Back in 2004, Ken Jennings shocked the world by winning 74 consecutive games of Jeopardy! and winning a total of $2,520,700 over the course of his incredible streak, setting incredible new records that, at the time, seemed like they would never be challenged.
15 years later, Jeopardy! phenom James Holzhauer is on pace to surpass Jennings’ winnings record in a fraction of the time, after another victory on Monday extended Holzhauer’s streak to 28 shows and brought his total up to $2,195,557. Holzhauer posted his second-highest single-game cash total with $130,022 in his latest win, and he’s now just $325,143 behind Jennings.
Jennings joined Good Morning America on Tuesday and had a brilliant response when asked how he’d fare against Holzhauer, noting that you can’t really compare sports legends across different eras.
“The thing is, it’s been 15 years for me. You know, we’ll never know how Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron would have played at the same time, because they were decades apart. Can I have my 2004 brain back if I play this guy?
I think I could hold my own against him, even today, but I would need some breaks. It would be all about who found the daily doubles.”
Jennings and fellow Jeopardy! multimillionaire Brad Rutter have made regular returns for special episodes and tournaments, so it’s a fairly safe bet that we’ll see the clash of Jeopardy! titans eventually, once Holzhauer’s initial run is over.
