What did that mean in the old days? Was it just any fighter who was defensive minded? You see old clips and it's mostly slugfests, little defense or guard. Was that to stop being labelled as 'yella'. I know Johnson got it from his detractors.
It meant cowardly. Old slugfests were not simply to prevent being called yellow, although I dont doubt some fighters felt that way. Fighting was a form of entertainment and if a fighter didnt give the fans their moneys worth i.e. by fighting then they often would not get paid, would be judged the loser, or would be thrown out of the ring and banned. So fighters were encouraged to get in their and try to prove their metal. Its a damn shame the sport isnt like this anymore.
You are talking apples and oranges. Nobody ever said a fight couldnt be exciting and go to a decision. The two arent mutually exclusive. But "stalling" as it was often called, laying back and waiting or trying to run out the clock a la Mayweather or DLH against Trinidad OFTEN got a fighter thrown out of the ring and his purse withheld in that era. You were expected to give the fans a show, not fight to survive. Gene Tunney, widely considered one of the greatest boxers in history, was twice fined and banned in PA for two unsatisfactory listless fights where refused to press and engage his opponent or even sit down on his punches. I could give dozens and dozens of other examples.
Are you referring to Dempsey having a yellow streak for ducking Wills? Im assuming thats what you are talking about since that is a perfect example.
often a code for racism back n the day. I wouldn't be surprised if it led all the way back to racism against Chinese in America in the 18th/19th century, considering what an evil ultra proto-Nazi satanic pit of hell of a country the place was back then.
By that definition, Jack Johnson fits. Many of his fights were loudly booed due to lack of action. Some of them were so bad, people wanted their money back.
LOL and everybody was really judgemental. Actually, yellow has represented ignoble Acts dating back to antiquity. Passion plays often depict the Judas as wearing yellow.
,,,yellow streak does mean cowardly... the notoriously racist jack london wrote "johnson did not show the yellow streak" after the jeffries fight, which london had to admit, although he thought, as a black man, he would.
Ah many alts/Klompton/Rocky Valdez/lord tywin for a person who hides under different alts that is the perfect example of a yellow streak, always runs and hides if you catch him on a point. :!: