If only Jack Johnson hadn’t died in that car accident, it’s conceivable we could have had a filmed interaction between him, Joe Louis, and Ali in the early 1960s.
Imagine if Johnson, Fitz, Sullivan and Corbett also had Schmeling/LaMotta-like lifespans and the others made it to that film room as well. A lot of personality in that room, for better or worse.
Damn, Old Joe was brutal and efficient in and out of the ring. "Well, you would have been on the tour."
Hi Stevie. In theory maybe, but from what I have read over the years, Johnson had no time for Louis, picked against him on numerous occasions, I think it stems from there polar opposite approach and interaction with white people, or white people in a position of authority, Johnson felt that Joe curtailed to much, and was to subservient to how white people thought he should conduct himself, and as we all know Jack was anything but, in equal shares it was bit of both, Blackburn and Louis management were very conscious of the legacy left behind by Jack, and the young fighters was taken aside and told in no uncertain terms, that the boxing world had more than enough of black fighters ( citing Johnson ) who knew their worth, and wasn't afraid to vent as such, truth be told Joe was a humble, quietly spoken young man to begin with, so there was no chance of another Johnson, but nonetheless he was schooled on how to behave, and the " right " way to conduct himself when in public, obviously that wouldnt have worked with Jack, so yes the meeting up of these two, might not have gone as the press and public would have liked. stay safe buddy, chat soon. Mike.
