"Had Johnson preferred black women and been as humble as Patterson...

The books on Johnson I read, say that he originally preferred black women but was double crossed by a couple and changed his tastes, then of course his increased wealth and celebrity gave him access to all types of female company.

 

If he'd have been as humble as Patterson and prefered Black women, He would never have been Jack Johnson...


You may as well have called him Leroy Smith... or Charlie Jackson...

Jack was known for his arrogance..

And as for the man who said.. He'd still be champ today...

He would have had a serious job getting the lid off of that Coffin and finding a pair of Reyes small enough to slide those boney hands into snugly..

You asked for that one..........

 

Dumb, dumb, d dumb.

 

I think there is something in it, if you don´t take that by word but metaphorically. If he would have been like Louis and Patterson but with his charme, intelligence and talent for selling himself, he would be an icon today similar to Ali. He would be really really big.

 

Wasn't it Cab Calloway's song? Not of Bessie Smith.

 

Johnson would not been as important as he was.

I grew up in the south, and I know how a lot of old white people thought. Some of these people use to tell me how they would listen to Joe Louis fights on the radio, and pray that someone white would beat him. This is Joe Louis I'm talking about. The great racial barrier breaker. These same people would tell me that black fighters have thicker skulls and an extra leg muscles. These are early 1990's conversations mind you. A great many of the old people I am referring to would not have been alive during Johnson's title reign. I can only imagine what some of those whites would have been like.

The people of Jack Johnson's time needed Johnson's attitude. People needed to see a man stand up to the establishment, not befriend it. Johnson lived his life as a free man when a large part of the population was still enslaved by society. Johnson showed people they did not have to bend over and take it. If Johnson had been more of a kiss ass, he probably never would have got a title shot in the first place.

 

I verry much doubt that Johnson atitude actualy helped him to get a title shot. If anything it only posed an extra barrier.

The key breakthrough came when Tommy Burns won the title. Burns was a Canadian and didnt care what colour his oponents were as long as the money was right. Once he had made as much money as he could by repeatedly fighting commonwealth grade heavyweights he went after the biggest money fights he could get. He fought Johnson when $50 000 was waved under his nose but prior to that he had been in negotiations with Sam Langford and Sam McVea.

Basicaly Johnson got his title shot because his backers were able to put up the money.

 

They only had to wait about 15 years.

 

Interesting post. Worth more than a thought.

 

I believe that if Johnson had merely "stayed in his place" he would never have gotten a shot. Johnson got his shot because he was unrelenting in his quest. Johnson had backers willing to put up the money because of his talent, and because of the attention he drew to himself.

 

Thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate it.

 

Johnson was a briliant self promotor. He dressed the part and maintained his brand.

I dont think that there is any reason why he couldnt have got his title fight with a less confrontational atitude. It required a number of elements to fall into place.

1. Burns
2. Suitable financial inducment for Burns
3. Enough public interest in the fight to provide 2.

There was interest in a fight between Johnson and the champion because Joe public knew that he was the best out there and not by a little. Whatever their predudices they wanted to see the best fight the best.

 

I've never agreed with the colour barrier in boxing as it was and I have always had contempt for blind racial prejudice, but I have little sympathy for Jack Johnson.

Why?

I regard him as utterly selfish and self-centered. He enjoyed the chaos he created and didn't he once stop to think about the thousands of lynchings (or worse) that undoubtedly took place because of him?
He drove the final nail into how many black peoples' boxing careers?

A man is free to live his life as he chooses, but Johnson could have been a little more discreet about it. He didn't have to wave the flag in front of the bull. He could have been just a little more cooperative.

As the first black heavyweight champion, he had a certain responsibility and he pissed all over it.
Yes, he was in a position to smile that golden smile and give the establishment the finger, but he was the only one. Those less fortunate suffered dearly for his arrogance and selfishness, and would for decades afterward.

Johnson was not looked upon his own as some hero. He was hated and Joe Louis was repeatedly told never to act like "that fool ******" Johnson.

 

Johnson had a lot of fans and a lot of haters, Ali also had fans and haters outside of boxing with the Black muslim thing....could you imagine a white guy today coming into the ring in Klan garb or the rebel flag...I think a lot of people would hate him including white folk because he would be percieved as anti -Black or a hate monger...Ali was percieved as a white hater and even made statements white men were devils. Johnson was a player, white woman were status to him and he did not give a f__K but he did not hate anyone, just stood up....Ali did not hate white but made a statement at the time...the Black Muslims robbed a lot of his money and he was afraid, the BM shook him down pretty good....SSR went with white gals but kept it quiet and Louis was a ladies man but he preferred good looking high Yella Black girls, they were smart enough to see the world was not ready and did not want the backlash....but Johnson felt the rath

 

Before Johnson ,"******s" knew there place ,it was a sad day for the White Race when he fouled poor Tommy Burns into defeat.Now they are all uppity and think they are nearly as good as "White Folks".