One reason why I rate Jim Jeffries verry highly among the great heavyweights.

Anything below NUMBER 1 is sacrilege !

 

Not to fan boys:good

 

An even handed post which is refreshing, because it contains no hysterical worship.

 

Definitely a great champion, but he was not Clark Kent, no matter how much his sweet hearts try to make him appear so.

 

I make no convictions about how good he was, nor what he would do in head to head match-ups.... I have seen virtually no footage of him and don't even know that much about his style. A prime for prime fight with Jack Johnson would be intersting, and although I have often favored Jeff to take him under these circumstances, something now tells me that Jack's incredible stamina and survival tactics might wear Jeffries down at some point late.. Old Fogey once mentioned that Jeff had his nose broken on three occasions during his career, a couple of them coming from much smaller men.. He apparently fought with his left arm hanging really low, and in a crouching position with his chin jutting forward.... If this is true, then there may be some serious flaws with his defense, but again I've never seen it.... Should this be the case however, a solid technical puncher like a Joe Louis might have posed real problems and perhaps even made short work of him.....

 

No one considers that a defense, apart from boxrec.
They also list a 1922 4-round exhibition between Dempsey and Jimmy Darcy as a defense too.

Those were exhibitions but because of a NY state technicality ruling, the champion could still lose the title, in theory.
Very unlikley it would have been taken seriously or even followed through on, especially as we cant imagine Louis losing unless he were to twist his ankle or something.

None of the press covered those exhibitions as championship fights, or even serious non-title fights. They simply were not. They were 4-rounders.

Dempsey didn't defend his title in 1922. And Louis didn't defend his in 1944.

None of my old record books, or any reputable book, has the fight listed as a championship fight. It should only being listed as an exhibition. Boxrec needs to clean up its act.
Louis's record is 25 successful defences.

 

A month under 6 years actually.

From a 36 year old man weighing 167lbs.

Over a bum.Who had no business in the ring with him.

 

True,

If Marvin Hagler had been fighting at the age of 36 and at the weight of 167 lbs, going up against a 13 fight Riddick Bowe, the same scenario would have occurred....

 

I think people in 1900 had enough sense to realize Finnegan was basically a tune-up fight, Jeffries defense against Corbett already being signed. Brady wanted Jeffries to get some work, but Finnegan pissed Jeffries off before the fight, so Jeff humiliated him. I don't think there was any pretence that Finnegan was a notable challenger.

I dunno ... Jeffries fight's three very tough one (Fitzsimmons, Sharkey and Corbett) -- in about a years span -- but we just can't get over that fight with Finnegan ....

Are we just that damn more clever and insightful than people were a hundred-ten years ago?; or are we straining at a gnat?

 

I agree about the Louis fight.

Finnegan had an even poorer record than Davis. The fight with Finnegan was not listed as a championship fight in the 1976 and 1980 Ring Record Books, but somehow got listed in the 1981 Record Book as a championship fight.

My opinion would be that the Jeffries-Finnegan fight, the Dempsey-Darcy fight, and the Louis-Davis fight, were all really exhibitions and "quick ko records" from these fights are meaningless. But I will say this, if you are going to credit Jeff for Finnegan, I think you should credit Louis for Davis.

Or, another take, if for some reason these are considered legitimate fights, I still don't think they are legitimate defenses--I don't think any reputable group, the press, or certainly the public, thought these men were worthy contenders even by the sometimes flaccid standards which have allowed such as Pete Rademacher and Dave Zyglewicz to challenge for the title.

 

That's true, and fair, if a Champion is fighting his best challengers he is entitled to a gimme once in awhile .
Thing is, after beating Fitz on June 9th 1899, Jeffries met more than one gimme .
After losing to Jeffries, Fitz determined to stay active,after losing his crown he kod Jim Daly in 1 rd. Ed Dunkhorst,in 2 rds, then he kod Gus Ruhlin in 6rds, 2 weeks later he kod Tom Sharkey in 2 rds.meanwhile Jeffries is defending against Sharkey,whom he had allready beat .Corbett, whom Fitz had allready kod,Griffin,Kennedy and Ruhlin whom Fitz had kod in 6 rds a year earlier.
Fitz had to wait 3 years for a rematch with Jeffries while Jeffries defended against 2 men he had kod ,and another Fitz would ko twice later.
Thats the trouble with gimmies.Fitz was the standout challenger,but he didnt get another shot till he was near 40years old.