Johnson was covering his eyes

We all know that **** that J.J. said about shielding his eyes from the hot Cuban sun back in '15. Still, regardless, Jack was nailed with a solid right by Willard in rd. 26 and was down, tired, hurt but not totally out of touch with reality.. He then covered up while down and allowed the referee to count his ass out..... Willard won fair and square in Cuba... J.J. was age 37 and in woeful shape for that fight... 'Nuff said.....

MR.BILL:bbb

 

He was hit with a huge right hand after getting battered for 3 straight rounds. Willard was manhandling at this point of the fight.

If I had a euro for everytime I have seen a fighter in the same "shielding his eyes" position after getting KTFO, I would be Rupert Murdoch.

Johnson was KO'd... heavily.

 

He was down ... for what ever reason he didn't get back up by ten.

Jack gave it a good try, just couldn't get Jess out of there. I reckon at the end of 25 he knew he didn't have 20 more rounds in him. I don't really see any profit in him getting up and beaten into a pulp. I don't respect him less if he decided to stay down. He'd genuinely given his best shot. He didn't have enough left. to win or to last

Willard, on the Murray Warner radio tournament, spoke very respectfully of Johnson.

 

Which is one of the very reasons until the day he died believed that Dempsey's gloves were loaded. I can't pinpoint the specific article or broadcast but Willard spoke very respectfully of Jack Johnson and believed Dempsey wouldn't have been able to be Jack when he was on top

 

In front after 22 rds, Johnson just wound down, the overhand right was a terrific wallop.I see nothing fishy about the stoppage.If he wanted to shade his eyes from the sun ,why didn't he just shut them?
Sam McVey was in his corner, he said Jack did not know quite where he was at the finish. A 37 year old man, not in the best of shape gave it his best for 26rds ,in tropical heat, against a giant whom he could not stop. Johnson's bravest performance imo.

 

Nice post McVey.

 

The fight was scheduled for 45 rounds. What is not so well know is Willard was the better from about round 17 to finish. At age 34 Willard was no spring chicken either. Johnson had an early lead, and tried to go for the finish early, but his power did not bother a Willard who had little defense or offensive skill.

I have seen more film on this fight than most. In the 25th round Willard nearly floored Johnson with a body shot clearly foreshadowed the ending to come. It was a clean in KO in the 26th. Of course Johnson lied about the fight being fixed, and some of his fans yell fix to this day. Whatever.

 

I read an article last night from i think it was Bill Lang, who considered Johnson one of his best friends. Lang said that Johnson told him that he would lie down before he took a beating. It wasnt a direct reference to this fight, but i think it does kind of indicate what happened. An old Johnson, without the real will or desire to train properly or push himself to the limits, was winning the fight, got in trouble, realised he didnt want to go any further and chose to lay down and not get up after what was by all standards a massive punch. I am sure he might have got up if his life depended on it, but it didnt.

 

rez - where is that duran video??

 

This is incorrect Johnson was still getting the better of the exchanges up to the end of the 21st round.

Willard was 33 years old,not 34 .
Johnson sent a message to Jack Curley via Harry Frazee his cornerman between the 21st and 22nd rounds asking him to come to his corner.Curley was at the box office counting the gate.

In the 22nd, 23rd and 24th rds Willard was the superior .Willard hurt Johson badly with a big right hand to the heart in the 25th round.

At the end of the 25th rd Curley arrived at the corner.Johnson whispered to him "Jack,go take my wife away,tell her I'm awful weak and that I want her to leave".Curley sent the message via,Richard Kegin the sports promoter.

At the start of the 26th rd Willard came swiftly across the ring ,and got home with a left to the face and a booming right hand to the belly Johnson clinched,the referee broke the fighters, Willard bulled Johnson backwards towards his own corner, belted a hard left into Johnson's midriff which took away he weary legs , feinted with the left to the body and, when Johnson's arms came down to cover the body, crashed home a tremendous right to the jaw sending Johnson down , he fell towards Willard clutched at his legs as he fell Willard kicked himself free and Johnson hit the canvas, down and out.

After the count Johnson's seconds helped him up ,he was confused and dazed." Whats the matter he asked Sam McVey? Johnson tried to resume the round, going towards Willard, McVey stopped him, put his arm around him, and lead him away, a towel over his head.

Johnson was in the ring over one hour and a half , in temperatures Willard described as," hot as hell".
He was not in good shape, years of dissipation, and a wild life style, had robbed him of his stamina, he was fighting a trained to the minute, determined , on a mission giant,who ,on the day proved to strong and durable for the past it 37 year old.

Johnson had been on the slide for the past 5 years ,and his lifestyle ,and slack training habits finally caught up with him, no mystery.

Later that day Johnson made an official statement. he said,
"I take my hat off to Willard, he beat me fair and square ,I have no kick coming".

He then followed this with another statement.

"I have no complaint to make excepting this. While I was champion I made a great many enemies,most of whom hated me for no other reason than that I am a negro.These persons have gotten vindication in my defeat ,and I hope they obtain full enjoyment out of it".

The evening of the fight saw a recovered Johnson in the box office talking with Jack Curley,and Harry Frazee.Over a drink they asked the now exchamp how he felt,"pretty blue," replied Johnson, he repeated, " I haven't any kick coming.I met a young big boy,and he wore me down.I didnt dream there was a man alive who could go 15 rds with me ,once I started after them".
Johnson then surprised them by saying ,"here's something you didn't know,Jess ruined my golden smile ",

Johnson opened his mouth and showed a gap where two gold capped teeth had been knocked out. "It was a left crack that did it.I felt them drop down on my tongue,and my pride wouldnt let me spit them out.

I knew what a howl would go up if they saw them in the sunlight,so I did the next best thing I swallowed them".


In later years, broke ,and on his uppers Johnson sold a signed confession to Nat Fleischer editor of The Ring in it he claimed he took a dive in the fight,Fleischer bought it ,but did not publish it, he did not beleive it and neither do I.


I beleive Johnson showed tremendous courage, and heart in that fight.

 

If that is true, the it shows Johnson could be a dog of a fighter. Johnson gave up in the first Klondike fight after being floored, and quit later in his corner in older age in the 1920's

We also saw Johnson shut down and do little, being out worked by Hart in a key match. So here's my $64,000 question for you? Do you think Johnson had some quit in him if things were not going his way? It seems he might have.

 

Yeah he was a craven coward.

Something you ought to know about .:yep

 

Johnson was 48 years old when he retired against Bob Lawson he had been floored in the 7th rd , and could not come out for the 8th ,so yes he must have been a coward.
He proved that by going 26rds with a giant ,when he was 37 years old didnt he?atschatschatsch

 

I think it depends on the circumstances. But i do think he would place his career/life ahead of a sustained beating. I am not sure if it would be on the same level as say, the way Vitali quit against Byrd, but i am not sure if he would keep getting up like Willard did against Dempsey.

He was also that good, that he rarely had to take punishment. You need to distinguish the sustained beating that is talked of wanting to avoid, with taking a KO punch like a Rahman did to Lewis, or even a choynski did to Johnson. I think it unlikely that if he took the punishment Jeffries did against Fitz, he would not have continued. Still, this is no real knock on a fighter. In fact, to know when you have taken too much punishment is really a good thing and not a bad thing. Everyone really has their limits and to know when one is beaten really should be applauded. To counter balance what i have said, if the fight is in the balance (and he really wanted cared if he won or not), i think Johnson would go to hell and back. Against any other all time great, he would be in the mix and would be prepared to go there. Against lesser fighters he may not care as much and may not be prepared to go to such lengths, but then again it really wouldnt matter would it, because he wouldnt have to.