A736staz (June 8, 2008 at 10:40 pm)

Also, Johnson liked to toy with his opponents and hit Jeffries in ways that would not knock him out immediately

Sidthecrow (May 26, 2008 at 4:11 pm)

Size of Sulivans arms!

gregwi562 (May 16, 2008 at 8:52 pm)

Jack Johnson was the best fighter during his prime. And you don't hold the title for 7 years without being an all-time great.

carpsio (May 12, 2008 at 9:00 am)

So the only way to be "great" is if you are a quick knock-out artist? Jim Jeffries was a hard man - 6 year lay-off or no. Johnson dismantled him over 15 rounds, doing what he had to in order to win. Sure, he was KO'd by some lesser lights, but do you know the kind of chaos he lived in? We're not talking about a modern athlete here. Nat Fleischer - who saw every heavyweight champ from Corbett to Ali - rated Johnson #1 heavy of all time so I'll take his word over yours if it's all the same.

mzak015 (May 12, 2008 at 12:45 am)

Jack Johnson was the first african american heavyweight champion. People remember things like that.

Bugees (May 9, 2008 at 10:52 pm)

Jack Johnson is overrated. If he was so great, why did it take him 15 rounds to knock out Jim Jeffries who had not been fighting for 6 years? Jeffries never lost in his prime, Johnson was KO'd by Joe Choynski and John Haines (a man with a career record of 27-14). Are you guys serious calling Johnson an all-time great?

dorsi40 (May 7, 2008 at 7:32 pm)

Its true Jefferies did say that after the fight , but later on said he was better. Johnson did state in his autobiography that Jefferies was the best fighter in his opinion. I would put bothy in the top 5 of all time and it would be an interesting match at th very leas.

carpsio (May 6, 2008 at 9:28 am)

Jeffries said to a journalist after the fight that "even at my best I could never have caught Johnson - not in a thousand years." So regardless of whether he was out of shape and ring-rusty, he knew he'd met a better boxer (even though enormously prejudiced against him on account of his race.) Let the matter end there.

hazmat1000 (May 5, 2008 at 12:35 am)

remember that was after Jeffries had not fought for 6 years.........would Jordan have been the same after retiring for 6 years and having to lose 60-100 pounds in a short time??? Burns was a poser for champ from what I could tell.

seerauberjohnny (May 1, 2008 at 12:52 am)

I think you're referring to Middleweight champ Stanley ketchell's teeth in Johnsons' glove-after he allegedly reneged on a pre fight deal with johnson to take it easy and dropped him in the 12th to which jack responded by flattening him for the count,taking his gnashers in the process!