Prime James J. Jeffries vs Jack Johnson

Feats of strength? Could you elaborate? I've heard of the PSI score and the 100 yard dash time, but whatever you're alluding to is probably new to me (unless you mean the deer story).

 

I doubt Jeffries was any different to most whites of his era,no more racist or liberal than the average whitey.I don't think he was as bad as Corbett or Sharkey but he certainly believed in white supremacy and took whatever steps he thought necessary to maintain the status quo.He was certainly strong and as you said he could really fight,how he would fare against an assortment of boxers his own age and size would be intruiging.He beat the best of the white bunch that was available and for that we must give him some credit.
For years I thought him the best man before Johnson now I probably rank Fitz over him,and Fitz was definitely a better one punch ko artist.

 

The only sprinting records i ever found was a 100yard dash against Jim Corbett on the beach.

Jim Corbett won! though he is an underated athlete!

 

Any records broken? Did Scholz and Paddock have anything to worry about?lol

 

i think it was on Sand!

 

During training for the Munro fight, he trained by moving around a 300lb bag of sand. This was witnessed by a number of journalists, and there are photos of him doing it. He also lifted a large steer on to the back of a truck, in front of a group of journalists. The steer was weighted to verify its weight.

 

Very cool. Thanks.

 

Johnson by big stylistic advantage.

 

Absolutely. Jack will always beat him imo.

 

Johnson still beats Jeff,albeit in a more competitive fight. Too skilful.

 

"I rank Fitz over him"

Certainly p4p.

But as heavyweights? Jeffries KO'd Fitz twice. Actually beating a man decisively twice seems to me to prove real world superiority if anything does.

"Fitz was definitely a better one punch ko artist."

Yes.

 

Jeffries was 12 years younger than Fitz.

 

But was a young Fitz even a heavyweight (by the standards of the time). A young Fitz would have been smaller than he was when he fought Jeffries.

I found your posts on this thread right on for the most part, but the take of Fitz being a better heavy than Jeff despite what happened in their two fights seems a bridge too far for me.

Anyway, thanks for your posts on this thread and all the info you contributed.

 

My main problem with determining this matchup is that I don't know how strong prime Jeffries is compared to Johnson. Yes, Johnson was the stronger man in their encounter, but that obviously wasn't a prime Jeff. But how strong was a prime Jeffries? I've seen insane strength feats, but nothing that tells me Johnson wasn't capable of handling it.

50\50, should've happened when it would've mattered

 

The contemporary consensus was that Jeffries beat Fitz because,he was too big and too young.
You can with justification say Jeffries was the superior heavyweight,but not,imo the superior fighter.
Johnson rated Fitzsimmons the best of the men who came before him