This content is protected In January 1908, Packey and his manager admitted that McFarland wasn't ready for Joe Gans yet, but would be in a year or so, with more experience. Packey said he'd probably be able to last the distance with the Old Master by holding and running. Who do you favor prime for prime?
It's basically very difficult to pick anyone in his era or before to beat Gans at this weight, if the man is at his very very best. But yeah, this is a difficult fight to pick. Based on the bit I know I would pick Gans, but obviously it would be a bit of a blind shout.
Really not enough to accurately go by, but it's a shame that it never materialised. One of those Burley-Robinson moments that could have potentially significantly altered our all time rankings and view of the sport. A fight like McFarland-Gans could have also gone a long way towards dispelling the "crude boxing" stereotype which has now been entrenched with regards to early 20th century fighting. I also wish fights like Driscoll-Attell, Leonard-Welsh and an early Griffo-Gans fight were available in clear footage for all to see....
If I have learned anything in my years following boxing, I contend that the true merits of two fighters of the same time era is so much more accurate in the opinions and regard that boxers were held by their contemporaries of their times...As the years and decades advance, true skills and merits are diluted and distorted by each generation, who truly know much less of who would win between the two boxers... In this case I am sure that a Joe Gans was the best 135 pounder of his time, as highly regarded as Ray Robinson was forty years later...So based on what regard Joe Gans had in his era, I pick Gans over the lighter hitter Packy McFarland by decision...
With these two master boxers in the same ring I suspect that their skills will cancel each other out and ultimately it will be decided by who has more firepower. Gans has a decided edge in that dept. and will win a UD. But Packey will give him quite a row, I suspect.
Packey had faster feet and hands and better workrate though. Gans in November 1907 thought McFarland was the coming champion and was willing to bet a large sum (up to $5000) on Packey vs Battling Nelson. At that point McFarland's best win was over semi-retired Kid Herman.
Didn't Packey show up at Nelsons hotel and wanted to fight him there as well? Eventually I thought Packey was looking to fight Nelson and then Gans( or Pack and Gans they miss by a few years?) … So Nelson didn't need to fight Packey because he was already being matched with Gans so Nelson really had everything to lose and nothing to gain?
