Johnson vs Flynn. The complete film.

The referee of that fight said Flynn was so badly outclassed he was fouling to get dsq'd rather than be stopped,but what would he know?

 

I remember doing a deep dive on this site, and posting clips like this. On this video you can see more clearly the sequence where Johnson throws ~15 jabs in quick succession. Awesome stuff.

There is also a clip of Jack Dempsey dressed as a baby. That one was odd and caught me off guard

 

Actually untrue. A jab in those days was not a flick so you need to know what you’re looking for and at. Numerous times Johnson keeps Flynn at bey with his jab. Johnson however liked fighting the swarmers of his day on the inside beating them at their own game.

 

I saw that and thank you. Mendoza has some very serious issues.

 

What unwatchable shite. I wouldn't even call Flynn a boxer with that strategy. He's not even worthy of being compared to a modern prelim guy. Utterly horrible.

 

First, thanks for the provision of the film which I have seen before. This is almost all of the same footage but colourised also:-

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My POV re the fight:-

This is a GREAT film study of Johnson.

It is, however, an obvious LITE version of Lil Arthur, far from full throttle, deliberately protracting the action for the live audience, the cameras and for his own, personal gratification.

Chatting, smiling with spectators and corners otherwise, even clapping above Flynn’s head at one stage.


With all that, Johnson is winning the fight going away - a relative walk in the park. And he takes Flynn’s butts to the head like an absolute Legend - cool, calm, collected and unhurt.

Johnson employs a terrific variety of punches, jabs, hooks, uppercuts, straight rights, etc. Jack employs an easily identified, fast and hurtful jab - and his combos look terrific. He also shifts his feet quite well as and when necessary.

Where ever Johnson held his hands in this fight - it was more than sufficient - anything else might’ve been more energy demanding and superfluous,

He’s doing enough to easily dominate one, Fireman Jim Flynn - Johnson’s potentials certainly weren’t limited to the executed requirements for the opponent and job at hand.

I’m not going to falsely talk up Flynn’s skills but the neutralising effect of Johnson’s counter punching abilities should be considered and factored in - ala assessment pertaining to Floyd Mayweather Jr, who often had otherwise aggressive, skilful guys looking more inept than they actually whilst also causing them to often second guess themselves re launching of their punches.

There’s no way Johnson was flagging as at the time of the DQ. Flynn was using far more energy albeit ineffectually and he was copping an energy draining hiding from go to whoa. He was spilling a lot of blood also - which would’ve had its own impairing effects.

I can’t see how anyone could see Flynn landing his fair share of punches - he landed little of any significance and that fact clearly lent to him employing his cranium to the most blatant degrees.

It would take a Greggains heavily biased type of POV to see it any differently and I don’t doubt that some sequences in this fight likely resembled Johnson’s beating up of Marvin Hart who was disproportionately awarded for his own useless aggression.

There were reports that Flynn literally trained to employ foul tactics, including head butting, leaving some live in attendance observers disgusted with his obviously improper methods and objectives.

In 1912, Johnson was 212 lbs vs Flynn 194 lb, both men about 20 lbs heavier than they were for their first clash, 5 years prior in 1907, KO rd 11 win for Johnson.

For the 1912 Flynn rematch Johnson doesn’t look as cut as he did in Reno but he doesn’t appear grossly out of shape or perform as if in poor condition either.

In their first fight, Flynn allegedly made a comment to the ref stating that he wished he was as clever as Jack but used a derogatory label/term to describe Jack.

Shortly after that comment was made it was claimed that Johnson promptly flattened the Fireman who was later revived in his corner.

As if to suggest that given good reason, Johnson could and did end fights a lot sooner if he so chose - see the immediate flattening of Ketchel who was obviously carried hitherto.

I’ve also read that Flynn’s jaw was busted in their first fight, possibly by the KO punch - but I can’t vouch for that alleged injury being 100% correct - others might be able to elaborate.

 

Terrific post!Johnson was on a% of the film rights ,so it was in his interest to prolong the affair to give the public something to see.$31,500 for a walk in the park!

 

No mean amount in the present and an amazing amount of money for the day…but most, including Lil Arthur of course, still managed to squander it all.

Give them a second chance…and I bet they’d do it exactly the same all over again. Their inalterable life script for better or worse.

I wonder what Flynn got paid besides a persistent whacking about the head, immortalised on film?