I actually think this era 1908-15 , would be perfect for Frazier . Same rules, same gloves , same rough tactics. Let's get Joe in there with the guys of the time , fighting Langford and Johnson, maybe Ketchell.? How long would Jeffries of the Johnson fight last against a guy like the Smoke? At some point he challenges Johnson, something like a 20 round fight. How's that go?
A fight with Johnson , With Johnson style clinching and leaning and jack's lethal uppercut. Longer fight s requiring energy control. Joe was one of the inside fighters anyway, he'd love this fight imo.
If he were given the opportunity and stayed focused on boxing, he would waste the division, up to and including Dempsey.
Frazier destroys. Jack Johnson would lose to Jake Paul and Eric Butterbean. Johnson is a great fighter who set the table for black americans but be realistic, boxing was a completely different sport back then
You underestimate Johnson imo. He was a technical genius year's ahead of his time . He wasn't just powerful , he was strategic , elusive and constantly analysing opponents. You've got Modern fighters who control the distance, time their opponents and counter, jack was brilliant at that.
Johnson beats Frazier. Johnson’s meat was nullifying and breaking down opponents on the inside. He would do the same vs Frazier. A very long frustrating night for Joe.
Jack Johnson never faced an opponent who would apply intense pressure every minute like Frazier--which is why Smokin Joe would eventually grind him down with either a KO or stoppage. Regrading Frazier vs Jack Dempsey--I see a remarkable similarity with Mike Tyson in that Dempsey would come out with guns blazing--might even drop Frazier to the canvas in the early rounds. But if Joe survives the early barrage he would ultimately prevail in a savage war while it lasted!
Disaster for him. Joe Frazier was as excellent a fighter as I've seen at heavyweight, or near as, a very elite swarmer who was more than 200lbs who could match footwork with Ali (Ali past it admittedly) and who could throw all those punches. But before the fight of the century he was having trouble - with his eyesight, with his blood-pressure, with his joints. Quintuple his work load as a young guy, trying to break into the black dynamite crew and get near the world title, he'd be a broken down old man by 24, and that's around the time Johnson would agree to fight him, too - Johnson win by brutality. Some fighters translate but some fighters absolutely do not. Joe Frazier is all wrong for that era. He would be a cruiserweight champ for a decade in this current era.
It's a far cry from Tommy Burns, or even a 19 year old Sam McVea to a 1970 Joe Frazier. A far cry. Frazier KO8.
