Did Black Figters Hold Back from fighting their best against Whites in early 1900's?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by rantcatrat, Mar 8, 2013.


  1. rantcatrat

    rantcatrat Member Full Member

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    Well, I guess the only concrete example so far is the Johnson-Burns fight where the fight was stopped prematurely by the police to avoid Johnson, a black heavyweight, from knocking out Burns, a white heavyweight.

    I'm positive that in the Gans book, the authors allege instances with Gans, but the book isn't with me unfortunately at the moment.
     
  2. rantcatrat

    rantcatrat Member Full Member

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    No problem at all. I enjoy boxing and researching its history.

    One more thing with regard Battle Royales, they were a place that many african american fights got their start in boxing. Johnson, for one, if I'm not mistaken. I think they were more than "entertainment" for that reason. Has there ever been article written on Battle Royales?
     
  3. mattdonnellon

    mattdonnellon Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    It was pretty common in thoes days for police to stop hights in general.
     
  4. PowerPuncher

    PowerPuncher Loyal Member Full Member

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    Langford carried Ketchell didn't he?

    Generally fixed fights and sports fixing does not go down well and needs some serious criminal backing.

    The easiest way to fix a fight ofcourse is to cherry pick a weak opponent. Most white fighters in the early 1900s simply drew the colour line.
     
  5. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Again, this carry supposedly happened to set up a second, much more lucrative bout. It wasn't about keeping Langford down (Jack Johnson took care of that later).

    As Don King once postulated, "Black plus White equals Green." And do not be mistaken, Green is the color that has ruled this sport from the beginning.
     
  6. rantcatrat

    rantcatrat Member Full Member

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    You mean that police would stop fights between white fighters too? Do you know any examples off-hand? I know that when boxing was illegal there was a risk of police stopping the fights, but I didn't know that it happened frequently. I thought that the Johnson-Burns fight was stopped due to Johnson's race?
     
  7. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    It happened all the time. Maher-Sharkey and Sharkey-Choynski come to mind.
     
  8. rantcatrat

    rantcatrat Member Full Member

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    Didn't know that. Am I wrong that the police stoppage of the Johnson-Burns was due to race?
     
  9. Surf-Bat

    Surf-Bat Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Not sure this is accurate. There were a large number of black vs, white bouts back then.
     
  10. Surf-Bat

    Surf-Bat Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I believe it was former poster Klompton who debunked that notion (if memory serves).

    Anyone care to try and dig up that old thread? I'm not to good at it...:oops:
     
  11. Surf-Bat

    Surf-Bat Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Young Griffo vs. Ike Weir, too
     
  12. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    I think they were afeared for Mr Burns well-being rather than any racial concern. Black and whites seemed to fight often in Australia at the time and many of the best US Black heavies made their way Down Under.
     
  13. SLAKKA

    SLAKKA Boxing Addict Full Member

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    When he was 13, Sherrer visited the boxing gym in the basement of the Milwaukee Urban League on North 9th and West Vine Streets. Running the show there was Baby Joe Gans, who'd ended up here stranded and broke in 1937 after a boxing career that would've been even more spectacular and certainly more lucrative if the uniquely talented Gans had been white instead of black.
     
  14. Surf-Bat

    Surf-Bat Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I dunno, Slaks. This story is one that so many fighters know, regardless of color. The poor, broken down fighter is almost a historical cliche'. Was Young Griffo any less destitute than BJG? Or Jerry Quarry? Ike Weir? Aurelio Herrera? One could count these guys right down the line from boxing's beginnings to the modern age.
     
  15. SLAKKA

    SLAKKA Boxing Addict Full Member

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