Hank Griffin. Here is Johnson talking about Griffin going into his fight with Jeffries. One of the hardest battles and one which I consider of the best in my career in the prize ring, I fought against Hank Griffen, a colored man, at Oakland, Cal., in 1902. He went 15 rounds, the decision going to me. Griffen was a man about six feet four inches in height, and at that time he had the longest reach of any man in the boxing game. If he were fighting today he would outreach any man in the business. This same Griffen fought Jim Jeffries 17 rounds of hard milling, and afterward Jeffries acknowledged that if it had not been for Billy Gallagher, Griffen might have been hailed the winner. Griffen had an awkward punch and one that carried plenty of steam with it. It would puzzle the best of them to get away from that punch, and combined with Griffen's ability to take punishment and keep fighting, made him a dangerous man for any fighter to ****** with. "In that fight Griffen and I fought toe to toe, give and take, and I want to say right here that I had to travel my best to win. I did not knock out Griffen, but was declared the winner. In this fight I was able to avoid that punch of Griffen's which had bothered me so much in the first fight. At that time I was not as well developed, nor did I have the physique I now have, and it is probable that men who in the earlier days gave me considerable trouble would not bother me so much now. Among the battles I have on my record is one with Jack Jeffries, brother o fthe man I am now signed to fight. I beat Jack Jeffries just the same as I intend to beat Jim Jeffries when we meet. This content is protected
Cool find. Johnson is a reliable exaggerater when he is not being an outright liar. Griffen (sic) was listed in most sources as 6-1, not 6-4. No mention that Jeffries later easily handled Griffin over 4, KD'ing at least 3 times in the effort. He was a hard puncher, tho. No doubt about that.
This source would have been a prime candidate to go into Mendoza's debate-relevant Johnson scrapbook.
