Knocking Out Jack Johnson

Joe Choynski sure could punch. Multiple fighters he fought claimed he was the hardest puncher of them all. However he lost far too many fights he should of won but he did well against the best compettion. I have heard that Jeffries deserved the nod in their encounter having scored 3 knockdowns and generally outmuscling the smaller man but that their was big money on the contest and that is why a draw was rendered. Has anyone else heard this story.

 

The accounts I've seen say there was just the one knockdown, in either the second or the third, and Choynski apparently bounced up unhurt. No one seems to have been particularly unhappy with the decision - as you'd expect Choynski was outmuscled but did the more skillful work, ducking out of trouble and scoring with a straight left.

 

Recently finished reading the excellent Choynski biography which says jeffries knocked him down twice, 3rd and 15th if I remember right.

 

Looking at the round by round, it says the knockdown in the 3rd was the only one, but it does also mention Choynski slipping to his knees in the 15th. Depends who you ask, no doubt.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1897-12-01/ed-1/seq-14/

 

The Choynski biography uses seven different newspapers as a source for the Jeffries fight. It says the only one to refer to it as a slip is the San Francisco Call .... which looks like the one you've put a link for.

 

Well, I shall raise you an Associated Press report which doesn't mention a 15th round knockdown at all.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042461/1897-12-01/ed-1/seq-3/

 

Choynski was down 2 or 3 times depending on your source.

 

What's the other way around? :?

 

This is correct.

 

Thanks for the clear up, so two knockdowns scored for the boilermaker. I wonder if the verdict was viewed as fair or if their were leanings towards James as the winner.

 

Going into the fight, Choynski was more well known of the two. Choysnki ran for the second half of the fight with Jeffries forcing the action. If I'm not mistake Jeffries was quoted that he knocked Choynski down three times in Two Fisted Jeff.

You can see the two sparring in 1910. Even in middle age, Choynski is quick as a cat on his feet.

 

http://www.boxing.com/jim_jefferies_at_the_bar.html

This is interesting link and written only last month although it seems to perpetuate some of the jeffries myths.

 

According to dear old Nat Fleischer a Texas judge chastised Choynski for taking advantage of his young opponent’s inexperience. That should be somewhere in the Black Dynamite series.

 

Joe Choynski knocked out Jack Johnson in 3 rounds. It just shows how overrated Jack Johnson was. No matter how hard Joe Choynski could punch he was 160 or so odd pounds most of his career. No middleweight in history should be able to knock out a real heavyweight.

It is funny how most people will still have Johnson high on their all time great heavyweight list because old timers tell them he was great.