Why did Jack Johnson draw the color line?

Johnson had to travel to fight .. ti Australia for Burns .. post Jeffries to avoid arrest and make a living as well ...

Styles making fights Jeffries likely had a better shot defeating Langford than the post 1912 Johnson did because of his huge size, solid chin and jab .. keeping in mind tis was the 1915 version and not the rusty as hell 1919 version Dempsey slaughtered ..

 

This content is protected

 

People don't realize that Johnson almost had a nervous breakdown following the Jeffries fight between the ramifications of the bout and the start of the legal troubles .. the man carried a ton of baggage ..

 

Because he did not want to risk losing his title. Jeannette said it best. When Jack became champion he forgot his old friends, and drew the color line against his own people.

As it was Johnson was lucky not to lose his title vs O'Brien or Jim Battling Johnson as both fights were close.

Johnson's title run is a sham. Worst of any tenured champion by far with uneven results, and a clear avoidance of the best 4-5 talented people out there.

 

Seldom told story. Johnson had trouble coming out of the dressing room to face Jeffries. Some say it had something to due with money, Or he could have been nervous. Jeffries old trainer Delaney was in Johnson's corner for the fight.

 

Money Money Money.

Fighting another coloured boxer would not have made much money.

Johnson liked to be the 'bad man' regarding his colour against the 'whitey'.

 

Last I checked Jim Johnson wasn't white right?

 

Indeed he wasn't, but likewise he was a journeyman, who lost (including newspaper decisions) more bouts than he won, the fight was taken after various boxing bodies were withdrawing recognition of Jack as champion, partly because of his criminal conviction and partly because he would not face the likes of Langford or Jeanette. So the bout with 'Battling' Jim was hastily made, whilst Jack was a fugitive in Paris, which was a draw, reports being Jack walked away with only a thousand dollars.

So yes Jack fought a coloured fighter for the title, but only a poor journeyman, under duress as a fugitive and made little money from it. Bout was viewed by many as virtually only a exhibition bout.

 

I think the same reason Dempsey did not fight Wills the reward was less than the risk

Johnson should have given another brother a shot to make a few bucks but my guess is the fight would not draw, but I may be wrong,,,,true fight fans like fights...FOTC was 2 blacks and Ali made the poor Slave kin Frazier the Uncle Tom while Ali (who had white blood on both sides) was the Black guy....Johnson had his shtick but could or should have been creative like Ali and sold a same race fight to the public using good negro vs bad negro

 

It is most likely that A world heavyweight bout between Jack Dempsey and Harry Wills would have drawn a million-dollar gate during the period from 1921 to 1926. After all, the bout between Wills and Luis Firpo reportedly had a net gate of a little over $420,000 during 1924. I don't think that Gene Tunney had a bout which came close to drawing a comparable gate before he fought Jack Dempsey.

- Chuck Johnston