Can we get one thing straight aswell - anyone who has seen the film of jack O'brien against Tommy Burns knows full well that Jack Johnson didn't ever (and wouldn't ever) struggle with O'brien whatsoever - that is one of the most ridiculous assertions I have ever heard - can we please talk reality here ??
Forgive me if I prefer the relevancy of actual ringside witness accounts over your astute observations of another fight against another opponent. "Johnson exhibited his customary caution... Once or twice he essayed to force the fighting, but invariably received the worst of the argument." "(O'Brien) was constantly on top of him with his vicious jabs and stinging blows. These made the colored giant blink and win as they landed with alarming frequency on his face." In the end.. "Johnson was entitled to the first and fight rounds... while O'Brien secured a clear lead in the second and sixth rounds. The third and fourth were about even."
Struggle he did, though. I don't think he was particularly interested and i don't think this fight was in reality for any title. So it was chump change and he turned up and had a good time and at the end of the fight O'Brien was being broken down, but if you score it on rounds it is hard to give Johnson better than a draw.
Another ,some what different view of the fight from RINGSIDE. This states Johnson was entitled to the verdict ,though he was," fat and in miserable shape", it also says O Brien went to the floor a couple of times to save himself from punishment.. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=GRA19090707.2.2 So, do we wish to compare the chances of a fat, in miserable shape Johnson against Tunney ? How about the Tunney who was outclassed ,out sped and manhandled by Harry Greb? Is that the version you want to match with Jack? Or ,shall we have a level playing field ,and pick Johnson when he was in shape , motivated, and fighting in a decision fight.? Say when he fought Jeffries? The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the fight to Johnson, O Brien 's home town was Philly ,and the fight was held there.
I've never seen anything as ridiculous as the charade that was O'brien against Burns - sorry anyone that behaves like that and runs so stupidly from Tommy Burns!! Doesn't even belong in the same arena as Jack Johnson - to suggest it is ridiculous - I don't care what the reports said in this case - I bet the same writers said of the O'brien-Burns fight that O'Brien fight a great defensive masterpiece and Burns only shaded most of the rounds?? Lol don't give me that baloney jack O'brien didn't see the day when he belonged in the same ring as Johnson - I'm pretty sure on this occassionthat iif we had the films of Johnson-O'Brien you wouldn't think the same way - all I need to know is that O'Brien went to the floor on a few occasions to avoid the beat down he was going to get so sounds like the same chicken **** scenario as the O'Brien-Burns malarkey - my guess is O'Brien was as big an embarrassment as he was against Burns but the racsist reporters were trying all they can to gloss over the humiliation
Look at the boxers O'Brien gave trouble to - he was a difficult style for boxers. He also has his share of punchers on his record though. He was out of his depth with Johnson, I feel, but I don't have any problem at all based upon his paper record, in seeing him as troubling Johnson. If you'd only seen Tyson box on film versus Douglas, you'd probably not make much of him.
Despite ringsiders (not only the reporter) considering a draw the only acceptable verdict, you, in your 21-st century piousness, have declared this a historical crime. Everyone was racist (note spelling) and all decisions or results to the contrary are historical lies. I think I've learned enough here.
Yep :thumbsup - then if you watched Derek Gsora VS VITLAY And Helenius, 99% would say Gsora looked like teh much better stumpy-slugger on film, compared to Tyson. :deal Foreman Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooook!:hat
This thing about the press of the time being racist. I don't think it holds. Or it does, but not in purely sporting terms. The Police Gazette was calling for Sullivan to defend against Jackson, and that was years before. Boxing journalists are an unreasonable lot but they don't, in my opinion, allow race to motivate them in the normal ways (of that era). Most newspapermen gave Johnson his due as early as 1904 and certainly reported the truth of his domination of various other white fighters (Kauffman for example). I do have an article from 1908 stating that Johnson is not a worth challenger for Burns and that is obviously unreasonable and my first reaction was indeed to dismiss it as racist - but could it not just be unreasonable? Check out some of the articles on the front page running down everyone from Pavlik to Alexander and back again, are all those guys racist? No, just unreasonable, or wrong. I don't think racism impacted sports reporting of the era at all hardly, it was the fighters who were impacted. Papers probably were a part of that construct but I don't see any evidence that they lied about black fighters.
To be fair though Tyson and Derek Chisora didn't weigh about as much as a super middleweight and didn't do an impression of a scared rabbit or and 10 stone weakling running away (literally running away) from a 5'7" light heavyweight (who incidentally would've been annihilated within 1 round by Johnson himself if hadn't been in danger of being lynched - and neither Tyson or Chisora did comedy flops to the floor to avoid even getting hit by their opponents ever and both were utterly fearless and aggressive - so that comparison is the most ridiculous I have ever heard its almost akin to comparing a tiger to a rabbit?? You obviously haven't seen O'brien against Burns do this is lost on you?? Check it out it's on YouTube - then come back and try to tell me realistically that you think that guy would've held Jack Johnson to a draw
Ps I've read about a million examples of absolutely disgusting racism in papers of that era - it was horrendous and the condescending way they talked about people back then who committed the crime of being black so don't try to tell me papers weren't racist back then??!! They were blatantly!!?? They didn't try to hide it either continually referring to black fighters with every offensive name under the sun!!??? Come on this common knowledge???
Somehow I'm suppose to take an unmotivated and fat Johnson past his prime.. and compare that with a prime in shape Tunney... That is the reason for bringing up Obrien? Please, that has about as much relevance as Ali vs. Holmes. A prime motivated Johnson dominates Obrien like a redheaded stepchild.
Yeah, i've seen it, he looks ****. So does Duran against Leonard. Here is a list of the great boxers that O'Brien beat: Jack Blackburn Jack Sullivan Hugo Kelly Tommy Ryan Young Peter Jackson Pound for pound that's an incredible list of boxer types. Johnson was considerably bigger and I think this is why O'Brien was starting to break down by the end. O'Brien also boxed a draw with the Burns, and beat Choynski, drew with Walcott. He has a superb record. And by the way, some sources have O'Brien beating Johnson. More have Johnson beating O'Brien than the other way around. If this is fueled by pure racism you have to explain the white press reporting Johnson's total domination of other top white fighters.
Yeah, they were racist, but they didn't allow this racism to affect the reporting of the white v black fights. You can read about total domination of white fighters by black fighters in all weight divisions from all years. That is, your accusation of the press lying to make black fighters look worse than they were seem unfounded.
THE NEW YORK SUN: "O'BRIEN OUTPOINTS JOHNSON. PHILADELPHIAN SHOWS SKILL IN SHORT BOUT. HAS THE BETTER OF THREE ROUNDS, CHAMPION SHOWS SUPERIORITY IN ONLY ONE AND LEANS HEAVILY ON O'BRIEN. BIG CROWD AT FIGHT." "Jack Johnson...did not cover himself in glory here tonight...[rather] he was outpunched by a small margin in a fight that was interesting all the way. O'Brien, who was fully forty pounds lighter, did most of the leading. He landed more clean blows and showed a better knowledge of ring tactics. He made Johnson look foolish [with] clever feinting."