Would Liston have intimidated Jack Johnson !?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Fergy, Feb 6, 2018.


  1. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

    97,724
    29,076
    Jun 2, 2006
    Mendoza is positively unhinged on the subject of Jack Johnson.
    Johnson chased Jeffries for a title shot for years he turned up at his fights and challenged him.In the ring prior to the fight Johnson can be seen waving and talking to people, and grinning at the crowd.
    I dont think either Jack or Sonny would be intimidated by the other.
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2018
  2. HerolGee

    HerolGee Loyal Member banned Full Member

    41,974
    4,029
    Sep 22, 2010
    u think?
     
  3. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

    97,724
    29,076
    Jun 2, 2006
    Johnson gave a lecture to a KKK meeting,openly defied white supremacists and did things his way.I don't think any man would be capable of intimidating him.
     
    Russell, reznick, BCS8 and 1 other person like this.
  4. Glass City Cobra

    Glass City Cobra H2H Burger King

    10,595
    18,172
    Jan 6, 2017
    This is a good point.

    A black man who trolls klan members, humiliates white opponents, and dates white women in a segregated racist society where he could have been lynched wouldnt have been intimidated by liston.

    More likely, liston does his glare, johnson smiles and says sonething cute, and a brawl breaks out at the press conference. Liston had a short fuse, he slapped ali in the face for allegedly messing up his hand in a card game. Neither johnson nor liston would be able to stomach someons publicly humilating them. Itsd be a clash of personalities.
     
    mcvey and BCS8 like this.
  5. JackSilver

    JackSilver Boxing Addict Full Member

    5,048
    4,863
    Jun 24, 2017
    You talking about Liston quitting on his stool against Clay?
     
  6. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

    29,541
    36,104
    Jan 8, 2017
    That just confirmed my view McVey. The man had balls of steel .
     
    mcvey likes this.
  7. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

    29,541
    36,104
    Jan 8, 2017
    That's defiantly the impression I had reading about Jack. He happily stepped in the Ring with Jeffries.
     
    mcvey likes this.
  8. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,577
    27,222
    Feb 15, 2006
    I always felt that the best intimidators took a more subtle approach.
     
    mcvey likes this.
  9. JackSilver

    JackSilver Boxing Addict Full Member

    5,048
    4,863
    Jun 24, 2017
    No black man could intimidate Johnson in the ring. Maybe if it was a matchup with a white boxer that the prime Johnson genuinely believed had a real chance of beating him or really hurt him, it would have been a different story?
     
  10. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

    29,541
    36,104
    Jan 8, 2017
    I don't think it would have made any difference at all with Johnson ..black or white. The man had such self belief' and confidence , at least that's the conclusion I've come to reading about him .
     
    mcvey and BCS8 like this.
  11. BCS8

    BCS8 VIP Member

    60,639
    80,894
    Aug 21, 2012
    Yep. In Dempsey's book he painted a good picture of just how scary Willard was before they fought. In some men that will have them cowering and trying to find a way out. In other men like Dempsey, I think it breeds a kind of ferocious desperation, like a cornered wildcat, and woe betide whatever is in their way.
     
    mcvey likes this.
  12. BCS8

    BCS8 VIP Member

    60,639
    80,894
    Aug 21, 2012
    This.
     
    Fergy likes this.
  13. JWSoats

    JWSoats Active Member Full Member

    1,457
    983
    Apr 26, 2011
    I agree. In his autobiography Johnson tells of his 15-round points win over Pat Lester in 1926 and of his issuing a challenge to then-champion Jack Dempsey, saying that he would eagerly step into the ring with him. And after Dempsey had been dethroned by Tunney, Johnson expressed a desire to fight him. A while ago a poster wrote that he believed that if Johnson were still alive at age 130+ he would be challenging he likes of Lennox Lewis and the Klitschkos - no doubt an exaggeration, but probably not that much of one.
     
    Fergy and mcvey like this.
  14. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

    13,316
    11,708
    Mar 19, 2012
    I don't think Jack Johnson was scared of anything.
     
    mcvey likes this.
  15. reznick

    reznick In the 7.2% Full Member

    15,903
    7,636
    Mar 17, 2010
    No.

    Johnson would respect the challenge in front of him.
    And he would respect the danger of the opponent.

    But he wouldn't be intimidated.
     
    louis54 and mcvey like this.