James Jackson Jeffries (April 15, 1875 – March 3, 1953) was an American professional boxer and World Heavyweight Champion. He was known for his enormous strength and stamina. Using a technique taught to him by his trainer, former Welterweight and Middleweight Champion Tommy Ryan, Jeffries fought out of a crouch with his left arm extended forward. He was able to absorb tremendous punishment while wearing his opponents down. Jeffries stood tall and weighed in his prime. He could run in just over ten seconds, and could high jump over . A natural left-hander, he possessed one-punch knockout power in his left hook, and brawled his way to the top of the rankings. Writer Jack London coined the phrase "Great White Hope" to describe Jeffries in his attempt to win the heavyweight crown from African-American champion boxer Jack Johnson in 1910. Jeffries came out of retirement for the fight, urged on by London and many others who wished to see a white man once again reign as heavyweight champion. Jeffries was beaten soundly by Johnson in what was the first prizefight to be billed as the Fight of the Century. Early life Jeffries moved with his family from their Ohio farm to Los Angeles, California at age seven. He worked for a while as a boilermaker before going into boxing. In later life, "The Boilermaker" was one of his professional nicknames. Career As a powerfully built and athletic teenager, Jeffries boxed as an amateur until age 20, when he started fighting professionally. In his third fight, Jeffries knocked out the highly regarded boxer Hank Griffin in the fourteenth round. Jack Johnson would subsequently fight Griffin on three separate occasions. Jeffries fought the top heavyweight contender, Gus Ruhlin, to a draw. Ruhlin was knocked down with a brutal punch at the end of the final round and was saved by the bell from being counted out. The decision was met with unfavorable reactions from the audience, many of whom felt Jeffries won. On his way to the title in 1898, Jeffries knocked out Peter Jackson, the great boxer whom John L. Sullivan had refused to fight, in three rounds. This had been only the second defeat in Jackson's entire career; his first loss was from a four-round fight over thirteen years earlier around the beginning of his career. Jackson retired shortly afterward. Jeffries defeated the formidable Mexican Pete Everett by knockout in