When was the first time a champion got stripped for refusing to fight someone?

Actually I think the wording in why Johnson was stripped was due to inactivity, not specifically for not fighting Langford. Id have to double check this. They stripped Johnson in France and set up the Langford-Jeanette match as being for the vacant title. Johnson trumped them by fighting Jim Johnson the night before Langford and Jeanette fought and basically rendered the ruling moot.

 

I think they did, eventually, to save face and credibility because like I said johnson beat them to the punch with his defense against jim johnson making their actions pointless.

 

Freddie Steele was stripped of partial recognition of his MW title for failing to give Apostoli a shot after Apostoli had KO'd him in a non-title fight.

 

Jack Johnson who was operating in France was in fact striped of his title for a dubious draw with Battling Jim Johnson, and failing to fight Jeanette/Langford. I believe the year was 1913. This is the first time I recall a champion being stripped of his title.

 

Johnson was stripped of his title by the French Boxing Federation ,for his refusal to fight Langford, and the fact that he had been sentenced to prison in the US.This was BEFORE the fight with Jim Johnson. You are wrong once again.
ps Striped?
It was Johnson who did the striping when he met Langford.

1913-12-20Joe Jeannette

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Luna Park Arena, Paris, Paris, FranceWPTS2020
referee: Franz Reichel
World Heavyweight Title,
as recognized by the French Boxing Federation which had stripped Jack Johnson (and which shortly after stripped Langford)

It's interesting that Mendoza disparages Jack Johnson for drawing with Battling Jim Johnson ,when Jack had a broken arm and was 35 years old.
Yet never comments on the fact that 2 years later, in 1915 ,Langford also drew with Battling Jim ,Langford was 31 ,and did NOT have a broken arm.
It's also interesting that the French Federation stripped Langford shortly afterwards.