@1899sharkey 2 . . . Really? You believe the desperates of the underground fight scene of the 50's were boxers? They were people who were willing to enter a ring with anything (including clawless bears) to make ends meet; very often for the promise of a hot meal. Not boxers, people who enter rings and there's still millions more today by that standard. I do agree participation makes sport evolve and that's my argument, there's millions more fighting today, hence new 'greatests' continually. lol.
The other frustrating argument is the "My generation's musicians/athletes/geniuses/politicians were/are better than yours are/were. If Jeffries was the best because he had it harder than todays fighters (and he had running water/coffee/a house), imagine how tough the spanish Conquistadors had it, they must have had a tougher fighter, or the Trojans (much harder and more primitive life), or Egyptian slaves? Todays athletes eat far better and have hgh and testosterone, no competition.
Why can't people comprehend that he may have been an outstanding individual . . just like every other outstanding individual. Statistical outliers occur every now and then and statistically we should have the best athletes/academics of all time today, due to the sheer number able to participate. These arguments are always waged from emotion (of fans) and blurred performance stats, his/her best vs his/her best in any field. Respect people's accomplishments and leave it at that.
Damm Jeffries seems James Toney dodging those punches,and to think that Jeffries had the phisical abilities of a Brock Lesnar (but smaller and faster) thats just to show how good heavyweights were back then!
@LSDarthMaul - He was probably the best athlete of any hvywt. champion. They say he could run the 100yd. dash in under 11 seconds and high jump over 6ft. He had grizzly bear strength and 25 rd. endurance. He was one hell of a fighter.
This vid should dispell any notion that Jeff was some slow lumbering oaf. How many big heavys had his coordination and foot speed? Not many. Judging Jeff by the Johnson fight is like judging Louis by the Rocky fight or Ali by the Holmes fight. Six loooong years made Jeff a mere shell of his self in 1910.
Really good quality film for it`s time. I`ve never seen a better example of his skill`s than here.I just hope there is a scene of a fight in which u can see this well, because i`ve never found one.
Excellent footage, I would like to see more old film like this. It would be nice if compilations of old film like this was more available and on DVD. I also think it would be a great idea to make a movie about Jim Jeffries and his life and perspective on Boxing.
JEFFRIES This was another hard and fast as jumping rope with which AGILITY VERY DIFFERENT VIDEO IN 1910 WAS DEFINITELY ANOTHER JEFFRIES, JACK JOHNSON SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE demolished in RENO NEVADA
JEFFRIES This was another hard and fast as jumping rope with which AGILITY VERY DIFFERENT VIDEO IN 2010 WAS DEFINITELY ANOTHER JEFFRIES, JACK JOHNSON SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE demolished in RENO NEVADA
@AnnihilatingAngel Actually Jeffries supposedly said that, it isn't just that dude making shit up.
After he lost to Johnson first he claimed he was poisoned...then he acknowledged Johnson's skill later and even admitted he couldn't have beat him in his prime.
This could all be heresy though I have no way of confirming it.
@AnnihilatingAngel Probably. But I was just saying that dude isn't completely bullshitting trying to argue that. He has some basis to claim it...whether it is heresay or not.
I honestly have no idea who would win between prime jeffries and prime johnson...I would like to think it was jeffries...but we will never know cause by the time they fought jeffries was waaay out of his prime.
Oh well. Let's just enjoy the clips and not argue lol.
This is probably the best footage of Jeffries in his prime. The only other films I know of that exist of pre 1905 Jeffries are his battles against Sharkey in '99 and Ruhlin in '01 and neither are as good as this. Of course this was taken outdoors which helped. Thanks for this wonderful post.
Jeffries wasnt only Strong,fast and tough, he had a very good stamina too.. People of that era said,that he could fight easy 20 round without beeing tired . ..in his time,the fighters had to go 60 rounds and later 45 rounds. you can not compare today's fighters with the old great champs.a fighter today can MAYBE better jab but thats all.. i want to take anything away from modern champs but jeffries would get tired after 5 or 6 rounds like Liston,foreman,vitali,wladimir and so on..
lol i notice the fighters back then were more elusive alot of the time always the hands down low ready to slip away quickly well i think thats why the kept there hand never up unless they were leadin or blocking blows with there face:P
Any boxer from the days of Jefferies, Johnson, and Dempsey could beat the fighters of today. And if it were rules set back then, it definitely wouldn't even be close.
@Swazi4 No doubt, that was a touch bunch back then because they had to be. I feel that every generation gets a little softer and softer with an easier lifestyle.
he's asking for an uppercut with that dip, which im sure jack johnson must have punished him for. also goes back with chin up in the air in a straight line. still he is pretty fast.
Clearly J Jeffries was a natural, the first modern heavyweight champ. Probably an Olympic-caliber talent as an athlete. That he beat several champs and legends in such a short career is amazing. If JJ had fought Johnson in 1903-04 as champ, he likely would have retired undefeated and still be respected as much as Ali, Marciano, Louis are today.
Johnson was KOd by lightheavy Choynski in 1903, kept improving and was destined to become the next great champ.
Great point!!! Jeffries fought Choynski to a draw in that same time period. One of the greats that is forgotten because of the Johnson debacle 6 years after he left the ring....so sad.
I want to say thank you to Jim Pritchard for posting this video of Jim Jeffries training. Although he did not have many fights professionally (21) he was a great athlete and a prime physical specimen. Undeniably one of the greatest. At least in regards to his supreme stamina. There are some amazing stories of him around.Footage of him is rare, what you found I have seen before but nevertheless sharing it is good because then others can view this very old material. A rare glimpse ofanoldchampion.
The speed and clarity is not bad for 1901. I wish the film of the actual fight with Ruhlin was as good as this. The only two fight films of Jeffries in his prime are barely watchable. At 6'2" and 220 pounds I think Jeff could more than hold his own with today's fighters.
My grandpa (born in 1891) got me into boxing as a kid. I remember asking him who was the greatest he ever saw, and without hesitation, he said Jim Jeffries. We all love the champs of our youth, mine being Ali.
Nice video. I have heard a lot about the legendary Jim Jeffries. So this is what he looked like in his prime in 1901. He looks pretty fast and agile for a heavyweight, not to mention strong. Is there any more film on Jeffries of this quality?
lawl you got the wrong dood there. That was me. I am not really going to kick your ass, seeing as though there would be now way too. I was just pissed off at the moment about your really racist comments.
never said blacks & whites are 2 differend things. As for the rest of the comment you made. It makes no cents. All I was saying that the guys comment I first replyed to made no cents & he sounded ignorant.
.....no. We attacked Germany because Japan attacked us. And going to war with Japan meant that we had to go to war with Germany too (they were allies). I have never heard that bullshit reason of attacking Germany. To destroy racism? That has only been said by retards who didnt know there history and pulled something out of there ass to make themselves sound smart. CDAN maybe you should try using your brain.
Did we officially go to war on the 11th? I think not. We entered the war on the 17th, even if the Germans declared against us. We went to war because of the Japanese.
not all the time. But still you also got to remember that we used to breed the strong slaves. And we wonder why so many black people are good at sports?
I don't hate black people, just a certain kind of people that are usually black. Gangsters. No gangster deserves respect. They cant take somebody else on so they get a bunch of their friends together. They bring knives and guns to the fights. They are all pussys. They cant even fight by themselves. That is one of the reasons i do not fight peps
lol. I is shaksing in mah boots. xD. But still, some of the best boxers ever lived were black. Dont descriminate, cuz I bet that most of them could kick your ass.
If I were black, i would have beaten the crap out of you. But im not so i will just tell you to stfu. Why dont you go play in the bedsheets with your kkk friends. Oh thats right, youre in your own little kkk club. racist.
No shit ya peasant. The race issue was very topical in the Jeffries - Johnson fight - I didn't throw that in there for my own enjoyment. Read your history before you respond - you idiot.
I belive its Bob Armstrong. Johnson is a bit larger, than the guy in the film. Johnson was a giant of a man in his day, and about the size of Jeff. The guy is too small to be Johnson.
My Great, Great Uncle Jefferies, In my opinion hated boxing with diapers on his hands. Fight like a man should fight. Kick a mans ass into yesterday. I am 48, 5'8" 220lbs and could send any boxer in my class bare fisted home to moma. No, don't set me up with a match. My Grandma Jefferies was very religious, and would kick my ass if I would accept.
Bullshit. If you were James J Jeffries decendant, and you still had his last name, and you knew, his, YOU WOULD SPELL HIS FUCKING LAST NAME RIGHT!!!!!
I see the dip to the right, but I STILL don't see Jim Jeffries 'fighting out of a crouch', which is how his style is always described. Here, for the most part he's standing dtraight up, with his chin in the air.
you can see that he had good foot corridnation with his jump rope..also he ran a 100yard dash in about 10 seconds...and could high jump over 6 feet...i bet most of the current top heavyweights couldnt do that
im certain all the men around in these days were hard cases as it was a tough time to live but i think Jim Jeffries was certainly in the top 5 greats of the day
You obviously don't know Jeffries' legacy and how he is portrayed. History portrayed Frazier as an Uncle Tom, Schmelling as a Nazzi, and Jeffries as a racist. In my opinion all are unfair and unaccurate. That is my opinion. Anyone typing strong words is a stupid coward. Anyone saying/typing the N word needs to bitch slapped. Stupid Coward. Anyways that is probably Bob Armstrong in the back.
The guy in the background is probably Bob Armstrong "King of the Battle Royal" a 6'3'' 200 pnd fighter that Jeffries beat in 1898 and later became a sparring partner and friend of his. If you pull up the picks of Jeffries training in Reno, 1910, you'll see alot of pics of Armstrong with him. Armstrong's friendship is a good example of Jeffries not being a racist.
Jack Johnson did chase Jim Jeffries around for a shot at the title so it could possibly be the guy in the background is about the same size as Jeff is and that takes a pretty big man which Johnson was.
Nowadays Jeffries is truly the forgotten champion, but well into the 1950's, he was still being ranked in the top 5 greatest heavyweights in history. Too much is made of his loss to a PRIME Jack Johnson which happened AFTER Jim had been retired for 6 years, had put on 100 lbs, was 35 years old, and no warmup fights (like a shot Ali against a PRIME Holmes).
No doubt he was an all around athlete being able to high jump over 6 feet and run the 100 yard dash almost as fast as Jesse Owens. That is remarkable that a boxer can achieve those feats. Johnson vs. Jeffries in their prime would have been a different story I think no one is sharp after a 6 year lay off. Jeffries was ahead of his time as he is what most heavyweights look like now.
Jeffries is sparring here with his younger brother, Jack. Jack Jeffries fought Jack Johnson and lost. This may in part have played a role in causing Jim Jeffries to later come out of retirement to fight Johnson, a mistake. I bet the Jim Jeffries of 1901 would have done a lot better against Johnson than 10 years later.
he might not have had that many fights, but still he was never even knocked down until after the 6 year lay off when he was 35 at the time he fought jack johnson. Sam langford offered to fight any man in the world but Jeffries and Nat Fleischer saw them all and he ranked Jeffries #2. I am going to say he must have been something special.
Big Jeff was an extraordinary athlete and had a comparable build to today's heavyweights. He was the farthest thing from the old school misconception of slow and sloppy. He had an effective crouch and his stamina and ability to absorbe punishment were also stellar. Truly of the greats of all-time.
Even better, the psyique of Klitschko but with much greater stamina. It is hard to compare, but he easily belongs in the top 10 heavyweights of all time
@1899sharkey 2 . . . Really? You believe the desperates of the underground fight scene of the 50's were boxers? They were people who were willing to enter a ring with anything (including clawless bears) to make ends meet; very often for the promise of a hot meal. Not boxers, people who enter rings and there's still millions more today by that standard. I do agree participation makes sport evolve and that's my argument, there's millions more fighting today, hence new 'greatests' continually. lol.
jackiejackie44 1 month ago
@jackiejackie44 - " theres millions more fighting today" Without a doubt, the most uninformed opinion i've ever read on youtube.
1899sharkey 1 month ago
The other frustrating argument is the "My generation's musicians/athletes/geniuses/politicians were/are better than yours are/were. If Jeffries was the best because he had it harder than todays fighters (and he had running water/coffee/a house), imagine how tough the spanish Conquistadors had it, they must have had a tougher fighter, or the Trojans (much harder and more primitive life), or Egyptian slaves? Todays athletes eat far better and have hgh and testosterone, no competition.
jackiejackie44 1 month ago
Comment removed
1899sharkey 1 month ago
Why can't people comprehend that he may have been an outstanding individual . . just like every other outstanding individual. Statistical outliers occur every now and then and statistically we should have the best athletes/academics of all time today, due to the sheer number able to participate. These arguments are always waged from emotion (of fans) and blurred performance stats, his/her best vs his/her best in any field. Respect people's accomplishments and leave it at that.
jackiejackie44 1 month ago
Damm Jeffries seems James Toney dodging those punches,and to think that Jeffries had the phisical abilities of a Brock Lesnar (but smaller and faster) thats just to show how good heavyweights were back then!
LSDarthMaul 2 months ago
@LSDarthMaul - He was probably the best athlete of any hvywt. champion. They say he could run the 100yd. dash in under 11 seconds and high jump over 6ft. He had grizzly bear strength and 25 rd. endurance. He was one hell of a fighter.
1899sharkey 2 months ago
1:31-1:59 HOLY SHIT! HE LOOKS LIKE A FUCKING SPINNING TOP. Easily one of the best of all time.
crowley0312 3 months ago
This vid should dispell any notion that Jeff was some slow lumbering oaf. How many big heavys had his coordination and foot speed? Not many. Judging Jeff by the Johnson fight is like judging Louis by the Rocky fight or Ali by the Holmes fight. Six loooong years made Jeff a mere shell of his self in 1910.
1899sharkey 5 months ago
James J Jeffries is my great uncle. I am very proud of him. I also have his jaw shape, which is pretty amazing.
BLICKSTEINHUGHES 6 months ago
God, imagine fighting the fucker.
sugarraykirk 7 months ago
Really good quality film for it`s time. I`ve never seen a better example of his skill`s than here.I just hope there is a scene of a fight in which u can see this well, because i`ve never found one.
fanaticnik 11 months ago 2
Excellent footage, I would like to see more old film like this. It would be nice if compilations of old film like this was more available and on DVD. I also think it would be a great idea to make a movie about Jim Jeffries and his life and perspective on Boxing.
MrLarryBaskins1 1 year ago
@MrLarryBaskins1 - I've been hoping for a movie about Jeff, it would be a great tribute to a great fighter and man.
1899sharkey 1 year ago
thi guys mves like a lightweight
ROBISHOW666 1 year ago
JEFFRIES This was another hard and fast as jumping rope with which AGILITY VERY DIFFERENT VIDEO IN 1910 WAS DEFINITELY ANOTHER JEFFRIES, JACK JOHNSON SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE demolished in RENO NEVADA
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davidarias45 1 year ago
JEFFRIES This was another hard and fast as jumping rope with which AGILITY VERY DIFFERENT VIDEO IN 2010 WAS DEFINITELY ANOTHER JEFFRIES, JACK JOHNSON SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE demolished in RENO NEVADA
davidarias45 1 year ago
Those Jack Johnson nuthuggers who love to crow about Johnson beating a 6-years-retired Jeffries who had to lose 80 pounds need to see this.
AnnihilatingAngel 1 year ago
Jeffries wouldn't have touched Johnson in his prime and knew it.
vgr112261 8 months ago
@vgr112261 Your ability to read minds is amazing.
AnnihilatingAngel 8 months ago
@AnnihilatingAngel Actually Jeffries supposedly said that, it isn't just that dude making shit up.
After he lost to Johnson first he claimed he was poisoned...then he acknowledged Johnson's skill later and even admitted he couldn't have beat him in his prime.
This could all be heresy though I have no way of confirming it.
goonodeath 3 months ago
@goonodeath It's all apocryphal, which usually means cooked up by bullshitters with an agenda.
AnnihilatingAngel 3 months ago
@AnnihilatingAngel Probably. But I was just saying that dude isn't completely bullshitting trying to argue that. He has some basis to claim it...whether it is heresay or not.
I honestly have no idea who would win between prime jeffries and prime johnson...I would like to think it was jeffries...but we will never know cause by the time they fought jeffries was waaay out of his prime.
Oh well. Let's just enjoy the clips and not argue lol.
goonodeath 3 months ago
@goonodeath Fair enough.
AnnihilatingAngel 3 months ago
too bad he got beaten by that nigger jackson
kelloggcerealxoxo 2 years ago
*johnson
kelloggcerealxoxo 2 years ago
*nigga johnson
kelloggcerealxoxo 2 years ago
This is probably the best footage of Jeffries in his prime. The only other films I know of that exist of pre 1905 Jeffries are his battles against Sharkey in '99 and Ruhlin in '01 and neither are as good as this. Of course this was taken outdoors which helped. Thanks for this wonderful post.
muskratrowdy 2 years ago
Jeffries wasnt only Strong,fast and tough, he had a very good stamina too.. People of that era said,that he could fight easy 20 round without beeing tired . ..in his time,the fighters had to go 60 rounds and later 45 rounds. you can not compare today's fighters with the old great champs.a fighter today can MAYBE better jab but thats all.. i want to take anything away from modern champs but jeffries would get tired after 5 or 6 rounds like Liston,foreman,vitali,wladimir and so on..
ugly44444 2 years ago
lol i notice the fighters back then were more elusive alot of the time always the hands down low ready to slip away quickly well i think thats why the kept there hand never up unless they were leadin or blocking blows with there face:P
AngryScotProductions 2 years ago
It may sound crazy but the way he moves his body to the right side reminds me of Floyd Mayweather jr, very nice.
Am very proud that there is a picture of him where we look alike, haha amazing, my friends believed we where related.
speddyg 2 years ago
Any boxer from the days of Jefferies, Johnson, and Dempsey could beat the fighters of today. And if it were rules set back then, it definitely wouldn't even be close.
Swazi4 2 years ago 16
@Swazi4 No doubt, that was a touch bunch back then because they had to be. I feel that every generation gets a little softer and softer with an easier lifestyle.
hazmat1000 1 year ago
the worst boxer i ever saw
MultiGreat1 2 years ago
i guess you never boxed then..because im sure you would be worse...
gqmighty 2 years ago
actually im aba champion so i dont know what ur talkin about
MultiGreat1 2 years ago
lol....and im sure if we had a time machine..and put you in the ring with him on the day this was filmed..you would get your ass kicked.....
gqmighty 2 years ago 8
great stuff
sanzone7 2 years ago
jeffrires was the best of them all
owenswift 2 years ago
who knows the first track?
alexfromgalax87 2 years ago
he's asking for an uppercut with that dip, which im sure jack johnson must have punished him for. also goes back with chin up in the air in a straight line. still he is pretty fast.
innit27 3 years ago
Haha- Ramones Cretin Hop- funny stuff
Clearly J Jeffries was a natural, the first modern heavyweight champ. Probably an Olympic-caliber talent as an athlete. That he beat several champs and legends in such a short career is amazing. If JJ had fought Johnson in 1903-04 as champ, he likely would have retired undefeated and still be respected as much as Ali, Marciano, Louis are today.
Johnson was KOd by lightheavy Choynski in 1903, kept improving and was destined to become the next great champ.
ManassaMaulerKO1 3 years ago
Great point!!! Jeffries fought Choynski to a draw in that same time period. One of the greats that is forgotten because of the Johnson debacle 6 years after he left the ring....so sad.
hazmat1000 3 years ago
I want to say thank you to Jim Pritchard for posting this video of Jim Jeffries training. Although he did not have many fights professionally (21) he was a great athlete and a prime physical specimen. Undeniably one of the greatest. At least in regards to his supreme stamina. There are some amazing stories of him around.Footage of him is rare, what you found I have seen before but nevertheless sharing it is good because then others can view this very old material. A rare glimpse ofanoldchampion.
LarryBaskins 3 years ago 2
as usual another gem of a video...having just read about him its great now seeing the man on film.great footage...............
dmarotta7 3 years ago
The speed and clarity is not bad for 1901. I wish the film of the actual fight with Ruhlin was as good as this. The only two fight films of Jeffries in his prime are barely watchable. At 6'2" and 220 pounds I think Jeff could more than hold his own with today's fighters.
muskratrowdy 3 years ago
He would beat down most, if not all the heavyweights of this era.
rhysaynsean 3 years ago
220 pounds was enormous in 1890-00s
Greker 3 years ago
He's like my great great uncle
meye3boyz 3 years ago
My grandpa (born in 1891) got me into boxing as a kid. I remember asking him who was the greatest he ever saw, and without hesitation, he said Jim Jeffries. We all love the champs of our youth, mine being Ali.
uncjim 3 years ago
Looks like hes doing a irish jig when hes skipping. LOL
ROBBO1978OVBLYTH 3 years ago
Nice video. I have heard a lot about the legendary Jim Jeffries. So this is what he looked like in his prime in 1901. He looks pretty fast and agile for a heavyweight, not to mention strong. Is there any more film on Jeffries of this quality?
Rasnar 3 years ago
lawl you got the wrong dood there. That was me. I am not really going to kick your ass, seeing as though there would be now way too. I was just pissed off at the moment about your really racist comments.
BoxingManiac 3 years ago
never said blacks & whites are 2 differend things. As for the rest of the comment you made. It makes no cents. All I was saying that the guys comment I first replyed to made no cents & he sounded ignorant.
beeteep60 3 years ago
beast man?
beeteep60 3 years ago
.....no. We attacked Germany because Japan attacked us. And going to war with Japan meant that we had to go to war with Germany too (they were allies). I have never heard that bullshit reason of attacking Germany. To destroy racism? That has only been said by retards who didnt know there history and pulled something out of there ass to make themselves sound smart. CDAN maybe you should try using your brain.
BoxingManiac 3 years ago
germany declared war on the us on dec11,1941,as did italy
xylofish1 3 years ago
Did we officially go to war on the 11th? I think not. We entered the war on the 17th, even if the Germans declared against us. We went to war because of the Japanese.
BoxingManiac 3 years ago
lol imagine if they actually gave the black guys the male enhancement products.
BoxingManiac 4 years ago
not all the time. But still you also got to remember that we used to breed the strong slaves. And we wonder why so many black people are good at sports?
I don't hate black people, just a certain kind of people that are usually black. Gangsters. No gangster deserves respect. They cant take somebody else on so they get a bunch of their friends together. They bring knives and guns to the fights. They are all pussys. They cant even fight by themselves. That is one of the reasons i do not fight peps
BoxingManiac 4 years ago 2
lol. I is shaksing in mah boots. xD. But still, some of the best boxers ever lived were black. Dont descriminate, cuz I bet that most of them could kick your ass.
BoxingManiac 4 years ago
Good come back, when you can show respect and talk with intelligence let me know.
oldrokr 4 years ago
If I were black, i would have beaten the crap out of you. But im not so i will just tell you to stfu. Why dont you go play in the bedsheets with your kkk friends. Oh thats right, youre in your own little kkk club. racist.
BoxingManiac 4 years ago
kkk? wtf are you talking about. if i were black would have beaten the crap out of you. you sound like a nut.
beeteep60 3 years ago
Very interesting video, always a BIG question to know who is the best man comparing different periods in time...
Would someone by chance know the name & singer of the song playing during the sparring partner session (weapons of mass destruction) ? Thanks.
xuxuzinho22 4 years ago
No shit ya peasant. The race issue was very topical in the Jeffries - Johnson fight - I didn't throw that in there for my own enjoyment. Read your history before you respond - you idiot.
OBrien5e 4 years ago
I belive its Bob Armstrong. Johnson is a bit larger, than the guy in the film. Johnson was a giant of a man in his day, and about the size of Jeff. The guy is too small to be Johnson.
greek1237 4 years ago
Its gotta be Armstrong. He was pretty big too - 6'4"
OBrien5e 4 years ago
My Great, Great Uncle Jefferies, In my opinion hated boxing with diapers on his hands. Fight like a man should fight. Kick a mans ass into yesterday. I am 48, 5'8" 220lbs and could send any boxer in my class bare fisted home to moma. No, don't set me up with a match. My Grandma Jefferies was very religious, and would kick my ass if I would accept.
oldrokr 4 years ago
Bullshit. If you were James J Jeffries decendant, and you still had his last name, and you knew, his, YOU WOULD SPELL HIS FUCKING LAST NAME RIGHT!!!!!
BoxingManiac 4 years ago
Is that all you got????
oldrokr 4 years ago
You are a phony. And the way that you spelt his last name proves it. You suck and you need to get a life.
BoxingManiac 4 years ago
I see the dip to the right, but I STILL don't see Jim Jeffries 'fighting out of a crouch', which is how his style is always described. Here, for the most part he's standing dtraight up, with his chin in the air.
exile688 4 years ago
you can see that he had good foot corridnation with his jump rope..also he ran a 100yard dash in about 10 seconds...and could high jump over 6 feet...i bet most of the current top heavyweights couldnt do that
gqmighty 4 years ago
im certain all the men around in these days were hard cases as it was a tough time to live but i think Jim Jeffries was certainly in the top 5 greats of the day
malc1955 4 years ago
You obviously don't know Jeffries' legacy and how he is portrayed. History portrayed Frazier as an Uncle Tom, Schmelling as a Nazzi, and Jeffries as a racist. In my opinion all are unfair and unaccurate. That is my opinion. Anyone typing strong words is a stupid coward. Anyone saying/typing the N word needs to bitch slapped. Stupid Coward. Anyways that is probably Bob Armstrong in the back.
OBrien5e 4 years ago
The guy in the background is probably Bob Armstrong "King of the Battle Royal" a 6'3'' 200 pnd fighter that Jeffries beat in 1898 and later became a sparring partner and friend of his. If you pull up the picks of Jeffries training in Reno, 1910, you'll see alot of pics of Armstrong with him. Armstrong's friendship is a good example of Jeffries not being a racist.
OBrien5e 4 years ago
Jack Johnson did chase Jim Jeffries around for a shot at the title so it could possibly be the guy in the background is about the same size as Jeff is and that takes a pretty big man which Johnson was.
hazmat1000 4 years ago
I seriously doubt that is Jack Johnson in the background.
FleaBittenDog 4 years ago
Also is that man in the background jack johnson????? Sure looks like him in the first clip.
hazmat1000 4 years ago
Imaging people like James Jeffries, and even Joe Louis (more modern but nonetheless)filmed by modern equipment. That would be amazing
Greker 4 years ago
Nowadays Jeffries is truly the forgotten champion, but well into the 1950's, he was still being ranked in the top 5 greatest heavyweights in history. Too much is made of his loss to a PRIME Jack Johnson which happened AFTER Jim had been retired for 6 years, had put on 100 lbs, was 35 years old, and no warmup fights (like a shot Ali against a PRIME Holmes).
bradlee180 4 years ago
No doubt he was an all around athlete being able to high jump over 6 feet and run the 100 yard dash almost as fast as Jesse Owens. That is remarkable that a boxer can achieve those feats. Johnson vs. Jeffries in their prime would have been a different story I think no one is sharp after a 6 year lay off. Jeffries was ahead of his time as he is what most heavyweights look like now.
hazmat1000 4 years ago
Jeffries could run the 100 yard dash in 10.5 seconds.
NemeanLion 5 years ago
that is my uncl my last name is jeffries
kylesGOURGE 5 years ago
Jeffries is sparring here with his younger brother, Jack. Jack Jeffries fought Jack Johnson and lost. This may in part have played a role in causing Jim Jeffries to later come out of retirement to fight Johnson, a mistake. I bet the Jim Jeffries of 1901 would have done a lot better against Johnson than 10 years later.
TheGink 5 years ago
Jim Jeffries, in his prime, was likely the best heavyweight fighter ever
jhs1958 5 years ago
He is def. up there. But dont forget Joe Louis and Young Muhammad Ali.
Greker 4 years ago
lol...guy didn't have enough fights to be considered the best ever
bandit9874 4 years ago
he might not have had that many fights, but still he was never even knocked down until after the 6 year lay off when he was 35 at the time he fought jack johnson. Sam langford offered to fight any man in the world but Jeffries and Nat Fleischer saw them all and he ranked Jeffries #2. I am going to say he must have been something special.
hazmat1000 4 years ago
great video, horrible music choice
woods1 5 years ago
Big Jeff was an extraordinary athlete and had a comparable build to today's heavyweights. He was the farthest thing from the old school misconception of slow and sloppy. He had an effective crouch and his stamina and ability to absorbe punishment were also stellar. Truly of the greats of all-time.
JMDestro 5 years ago
Even better, the psyique of Klitschko but with much greater stamina. It is hard to compare, but he easily belongs in the top 10 heavyweights of all time
Greker 3 years ago 2
Fascinating. I wish these types of video clips would be made available on DVD.
FleaBittenDog 5 years ago
this is crazy old school
icpmilinko 5 years ago
Jeffries had better reflexes and a better defense than I ever realized.
MorayEel 5 years ago
break dancing !!
gwane1uno 5 years ago
great work
hhdmt 5 years ago