Jack Johnson hated Jackie Blackburn. Blackburn was a wiry, hot tempered, hard drinking man with a razor scar across one cheek, also hated Johnson. Blackburn said it all began in early in 1908 when Johnson had swaggered into a Philadelphia gym with several admiring women and called for someone to spar with him. Blackburn stepped foward, though he was only a Lightweight, and as he told it, managed to bewilder Johnson with his skills and speed, giving Johnson a bloody nose, and parrying everything the increasingly embrarassed Johnson threw back at him. Johnson left the gym in a rage. The following year, Blackburn found himself behind bars for manslaighter-he had killed a former friend and wounded the man's mistress in a street fight- and asked Johnson to come see him in jail and help raise money to mount a legal; appeal. Johnson took pleasure in turning him down. ''Let the son of a ***** stay in jail'' Johnson said. Blackburn was pardoned in 1914, but while he kept fighting and mostly winning for nine more years, he never managed to reestablish himself as a serious contender. As a trainer, he worked almost exclusively with white fighters and was reluctant at first to take a Negro novice, even one as promosing as Joe Louis. Colored heavyweights were a dime a dozen, he said. Just as in Johnson's day, there was nowhwere for them to go. And Blackburn belived Johnson himself was to blame. He might have a opened the door when he beat Tommy Burns, but the way he behaved once the title was his, had it shut again. Blackburn made that clear to Louis during one of their first meetings: ''You know, boy the heavyweight division for a Negro is hardly likely. The white man ain't to keen on it. You have to be something to go anywhere. If you really ain't gonna be another Jack Johnson, you got some hope. White man hasn't forgotten that fool ****** with his white women, acting like he owned the world''
In his autobiography,Louis said he asked Blackburn to bar Johnson from the camp ,for the negative things he said about him. Johnson had visited Louis at training camp ,and told Roxborough and Black ,"get rid of Blackburn ,and I will train Louis for you. Roxborough told him to take a hike. There are a few pictures of Louis with Langford ,but one of him and Johnson together is rare.
Actually the hat was passed around in the gym for Blackburn and Johnson declined to put in,but the rest of the story is factual. Johnson did pay Sam Mcvey's funeral expenses. He was an enigma, capable of extreme generosity,and also extreme meaness . Blackburn was a hard drinking man ,he kept his money in his shoe ,and wore oversized footwear for that purpose.
Joe Louis on meeting Jack Johnson....... ''It was thrilling to meet Johnson'' Louis remembered. He'd heard stories about him since boyhood. ''I liked him. He never mentioned problems he was having......He was an impressive-looking guy and a good talker. He told me I was going to run into every situation possible, and he warned me to keep my head at all times.'' After Johnson left, a newspaper man asked Louis what he thought about the way the older man had lived his life. ''Every man got a right to his own mistakes'' Louis said. ''Ain't no man that aint made any''
I´m very fascinated by those people. One reason why Jack is one of my favourite hws - just as Sulla and Hülägü are when it comes to historical figures.
