Did Jack Johnson try to fix his title fight with Moran?

I dont think so. Johnson was a fat 36 year old near retirement champion who wanted a couple more pay days before calling it quits. he had lost it mentally and physically by 1914. even if he did try to fix it, if you watch the film the fight was no fixed. moran was trying to connect with his mary anne the whole fight while a old fat johnson just kind of toyed around.

 

There is some evidence that Johnson did indeed try to fix the fight.

Moran agreed to take a dive to get the fight but then reneiged on the agreement or so the story goes.

There is also evidence that Johnson negotiated taking a dive in the Burns fight.

 

Not denying the evidence, but why would he want that fight fixed?

 

Round betting

 

I havent heard of this one ,I did hear that Johnson was originally supposed to take a dive for Jeffries when the fight was to be held in San Francisco,when the fight was transferred to Reno,Johnson drove out to Jeffries training camp and told him the fight would be on the level.

 

No.

There are other sources to back up this story.

 

Jack Johnson And His Times ,by Denzil Batchelor. Batchelor states that Johnson proposed that Moran take a dive in the 8th or there would be no fight , Moran came away from the meeting and went straight to the promoter Theodore Vienne,telling him what had been suggested .Vienne told Moran to go through with the fight and ,at the opening bell tell Johnson the fight was on the level.Johnson entered the ring fat at 221lbs expecting an easy night ,but Moran soon showed he meant business.The fifth round saw the fights pace pick up Johnson broke Morans nose with an uppercut,coming out of a clinch,Moran got home with his best shot in the 7th ,Johnson bluffed his way out of trouble talking to Moran and patting him on the shoulder,a fat,complacent Johnson kept out of trouble the rest of the way ,at the end the referee Carpentier ,Johnson's choice .unhesistatingly raised his hand.

 

The source is the book .don't think there are direct quotes.The book is pretty old now so difficult to research.The Moran Fight was on the level,but I would bet money the Ketchel fight was not,I see it as a fixed fight that was a double cross.Johnson agreed to take it easy on Ketchel for the benefit of the film rights ,and Ketchel and his manager thought that if they got the chance they would go for it with his right hand.Gunboat Smith ,Johnsons sparring partner ,said not only was the fight a fix ,but that the knockdown was a phoney too,the film does appear to show Johnson starting to fall slightly before he is hit ,but it depends on the quality of the print you watch.Ketchel probably hit hard enough to drop Johnson ,especially if he was expecting a Sunday stroll type fight, Ketchel kod O Brien twice.A writer ,[his name escapes me] .who was present at the Ketchel fight and in Stanley''s dressing room stated that Ketchel was joking with friends just before the bout ,but as he came down to the ring ,the swell of cheers from the predominantly white crowd visibly moved him and tears fell down his face,the writer thought that Ketchel was influenced by his reception and decided to go for the ko. The Moran fight was a deal where the winner got 60 % ,the loser 40%,of half the gate which was$40,000.Johnson could have been dsqd as he had been told to break by Carpentier ,but held on to Moran with his left and smashed home his right uppercut breaking Moran's nose,this was seen by some as the turning point of the fight.

 

All Moran got for his work was $7500 training expenses. He never saw a penny of the gate.

 

Quite true ,one version has Johnson getting to the box office first and swiping the receipts ,another has the promoter enlisting and the receipts of both fighters being impounded .