Willard (Johnson) vs. Jeffries (Fitz 2)

He quit in a fight earlier in his career. The skills are not there. Did Willard ever beat a puncher? No, they ko’d him.

 

The film shows Willard won quite a few rounds prior to the ko. You can see them on you tube and judge for yourself.

 

He quit but he wasn't stopped.Willard met some punchers GunBoat Smith for one,Smith could not dent Willard's chin. Carl Morris,Fank Moran, and Luther McCarty were good punchers ,none of them floored Willard.I repeat the only men to beat him were Dempsey when he was a fat 37 years old champion ,who had not fought for 3 years and Firpo when Jess was 41and just ran out of gas. I submit both Dempsey and Firpo compare favourably with Jeffries regarding power. Whatever else Willard may have had, he certainly had durability and his right uppercut may have found some success against the crouching Jeffries. I think the outcome of this fight might very well be a lot closer than some might believe.

 

Jeffries was a spent force in the Johnson fight,if you want to match that version with Jess it should be the Willard of the Floyd Johnson and Firpo fights.

 

maybe mercury in fish....not kidding

 

Jeffries said he was given drugged tea,I think he later refuted that excuse.I never heard about the mercury,though his brother was convinced he had been ,"got at",if he had been I think it likely it was by that old guy with the scythe and the beard.

 

I am going to say Jeffries, if only because almost everybody would have picked him, at any point in Willard's career.

Willard triumphs over the Reno version.

 

i am not 100% sure that is true.

When Willard won the title, i can remember there were quite a few comparisons to him and a modern Superman (though i think that might have been a metaphorical superman as opposed to the comic book version as i dont think it had been invented yet). I can remember at least reading a couple of articles where his size and strength was seen as evolution of mankind and that the sport had progressed.

I also think that him beating the man who KOd Jeffries would have also won him some support. I think that quite a few would have picked Willard. Probably a similar crowd to those who would currently pick Wilder over Jeffries.