Jack Dempsey and The Color Line...

Wills and Firpo was not for the hwt championship. It was a long standing tradition to not let a black fight for the hwt championship. Boxing history 101 but not for the uninformed unfortunately who want to instead believe what they would like history to be.

 

A long-standing tradition not to let a black man fight for the heavyweight title? Seem to recall some black dude named Johnson held the title a massive four years before Dempsey won it.

 

If you are not aware of the American tradition to not let a black fight for the hwt championship you need to find another hobby. It took Burns, a Canadian, to finally give a black a shot at the title. Everyone warned Burns not to fight Johnson but Burns was not saddled with the American racist history as he was not American. Berlenback needs to study up!

 

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cydvBq0_rQY[/url]

 

Jack Johnson, an American, gave a title shot to the black Battling Jim Johnson.

 

"It was a long standing tradition to not let a black fight for the hwt championship."

You think this was a good tradition which should have been honored?

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But what about these comments:

Time Magazine 6-4-1923

"Jack Kearns--'Dempsey will defend his title against either Willard, Firpo, or Wills. It is a case of first come, first served.'"

"Jack Dempsey--'I will fight any of them. If Kearns signs for Wills, it will be Wills."

Time Magazine 4-7-1924

"Tex Rickard--'Wills agrees to fight any heavyweight I select, leading up to a meeting with Dempsey."

Why are Kearns, Dempsey, and Rickard making these statements if they are planning on following a tradition of never defending against a black man?

At best it is naked cynicism and dishonesty.

Anyway, the tradition is only thirty odd years old and boils down to Sullivan, Jeffries, and Willard drew the color line,

so everyone has to?

And wasn't it also the tradition for Braddock. Actually more so, for he could add Dempsey and Tunney to the list drawing the color line.

 

The color line is a bit misunderstood.

Jeffries as Champion gave Hank Griffin ( best known for beating and drawing with Jack Johnson ) a 4 round fight and floored him multiple times. Had Griffin somehow won, he's the next lineal champion.

Before that Tommy Ryan, an excellent middleweight gave Frank Craig a shot at his title. Craig lost in 10.

Prior to this, Peter Jackson and Frank Slavin fought for the Brittish Empire title ( A big title ) in 1892, with Jackson winning.

What we have here were the two most important titles of the time ( Heavy and Middle ) that featured mixed matches.

Jack Johnson's battle with Jim Johnson was significant, but a sour event, where the draw seems disputable, and the fans booed because of the lack of action. Jack was injured, but the question as to when is debatable. Some feel his injury ( NY Times ) happened in the final round when he hit the floor wrestling with the Battling Jim.

 

Actually, one could argue it is more confused than that.

There was vocal group (I don't know if a majority or minority) who claimed when Johnson beat Burns that Jeffries was still champion as he had never lost.

If one accepts this logic, Jeffries was actually defending against Johnson on July 4, 1910.

It was not necessarily an off-the-wall position. The old editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica which were at our shools and libraries back in my youth listed the heavyweight champions from Sullivan on and listed Jeffries as champion from 1899 to 1910, and Johnson from 1910 to 1915.

 

Its a funny coincidence that the color only gets mentioned by champions who have a realistic threat who happens to be black. Anyone who thinks the color line was drawn simply along societal norms has his head up his ass. It was a means for fighters to avoid risk.

 

But Braddock was ducking the German.

 

That is true, but I don't see what it has to do with a color line discussion.

 

Yeah, it's only vaguely related. The point being, if Braddock had fought and lost to Schmeling, the most deserving contender, people might be able to argue there was still a color line in place, since neither of them were black.

Point is, yes, it's easy to prove where the color line gets broken, but often difficult to ascertain whether it was actually ever in place.

 

The tradition was what it was its not a question of whether we like it or not. It's what was expected not only by the boxing community but also the lay public. As time went by more and more felt differently and today most cannot comprehend how things were looked upon back in those days. As mentioned a black winning the worlds hwt championship indicated he was the physical master of the white race. It was a huge deal not to let that happen and the best way was not to give a black man a chance to fight for the hwt championship. Burns management in the end let Johnson have his shot and the White race Regretted it for the next eight years. Many of the people surrounding Johnsons bout with Jeffries (Rickard as one example) were still controlling boxing in the 20's. They were even more steadfast that The same mistake that occurred in 1908 (Johnson vs Burns) would not occur again.

 

"indicated he was the physical master of the white race."

But isn't refusing to fight the man an admission of about the same thing.

If you can beat him, why not just beat him?

*Somewhat off topic--the NFL was integrated in the 1920's, but was segregated in 1933 because, as it is put, "black guys were taking jobs away from white guys." The NFL would be re-integrated in 1946.

 

You are missing the entire point to an extent you must be joking.

Incredible.