Rank These HW in terms of Functional boxing strength

The back and forth insults between Mendoza and McVey are more interesting than boxing at this point.

 

Pass.

 

The journalists in question were reporting on Jeffries training camp for the Munro fight, and Jeffries often hunted during training.

 

I think this thread really shows a huge disconnect between the softbodies we have today and what those old timers actually did in their lives.

It wasnt uncommon in those days to read about a fighter going on a 13 mile run in the morning, coming back to eat breakfast, going through a full, strenuous boxing workout (which last several hours) and then taking a "relaxing" 10 mile hike before dinner. Most fighters today would be looking for another sport to partake in before they did that.

I will also say again that those old timers were tough old nuts. It strikes me as ridiculous that someone would call into question the hard labor those guys did and/or how heavy an animal was (nevermind what it was) and how the fighter did or didnt process it over 100 years ago. Its silly. I dont have any reason to believe Jeffries couldnt lift a calf. I know we are all pretty much in agreement that Foreman was probably the strongest and he lifted a calf, is he supposed to be so much stronger than Jeffries as to make that an impossibility? I think not.

As for whether Jeffries proved how strong he was in the ring, well, was his style even given over to that kind of fighting? Ali was strong as hell too and proved it on the few occasions he had to but his style wasnt exactly a physical style. Im not saying Jeffries was a dancer by any means but still. Furthermore how much footage do we have of a prime Jeffries? 10 or 15 minutes? If thats the case I'll take the word of the men who saw him. I know in the training footage of him he looks damn strong to me.

 

MENDOZA believes Jeffries thigh and calf measurement indicate his strength ,interesting that they are identical to Ali's.:think
I believe that for a boxer to be included in the top rank for functional boxing strength they must necessarily have demonstrated it in a boxing ring and during competition, that seems entirely reasonable to me, indeed the opposite appears nonsensical.

 

I dont necessarily disagree. Im just questioning whether Jeffries didnt exhibit it (film is limited on him) and whether his style was even geared toward demonstrating it. I have no reason to doubt he was enormously strong. The man was a horse and accustomed to hard physical labor all of his life, that doesnt breed weaklings. Anecdotal accounts, for whatever they are worth, suggest he was very strong. Etc etc.

 

Well Jeffries was a huge man for his times
,though his chest size was the same as Sullivan's, he was very muscular especially coming after Corbett and Fitz ,Fitz had a big upper torso but pipe stem legs.
Today that version of Jeffries would be a small heavyweight and would look positively anaemic against some of the lumps around. Here's a personal anecdote. My Mother in law died in May and one of my son in laws needed a conservative suit in a hurry for the funeral, my partner and I picked it up for him the jacket is XXXL 52" chest which he can wear if he doesn't button it up.

He is 6'4" and 19 and a half stone ie about 275lbs and he isn't fat ,such sized men are, if not common in the UK, certainly not rare today. He could put Jeffries under his arm.