Was Jack Johnson truly as great as he is portrayed?

Youtube expose to much alltime great bull**** for ya ? :hi:

 

atsch fact is there where barly any real heavyweights at all before the 70s . Calling todays heavyweight devision weak is beyond stupid . :deal

 

You have to consider athletes within the context of their respective era. Jesse Owens is an ATG American athlete because of what he accomplished, notwithstanding that he'd no longer be competitive on world stage. (In fairness, he'd get access to modern nutrition and training.)

These old-timey heavies don't match up well against modern, huge men. Johnson, at 6-1, was "The Galveston Giant." So of course he's not going to fare well against the Ks. But if you're compiling rankings you have to evaluate accomplishments, not a hypothetical head to head.

He was a great defensive fighter and possessed tremendous guile in the ring. I agree that his legacy outside the ring is even more significant, as he was without question the most hated athlete in the history of American sport. I don't know who's No. 2, but it ain't close.

 

He faced economic realities that forced his hand. White America didn't care to see two black men fight for the championship. The Great White Hope thing was real and proved lucrative not only for his putative challengers but also for Johnson himself.

It would have been foolish and impractical for him to take on a black challenger. And do you really think someone like Tex Rickard would have wanted to promote it?

He'd have been outclassed by Louis and beyond, but I do think he'd have been competitive against Dempsey and (maybe) Tunney.

 

Jack Johnson was as great as he was portrayed, we can only judge a fighter in the era he fought and Johnson was the Champ of his era, it can be said he ducked the likes of Langford, but two points need consideration, firstly many Champs before and after ducked certain fighters.

Secondly what money would a promoter have made from having 2 black fighters going for the title, very little indeed, and thus Johnson would have got a crap payday also, so economics a massive factor too, and with Johnsons high spending lifestyle, money was king.

 

Um Ali had all the creature comforts you **** and moan about in the first paragraph. Don't pretend Ali fought 30 rounders and fought twice a month.

The FACTS are in the film. How would Johnson fare with modern training, probably very well, as a LHW or a CW. But lifestylewise, he'd be a LHW version of KP. He'd get his dues beating a few top guys, then off to rehab and on to , well, the story aint quite over.

BUT, watching the film, and the 12 or so Johnson fights that are out there, if, he could carry 200+lbs, he's skillswise on par with a Ruiz, moreso than a Jones Jr. His chin was solid as they come, but TKOs were nonexistent at the time.....not many ref's today gonna let him get his **** pushed in for 12 rds vs Vitali, Wlad, or even Haye for that matter.

In todays HW division, just based off his natural talent, he'd be about #20. But, with modern training and hopefully a healthier lifestyle, he'd be top 5 LHW/CW IMO.:thumbsup