Actually I have thought about this fight a bit over the last couple of days ,and think that Jeffries would get to Jackson around the 18 th round and start to lay the heavy stuff on him ,Jeffries would be behind on points but rally to stop Jackson around the 20th round,imo.
Without answering the question posed, I'll say in response to some of the analysis of the Jeff-Jackson fight that DID take place that all you have to do is examine Jackson's record to realize that he was a shell of himself going into that fight. You can still look good physically and be a shell. Jackson's last legitimate fight was in 1892. Since then he was inactive except for some occasional short exhibitions. After the Corbett fight failed to happen, Jackson basically was done with boxing and was more of a coach and occasional exhibitor than anything. He also took up drinking. SIX YEARS after his last fight, he took on Jeffries. That fight is as meaningless as Jeffries-Johnson. Both guys took a loss when they were done for and had no business fighting, but did it for the money.
We agree but Jeffries boosters want to claim it as a meritorious victory ,it would be like me ,[a Johnson fan]saying his ko of an ancient Bob Fitzsimmons was creditable,even Johnson said that Fitz was finished,and took no credit for it.
Here's the differnce. When a green up and coming fighter faces a past his prime older champion, there is no gurantee on the outcome. Johnson was a a champion in his prime when he meet Jeffries and it took him 15 rounds to win. Jeffries had less than ten recorded fights when he meet Jackson, yet he won eaisly in three rounds. There is the diffrence. If Jeffries took 15 rounds to win, then he could still play the green card. I don't think Jeffries beating Jackson ranks among his best 7 wins.
Agree with your premise generally/in the abstract, because you are correct that an old vet past his prime can often school a young-un. However, in this specific situation, we are talking a really old vet against a not so green fighter. Jackson was inactive in serious fights for SIX YEARS. He was 37 years old in an era where that was ancient. Also, Jeff wasn't quite that green. Less than ten fights back then was actually a pretty fair amount of experience because these guys were fighting legit fights, tough fighters, in lengthy bouts. Jeff had obtained a wealth of experience sparring world champion Corbett nearly every day for 2-3 weeks in early 1897, over a year prior. He had fought two 20 round fights - with Choynski and Ruhlin, and had a quick KO over Joe Goddard one month prior - Feb 1898 - to fighting Jackson. Goddard was an experienced veteran who had given Jackson a tough 8-round fight way back in 1890.
Since a green Jeffries destroyed him in the matter that he did, prime for prime I would say Jeffries stops him late.:good