Jack Johnson vs. Wlad Klitschko

[BigStereotype]

I feel like Johnson should be the favorite here, but just going over the footage I think his game is all wrong to beat Wlad. I keep running it over in my head and I keep coming to the same conclusion. Wlad by decision. But he doesn't have any kind of win that would suggest that he's capable of it. Very conflicted here.

[Barn]

Very intriguing match-up, I think it depends on the duration of you specify, BigStereotype.

[$Bullsfam$]

Jack Johnson by TKO/KO here. The one thing that made the old time fighters look so much tougher is that they had the cardio to go 15 championship round fights. Then people want to say modern day fighters have better training and fight preparation type bs yet they are gassing barely going 12 rounds.

But anyway, Klitschko is only good because of his size and jab. His jab makes him dictate the pace of the fight in his favor in a slow pace ugly fight. Johnson was one of the best at doing that too, plus he had a decent punch. He'd give to Klitschko at his pace, throw Wlad off rhythm while his face is getting busted open by Johnsons shots. Wlad will gas under the pressure and Johnson gets the late stoppage! Jack Johnson did beat young Sam Langford. He might have ducked him for a 2nd fight but he did easily defeat Sam Langford once pretty easily so he wasn't no scrub like the people that the Klitschko's beat today.

[Barn]

Jack Johnson by TKO/KO here. The one thing that made the old time fighters look so much tougher is that they had the cardio to go 15 championship round fights. Then people want to say modern day fighters have better training and fight preparation type bs yet they are gassing barely going 12 rounds.

But anyway, Klitschko is only good because of his size and jab. His jab makes him dictate the pace of the fight in his favor in a slow pace ugly fight. Johnson was one of the best at doing that too, plus he had a decent punch. He'd give to Klitschko at his pace, throw Wlad off rhythm while his face is getting busted open by Johnsons shots. Wlad will gas under the pressure and Johnson gets the late stoppage! Jack Johnson did beat young Sam Langford. He might have ducked him for a 2nd fight but he did easily defeat Sam Langford once pretty easily so he wasn't no scrub like the people that the Klitschko's beat today.

Langford was very green and was outweighed by 30 pounds.

[Daddy T]

another great white hope lol - man this fight would be about as exciting as watching paint dry but I'd like to see the highlights and get the result all the same ... I see wlad pawing away ineffectually with the jab for 9 or 10 rounds and johnson taking his time and using that vaunted defence of his until all of a sudden late on he lands a stonker out of nowhere and gets the win, after a fight which puts most modern fans at least to sleep.

[IronDanHamza]

Langford was very green and was outweighed by 30 pounds.

A green Langford who wasn't a heavyweight is probably a better win than any of Wlad's wins.

Just throwing that out there.

[studentofthegam]

Wlad. Too much size and too much jab. Klit would get on that bike and never get off. Johnson lands some good shots but Wlad survives for a moderate decision.

[Barn]

A green Langford who wasn't a heavyweight is probably a better win than any of Wlad's wins.

Just throwing that out there.

Fair enough

[Barn]

Wlad. Too much size and too much jab. Klit would get on that bike and never get off. Johnson lands some good shots but Wlad survives for a moderate decision.

You do realise to "go on the bike" you need a certain degree of stamina?

[New England]

A green Langford who wasn't a heavyweight is probably a better win than any of Wlad's wins.

Just throwing that out there.

greatness of ledger and favorability in a head to head match are very different animals


wladimir probably wins this one with modern rules


we have to consider the fact that johnson was a giant in his day
his style depended on it and being the tall man and leaning on his opponent and wearing him down
or being able to be more effective at distance and either catching punches and moving back and to angles
or smothering an opponent completely

he's going to have to work unbelievably hard if he wants to get physical and bully a man who would dwarf him by over fifty lbs and a half a foot, so i think he'd try and stay outside and pick off shots and score points
horrible prospect considering how hard and long klitschko's jab is
even if he has trouble putting the right hand behind it

in his time, johnson was a giant. his nickname was the galveston giant.
is it pure coincidence that he was not only bigger than everybody else, but beating them in boxing matches at HW? i think not. even his skills and defensive base were based upon his terrific size (and believe me i'm not degrading the fighter, i'm merely trying to illustrate that his greatest advantage and the likely root of his greatness would not be a factor)

wladimir is 6'7", 250, with 81 inches of reach

johnson was just 6'1", weighed 185 in his prime, and had a 74 inch reach
if he boxed today he'd be a light heavyweight. if you're regularly weighing 185 for a same day weigh in and you're fighting many times a year you can easily weigh 175 for a friday weigh in
as with many historic HW's, johnson would likely at least begin his career as a LHW

the galveston giant would be a TINY hw today.



i'm thinking that with modern rules,
and modern judges and a modern ref,
10 oz grant gloves,
24 foot ring,
johnson would be hard pressed to win seven or more rounds in a 12 round fight
or 8 or more in a 15 round fight



all that being said johnson could certainly find a way to catch wladimir with something funky in a clinch. wladimir's physical advantages stop at his chin and ticker. he doesn't react well to punches when he's hit today
and in the past when he's been folded like a napkin
or on the way in
or after they break

and wladimir could detonate johnson with one hard punch with either hand (when he actually throws them, hence why i think the fight goes the distance)
because in all honesty, and i know we like to think otherwise, nobody alive hit like wladimir during johnson's time.
he'd knock a five foot ten, 178 lb "HW" clean across the ring. even if they remained conscious, he'd literally knock them across the ring.

he's six and a half feet tall and is 250 lbs in fighting shape and a gifted athlete
his jab would feel like the right hands of most of johnson's opponents


but i don't think the fight would end in a stoppage


wladimir in the most boring win of his career. pretty one sided UD
and that's saying something, considering he's about as dull as they get