Nobody disputes that the first two black heavyweight champions (Johnson and Louis) were pivotal figures in the history of the sport. I ask you to consider what social impact Peter Jackson, Sam Langford and Harry Wills would have had if they had become champions. What would their legacies have been for black fighters of future generations?
Could any of them have been a Joe Louis for example? A man who brought down the colour bare somewhat earlier.
I think any of these boxers would have been a major plus for the coloured race ,due to their demeanour and character.Johnson ,I beleive was a very great fighter ,but his personal flaws set the Black race back in America,so much that no Coloured fighter was allowed to challenge for the heavyweight title until Louis came along.Jackson was a gentleman who even Corbett liked .Langford was according to Larry Gains a very amenable soul ,who had a voice like the Kingfish ,in the old Amos and Andy stereo type shows. Wills was a sportsman,who carried himself with modesty and tact,in the face of severe trial,so three figures who would be an asset to any race ,especially the human race,to steal a deathless line.
Harry Wills always seems to have presented himself with a fair amount of dignity during his heyday. I could imagine him being a very significant motive force for cultural change if placed in that situation.
I dispute Louis being one of the first two Black Heavyweight Champions of the World. If the Mirror of Life, Richard K Fox and the Police Gazette recognize Jackson as the first black Heavyweight Champion, then that is good enough for me. As for the question; Jackson was quite humble and seem to have the respect of not just many of his white peers, but also a fair amount of white fight fans. Langford was respected around the world and I think made the USA wake up to their prejudices. By the time Wills came round many of the press were deeply upset Dempsey did not fight them. Langford and Wills were both low key and would of had the respect of all but the most prejudice of fans IMO. All three would and indeed did (in Jackson's case) carry the Championship with class, like Louis, IMO.
But Fox had an open and unashamed hatred of John L. Sullivan, reportedly due to an unfriendly encounter in a saloon. Fox also championed Jake Kilrain as the "real" champion of the world prior to his fight with Sullivan as well.
Yes, but at least Jackson was fighting proper Queensberry rules bouts, not glorified London Prize with glove bouts. As well as Fox, Australia, the British Empire and The Mirror of Life back Jackson's claim at the time.
While the position can be argued he would clearly have been a much more pivotal public figure if he had been universaly recognised as the champion.
No. Society wasn't ready. By the time Joe Louis became champion racism had subsided somewhat, though still prominent. You certainly didn't have the prominent white fighters proclaiming it was not right for black men to fight white men in any circumstance. From what I've read neither Langford nor Jackson appears the Jack Johnson "type" though - I couldn't see them flaunting white women, wearing pink robes, humiliating opponents, antagonizing the crowd etc etc, so there would have been less backlash.
