James J. Jeffries
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Jim_Jeffries_1900.jpg/234px-
vs.
Ron Lyle
http://www.chieftain.com/archive/2005/nov/17/sptronlylevali.jpg

Who wins?

Jeffries had a very hard punch in both hands, great stamina, and an iron chin. I think he would wear Lyle down and knock him out late.

I think Jefferies wins by UD.

lyle stands a good chance they are both powerhouses but ithink jeffries is the bette rboxer

I always have a difficult time considering James Jeffries, since I've never seen any footage of him. Except for the Johnson fight that is...

Based on what I've read about Jeffries, he was an awesome fighter, with speed, power, skill, chin and stamina. This obvioulsy makes him the favorite against Ron Lyle, who was a tough sob for sure, but nothing close to what Jeffries is made out to be. Further, Lyle would not dwarf Jeffries in any way with his 6'3 against Jeffries 6'2. They both weighed in between 215-220 lbs in their primes, and had about the same reach.

I see Jeffries giving Lyle a boxinglesson while at the same time taking Lyles best shots without blinking, before stopping him late.


James Jeffries by late ko.

(this is all based on the information I have read about Jeffries. Who knows, if I ever saw him fight like I have Lyle, I might say something completely different...)

James J. Jeffries
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Jim_Jeffries_1900.jpg/234px-
vs.
Ron Lyle
http://www.chieftain.com/archive/2005/nov/17/sptronlylevali.jpg

Who wins?


Jeffries had incredible stamina and athletic ability; but was a bit of a plodder and could be outboxed as Corbett showed in their first fight. So, I can see Lyle building an early lead; but tiring down the stretch due to the pressure and body shots Jeff would put on him. Jeffries by 10th round TKO IMO.

No way does this war go the distance. Jeffries will withstand Lyle's punches with his great chin and wear him down, then ko Lyle in the 9th.


Jeffries ko in 9

Jeffries had incredible stamina and athletic ability; but was a bit of a plodder and could be outboxed as Corbett showed in their first fight. So, I can see Lyle building an early lead; but tiring down the stretch due to the pressure and body shots Jeff would put on him. Jeffries by 10th round TKO IMO.

Good summary, and in a nutshell that's about what I see happening...especially the part about Lyle building up a points lead, as like you seem to, I can see Jeffries being his typical patient & somewhat laid back self in the early rounds of this fight, and then once Lyle shows signs of fatigue, that is when we see Jeffries turn it up a notch then take Lyle out in the late goings (I'd be much more comfortable saying that provided Jeffries has more than ten rounds to play with).

Some people seem to get the impression that Jeffries was a face-first brawler, which, according to the contempary fight reports of his, was a long, long way from being the case. As a quick illustration, here's only a small part of Jeffries' fight report with Fitz in their rematch;

"Never in his ring career has Jeffries been a forward mover until every factor of safety at his disposal justified aggression. He has always granted to the other side the monopoly of the headlong. He permitted Sharkey to be agressive to attack; for more than an hour to assail the invincible until exhaustion intervened. He was an equally sagacious tactician in the case of Fitzsimmons, when the championship change hands at Coney Island and when the pace that killed was set by the loser."

That's a quick summary of Jeffries style, demeanor, and plan of attack in the ring, and if one was to read up on some or most of Jeffries' contemporary fight reports, then you'll read about a fighter who was consistently patient/conservative in his attack (boring?), fought from his pronounced crouch from a distance, stuck mainly to his left hand in the early goings of a fight (mainly jabs), and thought about defense & survival until a point where his superioir stamina allowed him to take control of a fight.

Good summary, and in a nutshell that's about what I see happening...especially the part about Lyle building up a points lead, as like you seem to, I can see Jeffries being his typical patient & somewhat laid back self in the early rounds of this fight, and then once Lyle shows signs of fatigue, that is when we see Jeffries turn it up a notch then take Lyle out in the late goings (I'd be much more comfortable saying that provided Jeffries has more than ten rounds to play with).

Some people seem to get the impression that Jeffries was a face-first brawler, which, according to the contempary fight reports of his, was a long, long way from being the case. As a quick illustration, here's only a small part of Jeffries' fight report with Fitz in their rematch;

"Never in his ring career has Jeffries been a forward mover until every factor of safety at his disposal justified aggression. He has always granted to the other side the monopoly of the headlong. He permitted Sharkey to be agressive to attack; for more than an hour to assail the invincible until exhaustion intervened. He was an equally sagacious tactician in the case of Fitzsimmons, when the championship change hands at Coney Island and when the pace that killed was set by the loser."

That's a quick summary of Jeffries style, demeanor, and plan of attack in the ring, and if one was to read up on some or most of Jeffries' contemporary fight reports, then you'll read about a fighter who was consistently patient/conservative in his attack (boring?), fought from his pronounced crouch from a distance, stuck mainly to his left hand in the early goings of a fight (mainly jabs), and thought about defense & survival until a point where his superioir stamina allowed him to take control of a fight.

Thanks for the in depth analysis, Yogi. Jeff was a bit of an odd style from all that I've read....and, honestly, I wasn't sure how to describe him; but your citations were more than adequate. Some often compare him to Marciano, which is far from accurate in my estimation. I will admit I had him pictured as slightly more aggressive than you've outlined; but that does make sense....the whole waiting his oppoenent out thing....because that would explain, in part, the first Corbett fight.

Thanks for the in depth analysis, Yogi. Jeff was a bit of an odd style from all that I've read....and, honestly, I wasn't sure how to describe him; but your citations were more than adequate. Some often compare him to Marciano, which is far from accurate in my estimation. I will admit I had him pictured as slightly more aggressive than you've outlined; but that does make sense....the whole waiting his oppoenent out thing....because that would explain, in part, the first Corbett fight.

I just wanted to paint him out as being much more of a tactical boxer than most give him credit for, my friend, which I think is most accurate based on the available material left of Jeffries. I think it's also completely accurate to say he had an element of the aggressive side to him, as well, but I think that aggression came out only if the situation called for it (a hurt opponent, or after falling behind...i.e. vs. Sharkey, Corbett, Fitzsimmons II, etc., etc.) and wasn't nearly as much a part of his style as the thinking man's fighter that is painted in from what I've read in print from his time, and even on the available footage of him at his best. Both seem to show a fighter who relied heavily on a range finding jab to both the head & body (knocked Fitz down with one in their initial meeting), as well as a fighter who was quite measured or patient in his overall attack, even when in his 'stalking' mode. Heck, Jeffries is even described and shows both a bit of elusive footwork at times, as well as some quick & elusive upperbody/head movement in avoiding punches (quick & athletic is also an accurate overall description of Jeffries, I think)...

I don't want to paint out to paint Jeffries out as a Chris Byrd or Jimmy Young type (as examples), because that would certainly be completely inaccurate. But I do think there's a touch of them in the way Jeffries went about his business in the ring, and I certainly see him as much more of a thinking man's boxer than the one dimensional or face first brawler he's often portrayed as.