Jeffries got what he deserved ...

The truth is that Burns, Johnson, and Dempsey all had fairly lacklustre title reigns compared to Jeffries.

Jeffries was basically trying to find the best available challenger, outside of the occasional tune up.

If he hadn't drawn the colour line, he would have looked like a saint!

 

It's funny how just that one teeny thing...

 

OK, but Johnson drew the colour bar, and Dempsey drew the colour bar and they didn't have the gold standard title reign to offset it!

 

Janitor, why d'ya'all hate the colour-line-drawing man? :verysad

 

Everything I listed was a fact.

Johnson beat his wife. Fact
Johnson's wife committed suicide. Fact
Johnson remarried three months later. Fact

Stop being a fanboy

When one can't argue facts they turn to personnel insults.

 

Spot on! Great summary.

 

I just think we should be fair.

Acknowledge his flaws, without detracting from his better points.

 

Agreed. :deal Now, let's all have milk and cookies.

 

Bring then on!

 

Famous Amos for me please!

 

During 1903, the sports section in one edition of Los Angeles Times contained an item about Jack Johnson being a possible contender for Jim Jeffries' world heavyweight title. As I recall, the headline for the item was "It's Up To You, Jeff." Johnson had been making progress towards being a contender while fighting in Los Angeles on a fairly regular basis from 1902 to 1904.

I think it is safe to say that 1903 was the earliest period of time that there was any serious talk about Johnson being a possible contender for Jim Jeffries' world heavyweight title. After Jeffries retired as the champion, Marvin Hart and Jack Root fought for the vacant title in 1905.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Oh, no! Now, Klompton's drawing the colour line!

 

Blacks, in practice, were not afforded citizens' rights in 1910, at best they were "second class" citizens in the eyes of the law in most states.

There was no "civilized society" for blacks in America in 1910. For 99% of blacks, white-dominated society was thinly-disguised barbarism. A lynch-fest in waiting.

"Societal norms" in 1910 for a black man would include walking in the gutter to allow whites to use the sidewalk.

Therefore, blacks didn't have any duty to abide by any of your rules, since they had no rights really anyway.

Also, prizefighting itself - and gambling - were considered anti-social by a huge section of society and were mostly illegal, but are we going to start judging them on that too ?

 

I do think Jim Jeffries got what he deserved.
ie. something in the region of $150,000+ (including his share of the movie rights).
He deserved every penny.