Does ketchel even hit johnson

the punch sort of connected behind the head, johnson was acting to me tho

 

Here are the circumstances about the fight that seem to explain how things went down in a consistent manner...

1) Johnson was carrying Ketchell but still managed to bust him up pretty badly.
2) Ketchel was a hot head and started trying for home run punches. Johnson ducks one but gets clipped on the back of the head. It was a balance shot, not a concussive "lose your faculties" knockdown.
3) Johnson is p issed because he was double-crossed and takes off the handcuffs, laying Ketchel colder than a cucumber... a cucumber missing several teeth.

 

Johnson said Ketchel gave him the sorest jaw he ever had, and Ketchel though crude and did not land much, did mark Johnson up some when he did land. Also not in the film as some of the blows Johnson landed to KO Ketchel. So when so and so says the punch missed or it was a fake, read the below:

Many of the older films are missing frames! Reason being is this. When shown in the theater people used to ask the projector operator to crank back the film to see the knockouts or other points of interest again. The constant back and forth wear and tear has blurred the film decades later.

You can read more about how films were shows in the upcoming book "The Fight That Started the Movies " which is The Corbett vs Fitzsimmons film by Sam Hawley

I am corresponding with the author for recommending readings on the fight and have given him by blow by blow version of the 26 minutes that I own.

 

I think Seamus has it about right.

 

It looks fake to me.
Johnson saw Ketchel throwing a haymaker so he did a 'Bruce Seldon' to add drama to the fight and the film. He got up and blasted Ketchel away.

 

I think it's fake and so did Johnson's sparring partner GunBoat Smith The punch goes around the back of Johnson's head and he is clearly falling before it gets near him.

There is a story that they tried to rehe**** the fight in Barney Curley's hotel suite but Ketchel proved incapable of pulling his shots,Johnson is alleged to have said," well you do what you can".Johnson is obviously carrying Ketchel ,he picks him up and sets him back on his feet twice after unintentionally hitting him too hard.
Only the most rabid Johnson hater,[see 4th post,] would contend this was a straight fight with Johnson trying his best up until the ko. If Johnson had gone after Ketchel in earnest the fight would have been very brief and the movies of it would have consequenty been almost worthless. It was a pragmatic business decision.imo.