Were we lied to about Johnson vs Ketchel?

Q . When you watch the knockdown of Johnson do you think he begins to fall after ,or before the punch lands?
Johnson grabbed Ketchel twice and set him back on his feet preventing him from falling to the canvas.
Q.Johnson had a considerable percentage of the film rights , this being the case , would they be more valuable to him if the fight was seen to be competitive, with the controversy of a KD of the Champion as an added fillip for the viewer or if it had been a one sided quick blow out ?
Gun Boat Smith who sparred with both Ketchel and Johnson for the fight and was ringside stated in a taped interview that the fight was fixed,and that Johnson faked the KD.
Personally I think Ketchel was trying for all he was worth ,and that Johnson was carrying him to prolong the fight and increase the value of the films of it.
You must make up your own mind.

 

I was under the impression that the fight was fixed but Ketchel double crossed Johnson. Ketchel was a nutter so it's not surprising.Didn't end well though with his teeth stuck in Johnson's glove .I love that photo says it all .

 

Long ago I believed it was on the level and a legitimate Kd. It was actually a few posters on here that pointed a few things out about it, the way Jack fell etc. I'm now of the opinion that Johnson threw himself down, making the fight a little more "Tasty".

 

So, if Johnson wasn’t hurt by Ketchel and faked the knockdown, then how do we explain him laying Ketchel out 4 seconds later?
The knockout appears to be legit especially as a couple of Ketchel’s teeth were embedded in Johnson’s glove.

 

The knockout of Ketchel has never been questioned for its authenticity.
Why would one necessarily beat odds with the other?

 

I think Cecil is referring to the timing of the brutal knockout. It's as if Johnson was surprised by the Ketchel kd and answered quickly and with a vengeance. As to Johnson carrying Ketchel, well that is plainly obvious. And perhaps it was for the reason McVey postulates.

john

 

Mendoza ,the chief Johnson hater here, says Johnson is standing with his hand on the ropes to steady himself after koin'g Ketchel.Have you ever heard anything more absurd?

 

I think it was legit.
I think he tried to roll with the punch, it caught him anyway and put him down.

I don't see him feigning it, just to get up and lay out such an absolutely savage KO as part of an act.

 

Well, Mendoza's hatred of Johnson borders on completely irrational. I just can't take him seriously when it comes to Jack Johnson.

 

What I’m really questioning is was this a real fight or staged?
If the fight was staged and Johnson went down for effect, why would he suddenly get up and lay Ketchel out?
On the other hand was the fight simply a mismatch in which Johnson decided to carry Ketchel suffer the indignity of a knockdown then just decide to take him out?

 

It was a real fight Johnson had told his friends to bet on a stoppage win for him before the 15th round .
imo Johnson carried Ketchel to give the fans a show and to increase the financial viability of the movies of the fight.
I believe Ketchel was doing his best to take Johnson's head off from the get go.

 

The whole "teeth in glove" thing is an urban legend. Johnson was wiping dirt of his gloves, that's all. There are no photos of Ketchel showing
missing teeth.

 

This is the true story, IMO. The video CLEARLY shows a Ketchel punch landing on Johnson. This wasn't a WWE wrestling match with fake punches. Certainly Johnson carried SK, and there was no way SK was going to win the fight without throwing what was basically a sucker punch because they had both agreed to a distance, UD fight.

 

I’ve always felt Johnson carried him for the value of the film rights but when dropped he was pissed and happened to catch the equally surprised and wild Ketchel in dramatic fashion. Great quality film btw.