Who wins this battle of LHW greats? The fight is probably going to be fought at range, which incidentally suits both men. Loughran has a better chin, imo, a better jab, a better engine and better timing. Jones has better speed, better power and the benefit of having all of his crowning performances available on film. Jones Jr was the fighter of the decade in the 90s, has outclassed Hopkins and Toney, but fought underwhelming opposition as a LHW. He has a reputation as someone who would beat anyone, without beating everyone. Loughran is a man who fought everyone from Middle to Heavy, pretty much guaranteed to go the full distance. From memory the only man he was unable to defeat as a LHW was Jack Delaney, but his resume is that deep I haven't exactly poured over it lately. How do we see this one going? Poll included.
Jones, he was much quicker and had a style perfect for dissecting jabbers. Loughran was the best jab-artist I ever saw, in a division which historically has a lot of them, but Jones' straight right hands over the top, slipping and body hooks, from such speed is gonna make Loughran fight negatively. I think Jones works around the jab and lands the harder shots. Jones Jr. UD.
Loughran is by far the greater fighter of the two, but I just feel that Jones would be wrong for him. Loughran depended upon being the faster man, and the better boxer, so what Jones brought to the table would have been trouble for him!
Loughrin kept his left hand too low....would be out jabbed by RJJ, then crumble to an overhand right in the 6th round. RJJ KO6.
Nobody would outjab Loughran, he's the best ever at that. There is no reason to believe that, Loughran was fantastic defensively and he had excellent chin behind it. He was stopped only 3 times in almost 200 fights - once when he was a novice and twice against heavyweights. Roy wouldn't get close to stopping Loughran.
His jab was lazy compared to Jones'. We're comparing the two of them not the Young Striblings of the world. And watch his videos...like I said, he kept his left down very low. A fatal mistake against someone as fast as Jones. Loughrin never, NEVER, faced anyone as fast as Jones, or with the skin color of Jones. And with a lifetime KO ration of 11% (!) ole Tommy wasn't exactly a killer in the ring, was he? RJJ KO 6. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
His jab was better than Jones and I hope that Jones wouldn't try to outjab him, that wouldn't end well for him. Low guard is nothing bad, Jones himself often fought with his hands low. Loughran is one of the purest boxers ever: This content is protected
Unfortunately it was a business decision. At the top level black fighters weren’t considered worth the risk for the money that they brought to the table. This is why Jack Johnson refused to defend his title against any Black fighters and why Tunney also didn’t fight black fighters. Years ago I remember reading an old article that quoted an enraged Larry Gains, who talked about Young Stribling like a dog, since Stribling wouldn’t fight him or any black fighter, since he made more fighting white fighters. Even today a lot of managers and promoters still believe that black fighters don’t sell tickets and need opponents with a country behind them to sell. Here is a promoter talking about Mayweather’s drawing power. “Mayweather is a good ticket seller but look at the opponents: Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez,” said legendary West coast promoter Don Chargin. “A real drawing card is one that can fight anyone and do it. That’s why when I look at the figures on Oscar, my God. But Mayweather needs the right opponent.” Something else Berto, Williams, Bradley, and Dawson have in common: They’re all African-American. There is a sentiment in boxing that blacks in America have left the sport in droves and that Latin Americans are the dominant ethnic group watching the sport. Don Elbaum, the veteran matchmaker and promoter, told THE RING that when he does shows at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, there are more white fans in the crowd than black. And that was never the case in the past. https://www.ringtv.com/124087-the-empty-seat-dilemma-why-so-many-top-fighters-cant-sell-tickets/ Abel saying Black fighters don’t sell in the nicest way he can This content is protected
The main reason why most fighters of this era held their left low, was because they used a different stance, which kept their head out of harms way.
Yes, there was a difference between the business side and "the color bar" back in the old days. Guys like Jeffries had no problem fighting blacks, but NOT for the HW title. That would be too much to take; would show black are not only equal but BETTER than whites, and that was something that was anathama in a desegregated society. Johnson was probably right; not enough money in it to fight Sam McVey for the title.
Loughran fought better competition than Roy anyway, so I don't think it's a good argument either. I view Roy as favorite here due to styles and his athleticism, but there is no way to put Roy higher than Tommy on all-time list.
Could have fought Battliing Siki...fought your namesake in 1925 when Loughran fought Young Stribling. George Godfrey was a big HW, but he and Loughran were HW's at the same time period. Both of the above were well known; would have been good scalps on his record had he beaten them. Edit: better yet, you tell me. I asked a simple and honest question.....how could he fight 125 times and not meet a black boxer in the ring? I have nothing against the guy and have no agenda.
