Jock McAvoy vs Tommy Farr. What If?

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 26 May 2005, 13:39

Around the time of 1936 to 1937 after Jock McAvoys narrowly failed attempt to win the World Light-Heavyweight Title from John Henry Lewis there was serious talk of the big punching Rochdale fighter fighting Welsh Heavyweight hero Tommy Farr, hopefully for the British Heavyweight Title.

Jock McAvoy was a relentless, strong, big punching Middleweight / Light-Heavyweight but how would he have done against the 20lbs (approx) heavier and taller Heavyweight Tommy Farr?

Remember Farr had a solid chin and stood up to the punches of the great Joe Louis for the full 15 rounds. This along with his physical advantages lean me to believe that Farr would win on points over 15 rounds.

Anyone else agree?

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 26 May 2005, 14:03

Interesting matchup, Mcavoy is said by many to have been a bigger puncher than Randy Turpin but if Farr took Louis' punches he'd most likely take Mcavoys too. Have to lean towards Farr edging Mcavoy... using his extra size and also good speed to outbox the Thunderbolt... but it would have been a real cracker

.

jimglen · Post by **jimglen** » 27 May 2005, 03:18

I think the fight would have gone along the same lines as Mac's fight with Jack Peterson, although Tommy Farr was a much more durable harder hitting heavyweight... yet in saying that I doubt that Farr would have knocked McAvoy out, no one seemed able to do this and McAvoy had proved himself against many a good Bigman!

Randy Turpin shouldn't share the same page with Jock McAvoy let alone be compared to him in 'ability', though Turpin was a stylish boxer, McAvoy could box aswell, but Jock was a much more superior fighter, I believe McAvoy would have 'creamed' Turpin over and over and over again...

Britain has forgot who we had in Jock McAvoy... THEE most feared 'middleweight' in the world, during one of the greatest periods of the division and Boxing as a whole at that time... No! even the 'yanks' were scared of him and 'forced' him to fight for the light-heavyweight title and he took one of that divisions 'greatest' the full run of it...

Do you think Randy Turpin could have done that (?), or how about the worlds other great 'middleweights' of those years (I doubt it), so thats saying something about 'our' Jock McAvoy!!!

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 27 May 2005, 07:18

jimglen wrote:I think the fight would have gone along the same lines as Mac's fight with Jack Peterson, although Tommy Farr was a much more durable harder hitting heavyweight... yet in saying that I doubt that Farr would have knocked McAvoy out, no one seemed able to do this and McAvoy had proved himself against many a good Bigman!

Randy Turpin shouldn't share the same page with Jock McAvoy let alone be compared to him in 'ability', though Turpin was a stylish boxer, McAvoy could box aswell, but Jock was a much more superior fighter, I believe McAvoy would have 'creamed' Turpin over and over and over again...

Britain has forgot who we had in Jock McAvoy... THEE most feared 'middleweight' in the world, during one of the greatest periods of the division and Boxing as a whole at that time... No! even the 'yanks' were scared of him and 'forced' him to fight for the light-heavyweight title and he took one of that divisions 'greatest' the full run of it...

Do you think Randy Turpin could have done that (?), or how about the worlds other great 'middleweights' of those years (I doubt it), so thats saying something about 'our' Jock McAvoy!!!

I actually think Mcavoy was a superior fighter to Turpin and had he been given a shot at the middleweight crown he would probably have been champ for quite a while, but because he wasn't world champion many have forgotten him and don't realise how good he was.
His fight with Lewis for the Light-heavy title is impressive as Lewis was a very good champion till he had eyesight problems... but though Mcavoy did well at Lightheavy he was really a natural middleweight.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 29 May 2005, 12:13

silkov wrote:
jimglen wrote:I think the fight would have gone along the same lines as Mac's fight with Jack Peterson, although Tommy Farr was a much more durable harder hitting heavyweight... yet in saying that I doubt that Farr would have knocked McAvoy out, no one seemed able to do this and McAvoy had proved himself against many a good Bigman!

Randy Turpin shouldn't share the same page with Jock McAvoy let alone be compared to him in 'ability', though Turpin was a stylish boxer, McAvoy could box aswell, but Jock was a much more superior fighter, I believe McAvoy would have 'creamed' Turpin over and over and over again...

Britain has forgot who we had in Jock McAvoy... THEE most feared 'middleweight' in the world, during one of the greatest periods of the division and Boxing as a whole at that time... No! even the 'yanks' were scared of him and 'forced' him to fight for the light-heavyweight title and he took one of that divisions 'greatest' the full run of it...

Do you think Randy Turpin could have done that (?), or how about the worlds other great 'middleweights' of those years (I doubt it), so thats saying something about 'our' Jock McAvoy!!!
I actually think Mcavoy was a superior fighter to Turpin and had he been given a shot at the middleweight crown he would probably have been champ for quite a while, but because he wasn't world champion many have forgotten him and don't realise how good he was.
His fight with Lewis for the Light-heavy title is impressive as Lewis was a very good champion till he had eyesight problems... but though Mcavoy did well at Lightheavy he was really a natural middleweight.

Agreed, by all accounts Jock McAvoy gave the bigger Lewis all the trouble he could handle, and McAvoys hands were in a terrible state that night even by McAvoys standards.

There was very nearly a rematch in the UK untill Lewis failed the BBBofC eyesight test.