Johnson- Willard rematch

Potentialy yes.

Willard would have dictated terms and rules favourable to himself of course.

 

I think if it is other 45 round bout and Jess back in shape he was in the first bout, I think I favor Willard.

 

Not in a 45 round bout. Going 26 rounds at 37 was impressive enough, and I personally think he left a lot in that ring, not only his title but whatever he had left in him as a fighter. Went out on his shield, regardless of his later attempts to claim he dived. I have more respect for the former than the latter, but Jack Johnson being the proud man that he was probably did not want to admit he had lost.

 

Jess, as champion, probably would have dictated another 45 round limit, effectively a fight to the finish. Lil' Artha' was already 37 years old by Havana. Even if Jack had managed to trim another 40 pounds off of his weight in Cuba (replicating the 185 he carried into the ring at age 27 against Langford), it would have been a very tall order for him to prevail in his late 30s over a opponent who had the acquired confidence of Havana behind him.

 

Johnson said his best weight was the 208 lbs he scaled for Jeffries.

 

I agree with this , Havana was Jack's swan song as a world class fighter.
He showed balls to go 26rds, in what Willard said was a cauldron of heat .

 

I doubt Jack Johnson could have made 180 at that point in his carer without cutting off a limb but around 210 lbs would have been a better weight for him than the 225 lbs he fought at. It's as if he was expecting an early round knockout. A Jack Johnson in peak shape and using minimal effort to outpoint Willard could have lasted the 45 round distance, but it would have been a struggle.

 

If Johnson gets in shape and wants it, he wins

 

All right then. Let's go with 208. (He was certainly ripped for Jeff.) Does a 37 or 38 year old Johnson somehow manage to prevail in a 45 round rematch at whatever weight would represent peak condition for him?

 

Quite possibly.

If that was his only chance of getting his title back then he might come up with something verry special.

 

No, He did not have the power to stop Willard, at that stage of his career. And, though he was in front after 20 rds in the first fight, in reality ,he had allready lost because he could not go with the pace as the fight progressed he made a supreme effort to get Jess out of there, but when he failed he knew he would be beaten.
I commend his courage for taking his lumps.

 

Could he stop Willard, or are you proposing that a win over the full distance is feasible?

 

Is everyone forgetting there was only a 3 year age difference between the two? Its not like Jess was some spry youngster.

 

3 years can be a big difference (see Calzaghe-Jones) and Willard was obviously much fresher than Johnson. I'd argue that he was at his peak for the Jack Johnson fight, physically and mentally.