a lot of the leaning back and riding punches has got to be natural like being a big hitter or having fast hands. A lot of iron chinned fighters rode punches well they had to. It's one of the things that wouldn't get mentioned on a coaching course but I try and get the kids in our gym to ride punches.
Jeffries was not knocked down by smaller men, and if not for Smelling salts, Ali might a TKO loss on at the hands of Henry Cooper. Had Ali fought in Jeffries time, he's getting cut more often ( Ali was cut by Light heavy Foster, and once lost an amateur fight on cuts ) and even more facial damage. What you don't know about boxing can fill the Atlantic Ocean.
There are some nice movements, but do you really not see what he lacks in a technical sense? If so, I have to ask you if you box in any way yourself.
Fights are not the only place to incur injuries. Didn't he have a somewhat unique and grueling training regiment? I remember reading that he practiced wrestling a lot. Maybe that explains the cauliflower ear? Or maybe it's just a very rare coincidence? It is rare to see a boxer with one of those.
I'm way more focused on his gifts. Non stop footwork. Always set to get in and out of range. Always set to throw a punch. Always set to bob, pull, or weave a punch.
Not that rare back than. Kid Lavigne and Tom Sharkey (both catchers like Jeffries) also had them. Lavigne after fighting Walcott and Sharkey after fighting Ruhlin.
R ,I think you need to read the contemporary account's of his fight's ,and make your own mind up. :good
Not necessarily, I think. What we know about smaller gloves seems to indicate they didn't have any significant effect on causing concussions but it seems logical they would cause more superficial damage like bruises, cuts, broken bones, that sort of thing. I mean Lamotta and Chuvalo don't have cauliflower ears, for example.