Jack Johnson, American Boxing Pioneer

Jack Johnson has always been a tough subject for me.  I admire his courage and strength in confronting hatred and bigotry in a time when doing so put his life in danger. He refused to conform and accept a position of inferiority to white Americans.

Yet, like many human beings he was a flawed man.   He beat his first wife and may have driven her to suicide.  After years of fighting bigotry himself, he refused to defend the title against worthy black challengers like Sam McVey and Sam Langford.

John Arthur “Jack” Johnson was born on March 31, 1878.  He was a large child but did not really like fighting.  Later, he would become arguably a Top 5 heavyweight of all time.  His inclusion into the Top 10 is without question.

“Jack” Johnson knocked out most of his early opponents until being knocked out by Joe Choynski in 1903.  Choynski was so impressed with Johnson that he  neglected his own career to teach Johnson his defensive skills to go with Johnson’s devastating power.

Johnson won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship.  He defended against Sam McVey and Sam Langford, two of the best heavyweights of their day.  Johnson beat Langford the only time they fought by decision.  He decided once was enough and avoided Langford there after.

Finally, he secured a title shot with Tommy Burns on Boxing Day, December 26, 1908.  Johnson destroyed the smaller, less talented Burns   If Johnson was irritated with an opponent, he would get the man close to being KO’d, then hold on to him so he could recover.  The beating would continue with Johnson mocking him the whole time.  Burns made Johnson wait for the title shot, so he paid the price.  The Australian police stopped the fight in the fourteenth round.  Johnson was the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

In 1910, he would fight in the first “Fight of the Century” but first he would dispatch four contenders, the last which was Middleweight King, Stanley Ketchel.  Johnson and Ketchel agreed to box in what was basically an exhibition.  After the fight was completed, they would both be awarded a draw.  Ketchel decided to try and double cross the champ.  I will let you see for yourself what happened to him.

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