People marvel at Fitzsimmons, who's power killed three men... What about Choynski, who everyone who fought both said hit harder? Jack Johnson proclaimed that Joe hit him the hardest he had ever been hit. As far as I know that was the only fight Johnson was ever out cold in. Jeffries fought Fitz twice and still thought much more of Choynski's power. Thoughts?
What makes you think so highly of him as a fighter? What held him back? What made his power so great?
He fought the best of his era, and often did well against them. All of his contemporaries spoke very highly of him, He knocked out a green Johnson and gave Corbett and Jeffries their toughest fights. What held him back was his suspect chin and small stature.
Janitor, I have film of Choynski sparring and he impressed me. I think he was ahead of his time in punching technique, and seemed to punch with full leverage and torque-twist. I do think he is a bit too small to beat some of the bigger good heavyweights in more modern eras, but I think he would be absolute hell for any middleweight/supermiddleweight who ever lived. do you know how much jack johnson officially weighed when choynski kayoed him?
He fought Tom Sharkey under the terms that Sharkey would win if the fight lasted the distance and gave him a total leathering only to loose by decision due to the contract. A number of his oponents got absurdly long counts because Choynski had to go to their backyard to fight them, often riding the rails to get there. He had to take fights with injuries a couple of times because he was bound by past contracts. At least if he had the advantage of being black in that era people would look at the terms he foght under more criticaly.
