Was John L. Sullivan afraid of Peter Jackson?

Do you think that John L Sullivan feared Peter Jackson? Or do you think his avoidance of Jackson was due to other reasons? Be they racial or any other?

 

Racial??????? Do you know ANYTHING about boxing history? Generally when someone gets into boxing, it is thru the history of the Heavyweight Champions. First thing read is about John L. And the color line barring Jackson.

 

That is subject 1A in Boxing history.

 

Yes, as a matter of fact I do know a thing or two about boxing history, i know all about the color line and everything that came along with it, what I’m asking is if you, or anyone else thinks that John L was afraid of fighting Peter Jackson? Because at least from reading,John L doesn’t strike me as a man who was easily intimidated, so I’d like opinions or facts to better understand his mindset at the time

 

No. I think it was just the sad way heavyweight fighters maintained their followers after winning the title. It became an expected tradition. I believe Sullivan feared no one. It was just the times. Then Johnson became an unbeatable champ, caused massive unrest and when he was finally defeated, it was business ss usual until Louis. Sad but true. I don't think any of them feared any black contender.

 

Losing a fight is humiliating. Losing a fight against a black man in pre 1900s America would be all the more humiliating to the N'th degree. That's why he didn't face him

 

John L Sullivan has been quoted as saying whenever any fighter draws he color line, it is because their is a good coloured fighter whom he doesnt want to fight.
John L Sullivan has, incidentally, defended against coloured figher Herbert Slade, although apparently he is no longer considered coloured nowadays because he is described in papers as a half cast.

John L wasnt afraid of Jackson, but i feel fairly certain that he was well aware that he was an aged fighter by the time Jackson had come around, and it was only a matter of time before one of hte young fighters beat him. He wasnt scared, but i think he thought Jackson had a very good chance.

Incidentally, Peter Jackson never bore any ill will against John L for ducking him, it was the Corbett duck which really hurt Jackson, John L was neve really on the radar. If memory serves correctly, when John L first came to Australia, Jackson had just lost to Bill Farnan, and it was Farnan and not Jackson who really deserved the shot at Sullivan. By the time Sullivan fought Corbett, the accounts i read stated that it was whoever got the offer first out of Corbett, Slavin and Jackson. Jackson acknowledges that he simply couldnt come up with an offer quick enough. I know others will argue that John L preferred to fight Jackson and his public stance was that he drew the color line, but no offer was made in time and Jackson never really complained about it, from what i recall. By the way, another interesting thing is that John L Sullivan actually had to come out of retirement to fight Corbett so it is probably a little hard to consider John L's ducking of Jackson a true duck when he was actually technically retired at the time.

 

If I recall correctly from Pollack's, he went back and forth on wanting to fight Jackson... but he was pretty well past it, also.

 

I think that he became afraid of Peter Jackson very quickly, after he broke his arm in the Patsy Cardiff fight.

He realized that he was never going to get back anything approaching his previous form, and that for the first time, he had a challenger worthy of sharing an era with him!

 

Sullivan didn't want this fight, otherwise it would have happened. Sullivan would have lost, his prime, which was a brief one came and went quickly and by the last 1880's Jackson's star was on the rise.

On Jackson, he was well liked. A gentleman. He would have been a good representative on race relations is he was the first black Heavyweight Champion, Johnson was anything but.

 

Being a gentleman didn't get Jackson a title shot, Corbett ducked him.

 

Put it this way, John L would happily have fought him pre 1888 if he had come along, after 1888 he feared losing to him.

 

This is my take on the subject.

It is perhaps Sullivan's, reading between the lines!

 

John L Sullivan 1882:

I am the invincible boxing god, what does it matter whether I draw the color line? Furthermore I can do whatever I want. Why shouldn't I ge drunk and smash up saloons?

John L Sullivan 1886:

OK, my partying is slowing me down a bit, but there is still nobody out there who can hold a candle to me. Shame for them that they all suck. Now pass my beer!

John L Sullivan 1887:

Oh **** I just broke my arm!

Oh **** they want me to fight Jake Killrain, and they want it to be LPR rules!

Oh **** I have typhoid fever, and I am about to die!

To add to my miseries, there is a strong gloved contender, who happens to be black, who will obviously be a problem a year later!

John L Sullivan 1888:

I guess that I have to fight this Killrain guy, if only to shut them up.

Well I shut that ***** and his supporters up, but I spent most of my prize money on my legal defense!

Perhaps I should stick to gloved bouts in future?

Oh ****, that means Peter Jackson!

You know what, this whole color line thing sounds like a good idea!

 

Wasn't Slade Maori?