This was on another site and I think some of you might be interested in. Here is a rather sad but interesting article about John Lester Johnson,that appeared in the Jan.1960 issue of EBONY magazine. pp.80-85. http://books.google.com/books?id=EsUeOG9n1fYC&pg=PA80&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false
Henry, very interesting article on John Lester Johnson.He is most famous for breaking the ribs of 21 year old Jack Dempsey in New York, 1916. Dempsey went back West to mend , met Jack Kearns, matured and started on his climb to greatness..Dempsey later on used JL Johnson as a sparring partner.Johnson on the other hand became a trial horse and while he had a few good wins, was kod by the likes of Sam Langford,Fred Fulton, Kid Norfolk etc..After retirement he was in small parts in Hollywood movies..He will always be remembered as the fighter who broke the ribs of the less experienced 21 year old Dempsey...Thanks H for the post...b.b.
HE,as the Ebony article shows [if your eyesight is20/20],,later on when Dempsey became successful, he took JL Johnson on the road with him,and later on employed him in his training camp at Toledo. Dempsey had a good stable of sparring partners in Bill Tate, George Godfrey, Chief Turner, Martin Burke of New Orleans,etc. These guys EARNED their dough, with the vicious punching Mauler...Dempsey, in training camp broke Godfrey's rib, and dropped him a couple of times..
Burt as you though there have been at least three Dempsey autobiographies over the decades ... when I was in Portland OR earlier I discovered one he "wrote" in 1941 and it was interesting to see how different he was as the decades past ... in 41 he was not that far removed from his rougher days unlike the 1960's and 70's when he evolved into a polished older gent .. in that book he was a bit grittier and he told of his early bouts, including Johnson, and described the agony of his busted ribs and said he was able to survive simply because he learned he was simply tougher than anyone else he ever fought ... that fight was the mental break through for him ... Another story. I work around the corner from where Dempsey's Resturant was for ages on Broadway. The corner is actually called Jack Dempsey Way ... one day I walked into the office building lobby that the resturant was in and asked if anyone remembers the old days of the resturant. An old doorman came out to talk to me and he had great stories ... he said he was just starting out in the late 60's when the resturant was still in its glory. He remembers Dempsey was there all the time and had a kind heart. He knew they were working the night shift and he'd always send out food for them. He also told me more than once Dempsey himself had to throw a drunk or two out ... he said to this day he never forgot the range of Dempsey's personality even as an older man .. he was for the most part kind and good natured, totally down to earth. However he said when someone got out of hand Jack's eyes "turned black like an Indian's" and would twist a guys arm behind his back while grabbing him by the collar and at those moments he was still the Mauler ... I asked if he still looked tough as he was over seventy and the man told me without blinking " Oh yeah, very" . I could not get enough of it ... a great time .
Well HE, Dempsey had some Indian blood in him...Very interesting article you related...When I was on my honeymoon [many moons ago ],We stood outside Dempsey's restaurant by the outside window...Dempsey was at a table with his back to us .My wife [guts]. tapped on the window, and Dempsey turned around towards us, and waived and smiled at the crowd. I was so damn thrilled,probably more so than my honeymoom !He looked so immense than. About 230 pounds as he was from the waist up, a very large man...He was John Wayne, before there was John Wayne... Happy Thanksgiving to all....
