These obviously where wins for a green fighter over veterans to build him up. How much did Jones and Machen have at this point in there career- do these wins boost Frazier's resume or did they simply help him become the fighter he did?
When a old veteran is drifting along in mudane matches he can drift into "going through the Motions' especially if its a small payday, But give them what they deem to be a shortcut back to the big time..or indeed the bigger paydays...a good pension payoff or two, then these old veterans may look to turn back the clock in training, and be incintivised to put forth a surprisingly good effort, The incentivised Veteran can and has proved a surprise Bananna Skin in the past Dougs style was not conducive to him lasting with the young Dynamo Frazier, it was a case go with Frazier or Go Under...so the pace of Frazier was a big enemy for Doug, at this stage to contend with. Eddie on the other had a style in which he could ride some of Fraziers Storms, Steal a respite or two in the eye of the perpetual Storm, Eddie of course upset Quarry with his foxy wiles, Again Fraziers Pace was always going to prove crucial, Eddies main option was to try for a sudden Ambush, and this he did later in the fight, suckering the young Joe onto a left hook, but once Joe rumbled on through Eddies Wiles had nothing new to keep Joe from over-running him....Nature and Styles came to their natural conclusion but it did make one wonder what the younger, fully focused Eddie could have acheived without the mind Demons he was know to battle. Eddie in the cruiserweight Divsion..now theres a thought.
I have mucho respect and regard for Eddie Machen..I rank him over guys like Doug Jones and Zora Folley. Eddie had balls and had a better chin. When he felt like fighting he could give anybody hell...including Ali if they ever fought...Eddie would have done better than Folley, that's for sure..like he did better against Liston. Perhaps if he was focused, he could have troubled Frazier some more.
