SQUARE JOE: The Iron Man of Boxing by Gregory Speciale After many months of challenging and weary waiting with but scant encouragement, Joe Jennette, the West Hoboken nemesis of Jack Johnson, at last sees his hopes to be realized. Jennette declares that he will need but twelve days of work to prepare for the bout with Johnson. I never work more than twelve days for a fight. he explained in discussing the match. I trained twelve days for Langford when we met in that last go at the Garden, and, if you remember, I was in fine shape. In fact, I think I was a little too fine. I weigh 189 pounds now but by the night of the fight, Ill weigh about 192. You know most fellows drop a lot of weight while training but it affects me differently, for I always gain, and fall off when I am doing nothing. Jennette is quiet spoken, unassuming fellow who is well liked by everyone with whom he comes in contact. His features are more of the Hindu or North American type than the full blooded Negro. His skin is a rich nut brown and when he is in perfect condition it glows with health, which together with his wonderful muscular structure, makes him a sight worth more than a second glance. In or out of condition he never carries any fat to speak of. Although he averages about 190 pounds, he is only 5 feet 10 inches in height, facts which indicate that his bones are extra large. He has the peculiarity of being very deceptive in regard to his height. When seen in the ring he creates an impression that he is close to six feet, and it is only when standing by his side that one is undeceived. He called attention to this fact himself and said that it was a mistake that was constantly being made. Jennette is always diffident about criticizing his opponents. He is very sensitive and fearful of being thought boastful. However, repeated questions induced him to discuss his chances of defeating Johnson at some length. Jack and I havent got much use for each other, he said. We have had some tough fights and they have created a lot of hard feeling. I am always willing to forget what happens in the ring and be friends, but Johnson is not built that way. Whenever we have happened to meet he has always tried to avoid me without speaking. I know I can give him a hard fight and I hope to outpoint him at least. He never had much on me in our other fights. I could always hit him without much trouble and once I cut him up pretty badly. I only weighed about 165 when I fought him last, now I am twenty-five pounds heavier, and Jack is getting old and fat. I think he showed in his bout with Flynn that he is losing his punch. If Flynn was butting him, as they say, from what I know of Jack he certainly would have cut loose unless he was afraid of getting tired. Ill go up after his body because I think that is his weakest spot now and besides body punching is my long suit. It was a body blow I got in that made him foul me that time in Philadelphia. I caught him with a right uppercut in the pit of the stomach and it made him gasp. Right after that he began hitting low. He hit me with a right that landed below the belt and the crowd began to hiss. I was hurt pretty badly, but I kept my feet and he deliberately struck again with the same punch. When I woke up I was in the hospital. Johnson was arrested and they wanted me to press the charge against him, but I didnt want to do that. How do you think Johnson intends to fight you this time? Jennette was asked. Well, I shouldnt be surprised if he intends to stall as much as possible. He probably figures he can go along without doing much and not take any chances. Of course it takes two to make a good fight, but it wont be my fault if there is not plenty of action. He never could hold my arms like he did with Flynn and Tommy Burns. I only hope he reaches out to grab me, because if he does something is going to happen. Jennette brought out a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings to substantiate his remarks regarding his different bouts with Johnson. He also exhibited a series of photographs taken during his battle with Sam MacVey in Paris, showing himself, taking the count in all sorts of curious positions at different times during the contest in which he was floored twenty-one times and yet won out in the end. Jennette looked them over with a curious smile, remarking, Johnson admitted when he was in Paris that I could beat him in a finish fight. I hope I can do it in ten.
I've heard contrasting stories about the dq loss. I've heard it was a valid knockout blow to the jaw that the ref inexplicably called a foul hence the crowd's reaction. Still in the 13-15 period I wouldn't make johnson a clear favourite over jeanette nor wills.
Jeannette, and Johnson's last fight was the 26th of November 1906 ***,less than 5 months later 15th April 1907 , Jeannette fought McVey ,for that fight Jeannette scaled 185lbs,so Jeannette added 20lbs in just over 4 weeks.:huh If Flynn was butting him? Is there any room for doubt? Jeannette fought Johnson 7 times, he won just one on a foul. The year of this interview Jeannette could only draw with 9-5-2 Battling Jim Johnson ,and he also lost to Jeff Clark. Joe was scrabbling for a title fight, and its possible he might catch an unprepared Johnson on the right night and win a decision, but his record against Johnson does not make this appear likely. Sam McVey had Jeannette up and down like a yo yo,yet, in his last fight with Johnson, McVey was beaten like a drum and put away in the last round, after which he declared he had no further interest in another fight with Jack. *** The Joe Jeannette website has them fighting 10 times the last time Jan 1908.Joe still only winning the one fight ,on a foul.
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Fighters have always tried to talk themselves into big money fights and usually don't have the fight to back up their words. It seems likely Jeanette was certainly closer to 165 than 185 and if this is the case and Johnson beat him that many times it seems unlikely he'd ever have any success against Johnson McVey what do you make of the story that Johnson had more bouts with Jeanette and Mcvey that weren't recorded?
The fact that Jeannette refers to Johnson's recent title fight with Flynn dates this interview for us,[ 1912 ]Jeannette says he weighed around 165lbs for his last fight with Johnson,I have allready shown this was on the 26th of November 1906, just over 4 weeks later Jeannette scaled 185lbs for a fight with McVey [ 15th Apri 1907].So Jeannette's assertion that he scaled 165lbs for his last fight with Johnson is not accurate. Unless he magically gained 20lbs in around 4 weeks. Nowhere does he say he weighed 165lbs when Johnson was dsq'd against him, in your haste to crucify Johnson ,yet again, you are misreading your own post.atsch
How can Jeannette put on 20lbs of muscle in just over 4 weeks for a fight with McVey?:huh [ See Boxrec] I have read that Jack and Joe had up to 11 fights, we just dont know.I have never read that Joe won any of them except for the dsq,and there are several conflicting reports of that fight too. See below. Sam McVey became fast friends with Johnson, and lived with him several times ,he stated that after their third fight, he did not want to fight Jack again. Johnson paid for McVey's funeral. This was posted on CBZ by Philboxarc. JOHNSON BEATS JEANETTE Negro Champion, However, Was Disqualified on an Alleged Foul 11/25/05-PHILADELPHIA LEDGER After outclassing Joe Jeanette for a round and a half, Jack Johnson, The Negro Heavyweight Champion of the World, lost the bout at the National Athletic Club [Phila.] last night on an alleged foul. Jeanette, after being thumped in lively fashion in the first round, assumed a crouching pose in the secondround. He undertook to run in and clinch, ducking a vicious right hand swing. Johnson ripped a right hand hook up for Jeanette's jaw. The latter dropped to the floor,writhing in apparent agony. He claimed to have been struck a foul blow. He was removed to the dressing room and the club physician substantiated his claim. Johnson was promtly disqualified. Jeanettte professed to be in great pain and lay in his dressing room in apparent agony. It is understood that the police proposed to keep Johnson to keep Johnson, Jeanette and the club officialunder surveillance. You will note that this gives a distinctly different impression of the short fight than does Mendoza's spin on it.
This was the report I was referring to. Mcvey: do you have a source regarding that mcvey interview? If that's true it changes my earlier opinion considerably.
I'll try and locate it. The link I posted, re the Jeannette Johnson dsq fight is interesting because it states Johnson won the 1st round and a half handily,if this is correct,and,since it is a Philadelphia paper commenting on a fight that took place in Philly, there is every reason to assume it is ,it blows out of the water the premise that Johnson fouled out because he was in danger of being beaten.
Well there is also the fact that johnson kept the coloured title despite the "loss" To be honest i've never completely bought into the premise of johnson fouling out. By my reckoning he never really lost during his prime despite fighting the best in the world (due to the evidence at hand I can only conclude he was past prime from 1910 onwards.
Below is a link to a proposed comeback for Jeannette. http://dbs.ohiohistory.org/africanam/page1.cfm?ItemID=7828&Current=07_01A
Jeanette was great, no doubt, and maybe by 1915 he'd have beaten an old johnson had he got there before willard but by all accounts he was never a match for a johnson when they did fight.
