Prime to Prime Jim Jeffires vs Ezzard Charles

Now gentlemen, let's not get snippy.

An observation...

Marciano needed seventeen rounds of volume punching (over 100 a round) to land something capable of flooring Ezzard Charles--for a two count. It took him 23 rounds to land a knockout punch. 2,300 punches, most of them power shots of one kind or another.

Fighters in Jeffries' era didn't throw many punches. They fought slowly and deliberately, and Jeffries did so more than many. Not only that, but Jeffries was a one-handed puncher. He relied on trying to set up a single blow, and was more predictable as a result. He only has twenty or thirty chances per round to knock the guy out rather than a hundred, and he isn't combination punching to open up opportunities.

Neither guy was a Dempsey--they didn't come out quickly, create angles, and work for a quick knockout. Both, in their own ways, used their power to bolster an attritional strategy. The knockout would come when the opponent was exhausted. Marciano would exhaust you with never-ending punches until one got through. Jeffries mauled you and used the 25-round limit to his advantage. At some point, you'd be too weary to avoid the well-timed left hook and you'd go down.

This fight would be difficult for Charles because Jeff wouldn't stay in the optimal middle range. Combinations will be difficult to get off, and Jeffries actually has the longer reach and greater height. Outside--> short transition --> clinch mauling for 25 rounds is going to be really unpleasant.

 

Neither man was wiping out top-flight big men, but then again neither did Marciano. I'd give the power advantage to Sullivan.

 

But unlike Jeffries, Marciano also exhibited one punch knockouts over Top rated contenders/ Champions Walcott, Layne, and Matthews. It is of my opinion Marciano of pre 1954 was a great puncher than jeffries. Once Rocky changed his style by 1954, his one punch power suffered and you could make a case jeffries as a puncher rates just as highly as THAT version of Rocky. But I do not possibly see how Jeffries could be compared to the the pre 1954 Version of Rocky as a puncher.

 

Post-1954 Rocky still hit really freaking hard. If Jeffries hit as hard as 1955 Marciano, he's a great puncher.

 

Sounds about right. That's still quite hard-hitting, though.

 

I have mixed views on Jeffries as a puncher. Sometimes I think...He had alot of trouble putting away much smaller men a 167lb man was able to Kayo Early. Would Foreman Liston Tyson who were jeffries sized fighters allow 165-180lb men to go the distance with them? Me thinks Jeffries used his Size and Strength to wear his small opponents out rather than his brute power.

In that case you can make a case jeffries was a great attrition puncher. Was the corbett knockout one punch kayo? That is what I have always read.

 

That's a valid point. On the other hand, I could see a young, green Liston having trouble with tiny gloves against Choynski. Johnson certainly did.

When post '54 Rocky hit you cleanly, you still went down hard. He just couldn't hit you cleanly very often (or didn't try to since he didn't need to). Jeffries, on the other hand, generally did hit his opponents cleanly on those occasions where he connected at all.

Marciano's workrate post-54 disguised what was still a very hard punch. With more accuracy, he would have been even scarier.

 

I dont know if this helps to put things in perspective ,but Sonny Liston was slightly smaller than Jeffries.
Put a 33 year old Corbett in with prime Liston,a Corbett who hadnt fought in 2 years, who weighs 188lbs, and hadnt won a fight in 6, does he go 23 rounds with Liston ?

How about a 37 year old, 167lbs Fitz?
A Fitz who also hadnt fought in 2 years.
Does he go 11 rds with Liston ?
I know I am oversimplifying things but if Jeffries was a puncher on a par with Liston ,I think their results should be rather similar.
Again , does a 5 foot 8 in Sharkey coming straight at Liston for two fights last 20 rds in one and 25 in the other,without being stopped?
And dont forget Corbett was in front, according to reports when he was stopped. And Sharkey gave Jeffries life and death according to Jeff himself .
If you think Liston bombs them out much earlier,is it because of advanced technique?
Or, because you think Liston was a much better banger ?
Floyd Patterson scaled 189 lbs to Liston's 214lbs , eveeryone said he looked like a boy up against a man,I can show you the fight reports.
yet Floyd was much more muscled and defined physically than Corbett and Fitz ever were,even in their primes ,which is NOT when Jeffries fought them.
Can you imagine the comments from ringside ,when Fitz or Corbett come to ring centre for the referee's instructions ,face to face with the looming Liston?
It would be called a mismatch.
Yet a 219 and 218lbs 6 ft 2in Jeffries has these scalps as his best wins.

 

I always said Jefferies was a physical marvel for his day and a terrific athlete. No doubt very strong, took a great shot and gave a very good one. However, he was a cautious fighter. He did not go out guns ablazing. He fought in a distance mentality and paced himself. He also had only 23 fights. In many ways he was a novice.

I easily see a 1949 Charles outpointing him over 15 rounds. Jeff definately hit hard enough to stop him but I don't think he catches him. Ez was slick, even at heavyweight. Again, a small ring and a ref that allows for a brutal fight and it is different story.

 

Judging from the fact that Liston and Jeffries were the same size, it would look something like this:

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That photo right there shows Jeffries was not even close to the 6'2 many people claim he is. Jeffries is closer to 6'0 or 5'11. He was a tank though.

 

Fitz doesn't really look all that frail next to Jeff buddy, but we all know that Jeff was WAY stronger than Fitz................ A great photo.......

MR.BILL

 

I think it's a combination of two things: Jeffries was slightly shorter than the 6'2" he's listed at, and Fitz was taller than 5'11" (which also seems apparent in the Corbett film).