Boxer, Jack Johnson Won His First Title On February 3, 1903, Beating "Denver" Ed Martin Over 20 Rounds For The World Colored Heavyweight Championship. His Efforts To Win The Full Title Were Blocked, As Then World Heavyweight Champion James J. Jeffries, Refused To Face Him.
Johnson Eventually Won The Heavyweight Title After Defeating Tommy Burns In Sydney, Australia On December 26, 1908, In Front Of 20,000 Spectator.. The Bout Went 14 Rounds. The Referee Stopped The Fight After 14 Rounds And Awarded Johnson A TKO Decision.
On July 4, 1910, A Boxing Match Billed As "The Fight Of The Century," Took Place Heavyweight Champion, Jack Johnson And White Challenger, James J. Jeffries, In Reno, Nevada. Jeffries Came Out Of Retirement As "The Great White Hope," To Take Down The World's First Black Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Whites Generally Believed That A World Boxing Championship Was Too Prestigious A Prize For A Black Man To Hold.
Johnson Knocked Jeffries Out In The 15th Round Of The Fight And Retained His Championship. White America Was Outraged While Black America Celebrated The Victory. This Led To A Backlash Of White-On-Black Rioting, In Which 11 African Americans Were Killed.
Jack Johnson Highlights
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
