I´ve seen this name here and there and apparently he was a big figure... and he was czheck (I´m butchering this word, I know, from Tchekoslovakia). Basically, just a quick post would do it !! Style: Best Wins:
He was known as a good boxer-puncher - a well-rounded fighter but perhaps not spectacular in any one area. His primary claim to fame is being the inaugural LHW champ. He won the title by beating up a faded Kid McCoy, then lost it in his 1st defense to another underrated/overlooked fighter, George Gardiner, who had also KO'd him in a previous fight. There's footage of the Gardiner title fight on YT - Root is the fighter w/ visibly receding hairline who mostly fights off the back foot, & ultimately gets dropped/KO'd by the end. This content is protected Aside from beating McCoy, Root also beat future HW champ Marvin Hart & KO'd perennial HW contender Fireman Jim Flynn. Root would later fight Hart for the vacant HW title (after Jim Jeffries' retirement), but that time Hart came off the deck to stop him late.
If only someone had an appreciation thread on the man... https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/jack-root-appreciation-thread.604780/
I think Root is very underrated, in fact not rated at all. A middleweight who drifted up to Light heavy with wind over Gardner, Byers, West and several more decent fighters as well as those already named. In fact he had wins over the two men that defeated him and was the betting favourite against Hart in the title fight.
I hadn't realized until you typed this that Root only ever lost 3 fights (to 2 men) - that's really quite impressive for that era. I was also going to comment that he was perhaps one win away from being a HoFer, but I see now that he was in fact inducted into the Hall in 2011.
Beat Kid Carter in 1902, who had beaten Choynski and McCoy earlier that year. Beat Marvin Hart in 1902, who would go on to claim the title in 1905. Beat Charles McCoy in 1903, who had beaten Ruhlin, Goddard, Choynski, Maher, Beat George Gardner in 1904, who had beaten Carter and Hart Was probably a top-4 heavyweight around 1904, while being lighter than many others in his division.
He is the father of the 21st century style record having started his career 40-0. He was not the first LHW champ sources have the first LHW title fight as early as 1897 when Jim Hall beat Slavin. LHW title fights are poorly sourced up until after WW1 because it was new weight class going in and out of existence.
Lauded for his scientific abilities, but was too small for heavyweight. Probably was a top 3 light heavyweight at some point though.
Generally yes. When he fought no. The 1st decade of the 20th century was very small. If we look at the alternatives to Hart and Root fighting for the title mostly other LHWs or MWs. Tommy Burns would dominate the subsequent years. Thing with Root is he retired before his 30th birthday and just 1 fight after the Hart fight. In said fight(a controversial win) he knocked down a rare 6 ft 3 guy in Fred Russell. Also knocked down Hart weighing just 170 with room to bulk up a little. Think he could handle HW just fine he just had no time to demonstrate that. Also LHW didn't exist in 1906-1912 if he had continued to fight into his 30s he couldn't have been a LHW it was HW or MW and he was too big for MW.
LHW did exist 1906-12. In fact Root won the inaugural LHW championship vs the brilliant Kid McCoy in 1903. Admittedly Jack O'Brien did not defend the title after he won it in 1905, with Jack Dillon eventually claiming the vacant title in 1914.
Yeah it stopped existing in between 1905 and 1912. Jack Twin Sullivan had a title claim and he didn't press it either. The first mention of Dillon getting the LHW crown was when he beat Hugo Kelly in 1912. The newly established NYSAC and IBU would set up their own belts which would be won by Bob Moha and George Carpentier. But 1906-1911 is a void as far as LHW goes can't find nothing. What was or wasn't the first LHW title fight is a lot more messy than that. The earliest LHW title fight I've seen claimed is Hall v Slavin in 1897 then the belt passes to Choynski. There were usually 2 LHW claimants throghout the 1897-1905 period. Hugmans site got taken down but if you use wayback he had some real interesting info on it. Anyway the point was if Root had kept fighting he'd have had to stick at HW.
There were plans for a Choynski-Hall World light heavyweight title fight in 1895, they eventually met in 1896 for the American title, Choynski the winner in 13.
