Jim Jeffries beat Fitz, Sharkey and Corbett in under 12 months

Jeffries should have fought Martin for the title some time in late 1902-Early 1903. By Martin defeating Bob Armstrong, he defended the colored heavyweight title and guaranteed himself a shot at the title against Jeffries. Instead Jeff waited until Jack Johnson exposed Martin, then rematched Corbett(undeserving) a year later.

 

Well the coloured championship didnt really come to prominence again, until after Jim Jeffries had knocked out Peter Jackson and it became vacated, so technically, Jim Jeffries really was the coloured champion. He beat the best white and coloured fighters in the world.

It is ridiculous to criticise Jeffries just because he chose certain top contenders, who were contenders, and there were no standout challengers. It is also silly for people to assume that coloured challengers were better than whites just because they generally are now.

I think that Armstrong, Johnson, Martin etc were becoming better and better, and eventually became better than the white challengers, but let us not forget that despite the existence of a sparring video which may have said otherwise, when the top fighters of the era actually fought, it was very close and the whites beat the coloured fighters as much as the other way around from what i can recall.

High profile matches include choynski and Hart over Johnson, Jeffries over Armstrong and Griffin, Corbett drawing with Jackson. Fighters credentials should be taken on an individual basis, and there was not really any standout denied fighters (sure it would be nice if a few were given chances), until Jack Johnson became champion and later dempsey.

 

Johnson was weighing around 170lb when he fought Choynski. He certainly was nowhere near the mature 'man' he would later become when he grew into a 205lb chizzled seasoned professional in 1908. I don't believe Choysnki-Johnson was that big of a match. Johnson was not a contender at that point. He was just a kid.

 

Denver Ed Martin holds victories over Sam Mcvea, Hank Griffen, Bob Armstrong, and Frank Childs, Fred Russell, sandy fergusson, Klondike Haines. This is a very respectable resume.

Martin from 1901-1902 proved himself without doubt the best coloured heavyweight in the world with dominating wins over Childs, Griffin, and Armstrong.

 

Martin defeated Bob Armstrong in July. In December 1902 he suffered six knockdowns against Armstrong in a 6 round ND bout. I think that fight took the bloom off Martin. In February Martin lost to Johnson, and was then ko'd by Armstrong and McVea. Martin didn't get a shot at the title because he went on a losing streak.

 

1. He didn't just beat Armstrong. He dominated him. This was also right after dismantling top contender Hank Griffin, and decisively defeating Frank Childs. Martin was on a very hot winning streak, and his near shutout over Armstrong gave him his 4th defense of the Coloured Heavyweight Championship. A match between he and Jeffries should have been made for late 1902-early 1903.

2. Your dates are off. You mean 1903 he fought the ND against Armstrong(you fail to mention armstrong was on the brink of KO defeat himself in the 3rd and 5th rounds). A title fight between Jeff and Martin should have been scheduled well before this bout even took place

 

Childs lost to old Joe Choynski about this time.

Griffin was knocked out by Fred Russell about this time.

Armstrong actually knocked out Martin twice. Martin beat him once in four tries.

And Jack Johnson was knocked out by old Joe Choynski about this time.

By 1903 it was clear Martin wasn't as good not only as Johnson, but Armstrong or the teenaged McVea either.

 

In fairness, champions usually fought once a year at most in those days. Jeffries was probably looking toward a 1903 defense. By the time 1903 rolled around, Martin was out of it.

The Armstrong-Martin ND was in December, 1902. It might be true that Martin also came close to winning, but getting knocked down six times by a past his best Armstrong did not make it easier to sell him as a contender.

 

1. "he did split a series with him"

I don't see it as a split. Martin won one decision. There was a ND in which Martin survived six knockdowns. Armstrong won twice by ko. Armstrong won the series, and won the last fight by ko.

2. "he did avenge his loss to young McVea"

Martin lost 3 of 4 to McVea. He would avenge his ko defeat of 1903, but who could have forseen the future? His performance in the ND bout against Armstrong in December 1902, and in the 1903 bouts took him out of consideration as a contender.

I remember reading the SF papers concerning the exhibitions of September 16, 1901 in which Jeffries sparred with his brother and Martin with Ruhlin. Ruhlin dominated Martin in that exhibition and the papers gushed about how good he looked.

I think it is fairly easy to peg Martin. He was a good boxer able to outbox most of the fighters of his time, but he had a glass jaw. Therefore a fighter such as Armstrong who was perhaps less talented still was able to outdo Martin because Martin couldn't take his punch.

 

Martin had a glass stomach!

 

I thought that was the gongman.

 

Bombadier Ed Martin???

 

This is getting Rank!

 

I was mistaken. It wasn't the gongman that had the glass stomach. It was the MGM lion. He never could take it to the gut.