What if the color line lasts until 1980? How does the boxing landscape change?

Absolutely correct. In the scenario you laid out, Cooper would be the Caucasian Champion, and nothing more. Same goes for Ali and his belt. Neither is a legit World Champion until they meet in the ring IMO.

Getting a tad off-topic here, but what opportunities would have been available for a guy like this back in the day..

https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/40124

He did have a KO win over future title challenger Jack Roper. I'm assuming the color line would have kept him from a title shot as it did black fighters of the time. Would he have been given a shot at the Heavyweight Colored Championship if good enough? Haven't really heard much about American Indian boxers from that era...

 

Didn't the color line just apply to black folk? I don't think it stopped native americans. It didn't stop latinos (most of whom are about 50% native blood anyway).

 

Google AI says Latinos and Native Americans made up 0.7 and 0.35 percent of the US population in 1900. There just weren't very many.

Besides "Mexican" Pete Everett(who I'm guessing was a Mexican) did any Latino and/or Native American contend for a title during this period?

Latinos in Latin American countries could compete for the South American title which started up fairly early on around the same time as the IBU.

 

You are likely correct. Wasn't sure exactly where Native American people fit in the social hierarchy of those times. Seemed the Colored Championship applied only to Blacks. Hadn't heard of a Native American fighting for any belt in those days though.

 

Well Sullivan, Dempsey, and other white champs where seem as legitimacy champions when the likes of Jackson and Wills had the doors shut in their face for a title shot. I could see if they REALLY wanted to keep the color line up, I can see Louis not getting a title shot in the ten year run of Louis's real rein. Harry Wills was number 1 for about 7 years, so as long as our in theory white champ does not pull a Tommy Burns, they could keep the all-white party going even past the Larry Holmes era. And if we view things as race, if we seen the Wlads, Furys and Usky beating these top black fighters, maybe, just maybe Quarry would prove he was better than Ali with out well fighting him.

 

Ingo might have had a longer reign. Would have been different guys too around that had quit would have had greater success. A guy like Tony Alongi that Marciano picked to be better then Quarry might rise to the top instead of quitting not after losses. He drew with Chuvalo and twice with Quarry. Greater success could have driven him to more commitment to improve. Kirkman might have developed further instead of being fed to the lions for a payday. Then of course there’s Quarry Bonavena Chuvalo Henry Cooper. I could see Joe Bugner being champ in early 70s. The 2 South Africans in late 70s. KK and GC.

 

The only thing that is for sure is we'd uphold that **** and honor a racist majority rule per the eras applicable.

I'd be saying the same **** tbh, just different dates and different names. The first champion of all the religions, races, and places is the first world champion imo.

 

First legit world champ some say was Jeffries. He knocked out Peter Jackson and beat all the best white fighters. John L had pulled the color line on Jackson. Corbett fought him to a no contest before he was champion. Jeffries got him when he was older but did knock him out. But Jeffries eventually was challenged by Jack Johnson and said he would fight him right then in the back of the bar but would not fight him for the championship.
So you could make the case for Johnson who beat all the best black fighters and became the Negro World Heavy Champion. Then got the first shot for a black man at the title outright won it and beat all the best white fighters including Jeffries who came out of retirement but was beaten badly.

 

Just saying the likes of Dempsey and Sullivan spend YEARS not fighting their top black contender and where consider all time greats in their heyday (Though today we argue if they are ATGS). I can see a world where Ali would not be giving a shot at the popular champ Jerry Quarry, 7 or so years of ducking Ali, and when it is all said and over, Quarry would walk out as one of the ATGs of the heavyweight division. And if we want to be the early 1900's belief in the white superior over the black man, Wlads, Furys, Usky wins only proves it. I am not saying I am going for this bs, but it was this belief that brought Jeffries out of retirement against Johnson. I can really see this working in this other timeline if the color bar has not fallen. I am looking at it from that POV.

 

If there was strong color line like in the thirties yes someone like Quarry would be the champ and people would say he was great and would probably beat Frazier and maybe question him against Ali. But yes he could be considered an ATG without having fought the best black fighters. See: Tunney and Dempsey.