New Book - In the Ring With James J. Jeffries

My copy arrived yesterday. I skimmed through various points of special interest, then read the first couple chapters. The book is 'loaded', to put it mildly. Some arguements may be settled; conversely, some things which are controversial now ... well, they were controversial back then, too! So some arguements won't be settled; but, we'll have more evidence (easily available) to argue with, and little excuse for not knowing the deposit of facts.
The biggest thing I came away with (from my cherry-picking skim-through) was what a great fight observers thought that Jeffries-Fitzsimmons II was. Nowadays, Jef-Fitz II is often construed as being damning to both fighters, i.e. Fitzsimmons would be too small, Jeffries too easily hit, to cope with their sucessors; but observers of the time largely felt they had witnessed a clash of Titans

 

Am through the chapter on Jeffries sparring w/Corbett for the Fitzsimmons defence. Can't help noticing there are nearly as many references to his speed as there are to his size, strength and hitting powers -- I suspect this book is going to put the stake through the heart of all the 21st C. bosh about Jeffries being slow.
Great work.

 

we love your books, and the way you do them.

 

Got my copy today! I obviously havent finished it yet but thats not for a lack of trying
Its Adams best work yet! Fascinating and in depth. I skipped ahead to the read on the 25 rd Jeffries Sharkey bout. Adam breaks it down perfectly. Just a terrific book. I highly recommend it.

 

Wow what a terrific job. Got it today and cannot put it down. Adam, A plus !

Everyone should praise it on Amazon ...

 

Jeffries speed and defense were well above average. I never understood how those who said he was a great athlete in once sentence could also described him as slow. Blame the 1910 comeback film I guess.

I'm likely going to purchase the book. I was hoping for newly discovered fights, new pictures, and interviews from the fighters post 1910.

 

Am through the chapter on the first Ruhlin fight.

The matter of Jeffries speed is becoming more qualified. Against his earliest opponents, of similar skill level, Jeffries good natural speed was evident. It isn't evident against more advanced opponents who's foot-technic was better developed than Jeffries own; remember, though, Jeffries is still very early in his career; as Jeffries grew more skilled his natural good speed again became evident.

Sometimes, too, when you're learning to do something, until it becomes second nature, you don't operate as well as when you were doing everything by the seat of your pants.
On the other hand, Jeffries seemed to do a fair amount of training, sparring and some exhibiting in the years prior to turning pro at 21; but maybe the level of competition was such that he could get by on talent?

 

I pick this up when I get paid,

I did loved the Sullivan book.


Still hoping for a Hen Pearce book lol.

 

I could see it changing a few long held assumptions.

The chapters about Jeffries last two fights might be instructive.

 

I always felt Jeffries quit just as he was peaking. He destroyed Munroe the way a dominant champ should destroy a fringe contender type, and beat Corbett badly at his own game before knocking him out. Its a pity neither are on film.

I have not ordered the book, but one point of interest to me is the knockdown of Corbett in the 2nd fight. I have read that Jeffries dropped Corbett with a body shot in round two and the count could have been a long one.

 

Well, I'm about 100 pages in and, as usual, this is just an outstanding piece of work, very well researched and detailed as usual. I'm learning all sorts of things about Jeffries career that I was not familiar with. These books really give you a sense of what boxing was like at this time, what the context of the various bouts were, and how the participants were perceived at the time. They are an invaluable resource for fans and boxing historians alike.

 

Am through the Goddard fight (apollack also covers, in that chapter, a Choyinski-Sharkey encounter).
It's note worthy that, in Jeffries two youthful 20-round draws (against Ruhlin and Choyinski) fighting in the clinches was bared : in the Ruhlin fight by mutual consent; in the Choyinski fight by police insistence. That had to make Jeffries task harder and -- considering that he was fighting talented and more experienced boxers -- the draw results are nothing to blush at.

 

These 'no hitting in the clinches' bouts make me wonder how well Dempsey, Marciano, Frazier ect. would have done under similar circumstances. The peak versions of those fighters might have gotten victories where Jeffries got draws (Ruhlin, Choyinski); but, could they have fought under that disadvantage -- so early in their careers -- and matched Jeffries results? Maybe, maybe not.