As Johnsonwas called the Black heavyweight Champ when Jeffries a was King

As Jack Johnson was called the Coloured heavyweight Champion when Jim Jeffries was Champ.and,since Jeffries refused to fight his black challengers,shouldn't Jeffries just be called the White Heavyweight Champion?



Sorry about the thread heading, a glitch

 

Unfortunately , the thirty seven year old Jackson was a tubercular and alcoholic wreck ,who had been retired for three years when Jeffries fought him.

Therefore Jeffries win over him is meaningless.

 

Jackson never got a square deal, when he became Champion,Corbett refused to rematch him,and Peter was probably allready slightly past his best.

Jackson won what was billed as the Coloured Championship,from George Godfrey in 1888, he never defended it, and it was 10 years later ,[1898] when he faced Jeffries, in a farce of a fight.

Prime for prime, Jeffries may still have won ,but what is certain, the 37 year old dying Jackson who entered the ring against the 23 year old Jeffries had no earthly chance of victory.

 

Well , you can't get beaten for a title if you don't defend it can you?

George Godfrey had won what was billed as the Coloured Championship in a fight with Professor Charles Hadley, both Godfrey and Hadley were Light heavyweights anyway.

A cursory look at Hadley's record shows no one of any note upon it, apart from Godfrey.His main qualification for fighting for this title would appear to be his complexion.

The coloured version of the title must have been at its very weakest.
Jackson was undeniably a stand out fighter in his prime, but he was a decade past that prime when he faced Jeffries.

Jackson's sparring partner stated that Jackson developed a severe drink problem when he visited the UK in 1892.

Jackson had two fights in England,but his last real stand,was his victory over Slavin that year,after beating up a nobody he retired had a no dec 4rds against a ham and egger,then retired again for another 3 years.I can find no merit in Jeffries victory over him.
The coloured title was considered to be vacant, because it had not been contested in 8 years Armstrong and Strong met for what was billed as the vacant title in 1896 2 years before Jackson met Jeffries ,but you know all this anyway J.

 

The question is, should Jeffries be called the White Heavyweight Champion instead of the World Heavyweight Champion?
Can you address the question ?

 

Jackson never held the British Title.

He was ineligible to fight for it ,as was the man he beat for the Empire and Commonwealth Title ,Frank Slavin.
Jackson was a Virgin Islander and Slavin ,an Australian.
This is academic anyway as the title was not sanctioned by the NSC,until 1891, and not recognized by the BBBof C until 1929
The first recognized official British Champ was Jack Palmer 1905-1906 hardly a name to strike fear into the world class scene.

As late as 1934 Larry Gains was denied a chance to fight for the British Title because he was Canadian by birth, he had to content himself with challenging for the, less prestigious Empire, and Commonwealth Titles.

Jeffries of course, being an American, also did not qualify.

The rule has since be relaxed as the status of the current Champion ,Zambian born,14 fight Derek Chisora , [soon to be involved in a mismatch with Wlad Klit] , shows

Since Jackson was tubercular , an alcoholic , and had not fought in 3 years , can you explain how he had regained his form ?

If you accept that Jackson had regained his form, I put it to you that,Jim Jeffries was in the shape of his life when he fought Jack Johnson.:good