Why did Tunney never fight a black fighter?

Speculation provides a pretty flimsy basis for character assassination. I certainly don't see where a guy from the tenements goes on to be considered "elitist". Sure, he married rich but that was later in life.

 

It's hard to say without any definite knowledge either way. While looking for any statements by Tunney on the matter, I actually came across an article where Joe Louis was accused of drawing the color line supposedly for avoiding John Henry Lewis. The same article had Tunney praising Louis as a champion and saying Dempsey-Louis would have been a pick em. Tunney's management also drew the "color line" on Harry Wills after becoming the champion, though this could have been to spite Wills who had previously turned down an opportunity to fight Tunney.

Much like Tommy Loughran, Tunney seemed to be in favour of the "color line" during his time, yet he went onto support future black heavyweights such as Joe Louis and Floyd Patterson. I guess these matters are never quite "black & white".

 

I curious as to what the recommended quote of black sparring partners would be for a white fighter in the 1920's? It sounds as though we have some experts aboard who feel qualified to judge people born over a hundred years ago.

 

Actually it would.

Black fighters weren't given chances because of the color line bull****, if Jack Johnson can debunk that myth by beating up Jim Jeffries then I think its clear where most black fighters put their hopes in.

That doesn't even touch the surface of the social conditions for black people during that time period.

 

Fairly high given that you could get a high quality black sparring partner for less money than a white one.

Some guys who should have been fighting for the title like George Godfrey ended up as sparring partners.

 

No, he definitely never had a black cat, possibly a Siamese ?

 

Well, him and Corbett were butt buddies and Corbett was definitely a dyed in the wool racist. So he HAS to be racist, right?

 

Black Newspapers
New York Amsterdam News—1922-1993
Theres a legacy of Gene getting plenty dissed in this pap for not fighting fellow NYer Kid Norfolk
Having said that please don't shoot the messenger

 

No. The alternative is to have some actual fact of stated belief in the lesserdom of another man because of his race or some overwhelming proof of discrimination in conduct, not merely that he chose co-workers of the ilk with which he was raised. What I detest is that a great man's entire reputation is so blithely disparaged by semi-literate keyboard jockeys 80 years hence over marginal, nay phantasmic imaginations, that are deemed proof. Association with Corbett, which was brief, is hardly damning evidence.

This bull**** about Kid Norfolk is just laughable as he was busy losing and retiring during Tunney's brief shot at heavyweight stardom. He was not even a culdesac on the way to the title, he was a non-entity.

 

Seamus, pull your head in.

Tunney was an American boy, growing up in a period of American shame regarding racism. Coloured folk 'were' second class citizens... if one could class them as citizens at all. No rights, no values and a carefully hidden self-esteem.

If Tunney was washed with a racist tint, wow, he would be no different to 95% of all Americans at that time.

Tunney was a fighter- an educated man and an American of a troubled period. He's not the lone ranger.

 

I agree with all of this. If you're a yank, then all your grandfathers would be considered racist by this day's standards. Are we willing to admit this? What I do not agree with is judging this man pr any man from a post-modern, sanitized (tho still very racist) self-satisfied mindset and granting him the status of heathen. "Racist" is a damn brand these days, a scarlet letter of no degree or variation but an absolute.

Sometimes, I am not sure the times are less hegemonic, but the words have been cleaned up to suit the sensitivities of some as similar or worse actions are allowed to continue.

 

Perhaps Janitors words 'elitist and racist' were taken slightly out of context. 'Elitist' could easily have been mistaken for overly 'Patriotic', as it generally is against the flag waving Americans. Still, had those words come from a gent such as Max Schmeling, then I'd suggest he (Schmeling) watered down his opinion 99%. Janitor might be able to provide a little more accurately?? All the same, I have no doubt that Tunney was product of the time, and hints of racism would no doubt be present.... even when conforming to current ideals of the day.

Was it a concious move to not fight coloured men?? I have no idea. Personally, I doubt he'd have wished to become the centre of racist conflict that may tarnish, or hinder his career. Avoiding coloured fighters/sparring partners may have also been means of avoiding greater conflict.

Happy New Year.

 

:goodthat is as good a description as i've heard.a liberal from those times would be considered racist in thses enlightened time.
my own hero, randy turpin was described as being a half-caste, which is a horrible way of saying he was mixed race.