Jack Johnson and the Color Barrier
Feb 7, 2022 10:39:27 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Feb 7, 2022 10:39:27 GMT -5
Jack Johnson and the Color Barrier
True, there was a color barrier in boxing at that time, In fact, there was a black HW Word Champion category. Jack Johnson was the Black HW World Champion, when he noticed that the white HW World Champion, Tommy Burns, who was this 5'7" Jackson started challenging him until Burns accepted and lost. Thus Jackson became World Champ without the colored appellation.
Tommy Burns
Height: 5-7
Active: 1902-20
Record: 47-4-8 (35 KOs)
Reign(s): 1906-08
Background: What Burns lacked in height he made up for with quickness and pluck. The French-Canadian, whose real name was Noah Brusso, defeated bigger men by moving inside to inflict damage and then getting out quickly to avoid it. That’s how he beat the sub-6-foot, but heavier Marvin Hart to win the heavyweight title by decision in 1906 in Los Angeles. Burns made several defenses and then took his championship belt on a successful world tour, finishing his title run with eight consecutive knockouts. Disaster loomed, though. Following him on much of that tour was Jack Johnson, whose goal was to lure Burns into the ring. Johnson finally convinced Burns to fight him on Dec. 26, 1908 in Sydney. A $30,000 payday for Burns, the most ever earned by a boxer to that point, made it impossible to say no. Police halted Johnson’s slaughter of Burns, who officially lost a decision. He still has the distinction of being the shortest heavyweight champion.
boxingjunkie.usatoday.com/2020/04/tiny-but-mighty-shortest-heavyweight-champions-ever
Active: 1902-20
Record: 47-4-8 (35 KOs)
Reign(s): 1906-08
Background: What Burns lacked in height he made up for with quickness and pluck. The French-Canadian, whose real name was Noah Brusso, defeated bigger men by moving inside to inflict damage and then getting out quickly to avoid it. That’s how he beat the sub-6-foot, but heavier Marvin Hart to win the heavyweight title by decision in 1906 in Los Angeles. Burns made several defenses and then took his championship belt on a successful world tour, finishing his title run with eight consecutive knockouts. Disaster loomed, though. Following him on much of that tour was Jack Johnson, whose goal was to lure Burns into the ring. Johnson finally convinced Burns to fight him on Dec. 26, 1908 in Sydney. A $30,000 payday for Burns, the most ever earned by a boxer to that point, made it impossible to say no. Police halted Johnson’s slaughter of Burns, who officially lost a decision. He still has the distinction of being the shortest heavyweight champion.
boxingjunkie.usatoday.com/2020/04/tiny-but-mighty-shortest-heavyweight-champions-ever
True, the reluctance to allow black fighters a chance at the HW title was still there after Jackson lost. But ironically, Jackson himself began keeping black fighters at a distance by not allowing most of the black HW challengers a shot.
Also, part of the reluctance of allowing a black fighter a shot after Jackson lost the Title to Willard, was based on the way that Jack Johnson had comported himself during the time he had been HW champ
White audiences were forced to see him smiling mockingly as he was winning. They would also hear him making e snide remarks to his white opponents such as.
"Does it hurt much Mr. ....?" He would even hold them up to let them recover so that he could continue beating them when they were about to go down.
He also had gone out of his way to anger whites but flaunting his escapades with white women. at a time when that was considered inappropriate in the USA and he knew it.
So such antics added considerably to the reluctant to allow another black HW to get a chance at the HW title.
BTW Jackson did not challenge Dempsey to a fight even though he had thirteen uninterrupted wins after losing the title. I am sure that if he had pressed the issue. Dempsey would have been forced to accept.