........ When we watch the available video of him he seems like a reluctant fighter who appears to be more concerned with not being hit and moving around the ring than a huge fighter for his time beating up smaller men through sheer size and strength. Where is his power and legendary strength as described?? Can anyone imagine any 168 lb fighter hanging with any of the better big men from Liston on up?? I consider Foster better than Fitzimmons and look at what Ali and Frazier did to him.
His manager Brady said that Jeffries continuously needed to be assured and that he lacked self confidence.
Jeffries did not like fighting. He once said that he would much rather have been a champion hunter, or a champion fisher, because those were his true passions. His style was reactive and based on counter punching early in his career, but he became more aggressive as he developed. He did not enjoy the limelight, or the adoration that followed him. I don't think that his physical courage can be questioned, because he took some helacious beatings with the smaller gloves. His inexperience when he started fighting at world level has to be factored in. He was basically a raw novice.
My ultra running background has taught me a few things about the nature of heart. If somebody is nervous in the run up to their first 50 miler, or first 100, I take it as a good sign. It means that they know exactly what they are getting into, have got the mental battles out of the way, and will go for it with bad intentions. If somebody is all gung ho and full of bravado.... Those are the people who get cold feet, and don't turn up on the day, despite having paid the entry fee. People who are afraid before a race, are often afraid of failing, and thus willing to take a beating.
