Johnson Outpoints McVey
On Thursday, February 26, 1903, Jack Johnson defended his World Colored Heavyweight Boxing Championship against the undefeated Sam McVey. McVey brought a 6-0 record with six knockouts into the championship match. Since boxing promoters refused to let Black fighters compete for the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship, the best boxers around the turn of the Century fought for the World Colored Heavyweight Boxing Championship.
Johnson fighting McVey early in McVey’s career proved to be smart as McVey would only gain more boxing experience as his professional career advanced. Johnson, an expert boxer, needed to avoid McVey’s big right hand to successfully defend his championship.
The Great Jack Johnson Who Fought Into His Fifties
Johnson and McVey drew a large crowd to the Hazard Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. Johnson had a reputation as a local favorite after defeating “Denver” Ed Martin in an earlier bout.
McVey, fighting out of nearby Oxnard, California, also had fans in the crowd. Nicknamed the “Oxnard Cyclone,” McVey overwhelmed fighters with his pressure. However, Jack Johnson was a special fighter.
Johnson stood six feet tall compared to McVey’s five feet ten inches in height. McVey weighed 215 pounds to Johnson’s 195 pounds.
Johnson boxed cautiously employing left jabs to the chin and belly. Johnson threw an occasional right cross but rarely landed the punch.
McVey kept his right hand high and his left shoulder guarding his chin making it impossible for Johnson to hit him with the right cross. Johnson tried to hook McVey in the side to get McVey to drop his hands. McVey kept his strong defensive posture throughout the fight.
McVey landed few blows other than right crosses to the body in close clinches. Johnson wisely avoided close-in work after feeling McVey’s power.
Fighting a primarily defensive fight, McVey showed fatigue starting in the fifteenth round of the twenty-round fight. Johnson picked up the pace and tried to knock McVey out. Johnson did not hurt the powerful McVey despite his best effort.
Sam McVey circa 1914 from the Public Domain
The referee awarded the bout to Johnson on a twenty-round decision. Johnson was still the best boxer in the world.
After promoters froze Johnson out of the title picture for over six years, Jack Johnson won the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship from Tommy Burns on December 26, 1908, in Sydney, Australia. Black fighters were excited that they would finally be able to box for the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship.
You can imagine their surprise when Jack Johnson also drew the “Colored line” and refused to fight other African American and Black fighters from around the world. Johnson only defended his title against white fighters.
McVey tired of Johnson freezing him out of the World Title picture and sick of racism in America left for France in 1909. The French public treated African Americans well and became a destination place for famous African Americans like McVey and Josephine Baker.
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Sources: Bakersfield Morning Echo (Bakersfield, California), February 27, 1903, p. 5
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