Prime Jim Jefferies vs Prime Lennox Lewis

It is impossible to say!

 

Indeed.

The other thing that you learn from this forum, is that sometimes fighters of the past were highly regarded for a good reason.

Many people rate Ali and Tyson highly, because that is what they grew up with, but they are also highly rated because they wee incredible fighters.

Sometimes a fighter leaves an impression, because they were objectively very good!

 

I need to study Jefferies for this one

 

There is only so much left to study!

A wealth of eye witness accounts, but very little film.

 

I remember all the old timers up in ring magazine - I was a young boxing guy and used to make my stop at Ring on 31st street and 7th ave then walk down to 28th street gym - Gil Clancy- Howie Albert and many other great trainers of the day- usually there was a fight that night at MSG or Felt Forum and I would meet outside near 8th ave where the trainers- promoters and writers would meet. I would hear about the 50's and 40's and 30's

I would stop in to see Teddy Brenner ( his buddy was a family friend) and he would let me right in his office- When I was in Ring office I would talk to Nat Fleischer- and some of the other timers - they had a little display of hand molds and old gloves and belts- Liston and a few modern guys and then the giant Primo Carnera fist . Nat F would talk about the 20's the 30's and before. Jim Jeffries was a big name and the stories of his strength and speed from Nat F's eyes was vivid- remember Nat had seen Dempsey- Joe Louis- Marciano- Ali and Johnson - He said Jeffries lost close to 100 lbs and off 5 years came back mid 30's with long layoff to fight Johnson but he said Jeffries was an incredible athlete.

These fights can not be made- we can not bring Lennox back to Jeffries days and see what type of fighter he would be- and we can not take a fighter from Jeffries era and bring him back - both great fighters from their day.

From a young fans eyes 90's to now I can see why they favor Lewis but from Nat Fleischer's eyes I can see why he would pick Jeffries . Great fighters in their day and each of their advantage for them was their day -

 

Highly regarded because the terms of reference were so limited . Corbett was a revelation when he ran rings round the likes of Kilrain and McCaffrey,how would his skills equate today?

 

Fleischer said he only saw Jeffries v Johnson,he didn't graduate until 2 years before the Reno fight. Fleischer died in1972 without finding a place in
his all time top ten for Muhammad Ali.
To say he was partial to the old timers is like saying Hitler wasn't particularly keen on Jews.

 

He was a very big fan of Jeffries and fighters of the era - I listened to his stories and he made it sound as if Jeffries was one of the greatest he saw - there were also a few old timers up at ring that were older than Nat so among them they went back pretty far with stories.

 

Got any suggestions on fights i should look up that is film on

 

I've seen Fleischer's All Time Lists... I'll pass.

 

As he only saw Jeffries against Johnson ,when he was demolished I don't put too much stock in his opinion.I do however envy your experiences .

 

There is surviving footage of the second Sharkey fight, the second Ruhlin fight, the Johson fight, and some footage of Jeffries sparring that is relevant because it is of better quality than his contemporary filmed fights.

The surviving footage is either of very poor quality (Sharkey Ruhlin), of him sparring, or of him well past his prime (Johnson).

Given the limitations of the footage, you might want to supplement it by reading ringside accounts.

If you want to, then the the biography by Adam Pollack, is a very good source.

 

Thanks

 

Different eras always are hard to judge in comparison. I think this matchup entails one of the greatest era gaps imaginable . From what I've read Jeffries was rough as rocks in his time and was recognized as such. To take him out of his era to fight Lewis is practically impossible, as Lewis fighting in his Jeffries era. With nutrition people have grown larger, Lennox in Jeffries day may have been 6'1 200 pounds, about the size of Jack Johnson . Would that Lewis beat him in his prime?

 

You criticize Jeffries for a lot of things you wouldn't do with Johnson and they are from very close era.