Rating the "J" Heavyweights

[Mr E]

I was musing the other day, apropos of nothing, that some first names are better represented in the annals of heavyweight history than others are, which got me to come up with these admittedly mindless lists:

Jacks:
1-Jack Dempsey
2-Jack Johnson
3-Jack Sharkey
4-Tiger Jack Fox
5-Jack Renault

Jims:
1-Jim Jeffries
2-Jim Corbett
3-Jimmy Young
4-Jimmy Ellis
5-Jimmy Bivins
[H/M-Jim Braddock]

Joes:
1-Joe Louis
2-Joe Frazier
3-Jersey Joe Walcott
4-Joe Jeannette
5-Joe Baksi
[H/M-Joe Bugner]

...and, throwing in a "J-Sound" list for good measure:

Georges:
1-George Foreman
2-George Godfrey (II)
3-George Chuvalo
4-Georges Carpentier
5-George Godfrey (I)

[dempseyfire]

Not bad, I'd rate Bivins above Ellis and Young though.

Good call on Joe Baski.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I have Johnson over Dempsey & agree with Bivins over Ellis.

[Mr E]

Close calls all. In my first draft, I actually did have Bivins over Ellis but switched them at the last minute. You guys might be right.

[hitman09]

Pretty much agree with all of it, except that I'd rate Johnson over Dempsey.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Dempsey caves in Johnson's face.

[punchoutsb]

I too would move Bivins up. The rest is good though.

And as for Dempsey/Johnson discussion, let me offer this. Johnson defense was superb. He had a real mastery of what he did. He never fought anyone like Dempsey though. Granted it was early in his career, but he was stopped by Joe Choynski. While Joe is one of my alltime favorite old timers, he was no Dempsey. I think Dempsey's swarming style would be far too quick and in your face for Johnson's defense style. Dempsey beats Johnson IMO, and most likely by stoppage.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Overwhelmingly, Dempsey's offense was just so much more aggressive, damaging, violent...it was just flat-out more, at every turn, than anything any Johnson opponent offered --- at least during Johnson's title reign, in his prime.

I could see Johnson learning how to deal with Dempsey in time, over repeated outings, but first-up? It's Dempsey, & it isn't close. I have never been especially high on Johnson, truth be told.

[allworld80]

Dempsey caves in Johnson's face.

x2

[funso banjo baby]

isnt Joe Jeanette a double score ?