The 'Old-Timers' Old-Timers: from 'Tad's Tid Bits' '"I've seen a lot of great fighters, but take it from me, big or little, white or black, the grandest of the lot was little George Dixon. He was my idea of a wonderful fighting machine. I know a lot of the fight fans today never saw Dixon. He’s been dead 10 years, you know, but his fights will live for 10 more, and then some. I liked Gans as a fighter, too. He had almost everything but speed. Dixon had everything that Gans had - with speed added. You must remember, too, that Dixon at 98 pounds was fighting big, strong boys. He put on a bit of weight later - and then kept on giving away weight. He wap fighting big, husky lightweights along with the feathers all the time, and was first under the wire nearly every trip. There isn’t a fighter today who can rip with that old left, the way Dixon could. He could rip a left to the body and up to the chin and then shoot a right over before a fellow could say ‘scat’! He was a hitter, a Boxer, a ring general, and was cooler than a lemon & soda. Kilbane? Yes, a great boy, but Dixon would have taken him. Dixon was a better feinter and better hitter. Kilbane, I admit, can sock, but he can’t use the left as Dixon did. That old rip to the stomach was poison to anyone. Yes, siree, put me down as a Dixon man above all others. There were great fighters, but I can’t think of one who was a master of every department of the game like 'Little Chocolate’. It’s wild how some of these old timers could say the most vile racist **** possible yet openly show appreciation to the skill sets of these black fighters. Corbett was probably the worst racist of the heavyweight champions yet he’s in open admission to a black fighter being the most impressive he’s seen.
In an ugly way, because it was an ugly time, Dixon crossed these barriers. He was a source of a lot of the "equal shot" patter in boxing press at the time. He was loved but also feared a little bit. Adam Pollack has a wonderful eye for it. This is from his wonderful In The Ring With Jack Johnson Part 1: Inexplicably Huge for Being a "Part One": "Sandy Ferguson was at ringside, sitting near Johnson's corner. Several times during the bout, by his remarks, it appeared that he was trying to divert opponent Sam Langford's attention from Johnson and rattle him so that Johnson could sneak in a blow...George Dixon was at ringside as well, and wanted Johnson to win, but conducted himself in a more quiet and sportsmanlike manner. When Ferguson and Joe Walcott, who was in Johnson's corner, got to shouting and hollering too much, Dixon told them both to shut up as it did not gain Johnson anything. At first they did not listen, but eventually their shouting subsided when they saw Dixon meant it." I get such a kick out of stuff like that, 6'3 210 Ferguson and pound-for-pounder Walcott shitting themselves off little Dixon. Gives you some idea how respected the wee man was even at the doorstop of his own awesome career.
Just a wee quote out of The Saint Louis Republic newspaper, an article that's talking about what a shame it is, post-McGovern, that Dixon had to box to make money. Obviously untrue but it's another example of the astonishing regard Dixon was held in. "If there ever was anything like gratitude existent in the coloured race of America a fund would be raised with which to purchase an annuity to maintain Dixon comfortably for the rest of his days, for, by his pluck and integrity, he has done more to gain consideration for dark-skinned men than ever Frederick Douglas did."
Not related to Jim but a savvy boxer like Abe crediting you for inspiring him is quite a compliment "Just watching him MADE A BOXER OF ME. I started out as a slugger, knocking everybody dead - and catching PLENTY of punches MYSELF!! Then one night in Denver I SAW DIXON in action... I sat there at ringside and watched him block punches, and slip punches, and sidestep punches, and all of a sudden I realized that a fellow could be a fighter and yet not get hurt himself. 'Abraham', I said, 'this is what you're going to be from now on!'" - Abe Attell "Herrera was the hardest hitter I ever faced. George Dixon was the best in all around ability. Gee, he was clever."
I don't know where I put it but Corbett penned an article claiming black fighters would take over the sport, that they were more gifted. I did find this, from a speech he gave in 1908. "Black and white fighters are on an equal when they do in the ring. Boxers who pretend to be afraid of getting in bad with society for fighting a man of another color are not made of the right stuff... the man who proves himself the best of the lot is called champion, and it makes no difference what the color of his opponents may be.... In other words, it is better to whip one negro boxer of championship caliber than a dozen white men whom the public does not look upon as worthy of attention.?
