Jack Johnson
"None.
Jack Johnson was not from Australia"
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- Birth Name: Contribute
- Birth Place: Contribute
- Born: Contribute
- Died: Contribute
- Age: Contribute
- Height: 6′ 0½″
- Weight: Contribute
- Reach: 78″
- Stance: Contribute
- Pro Debut: May 10, 1935
- Nationality: Australia
- Status: Inactive
- Manager: Contribute
- Promoter: Contribute
- Total Bouts: 85
- Total Rounds: 649
Jack Johnson, also known as the "Galveston Giant," was an American boxer who became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion during the height of the Jim Crow era. With a professional boxing career that spanned over 33 years, from 1897 to 1931, Johnson left a lasting impact on the sport of boxing and U.S. culture.
Born on March 31, 1878, in Galveston, Texas, Jack Johnson entered the boxing world in 1897 at the age of 19. He won his first professional bout against Charley Brooks via 2nd round KO and went on to win his next two fights, both by stoppage. Johnson quickly made a name for himself, winning 11 of his first 13 professional fights by knockout.
Over the course of his career, Johnson had a total of 93 fights, winning 69, losing 11, drawing 10, and having 3 no-contests. He won 33 fights via knockout, but never won a world title or defended one. His notable victories include wins over seven Hall-of-Famers, James J. Jeffries, Stanley Ketchel, Tommy Burns, Bob Fitzsimmons, Joe Jeanette, Sam Langford, and Sam McVey, as well as Denver Ed Martin, Joe Butler, Klondike Haynes, Frank Childs, and Sandy Ferguson.
Johnson's record-breaking 1910 fight against James J. Jeffries was dubbed the "fight of the century." Johnson's victory in this fight was seen as a symbolic triumph over white supremacy, as Jeffries was previously known as the "Great White Hope" and had retired as the unbeaten heavyweight champion of the world.
While Jack Johnson's triumphs in the boxing ring were significant, his personal life and controversial behavior also made headlines. Johnson's relationships with white women and his extravagant lifestyle were looked down upon by the African-American community and society at large.
In 1912, Johnson opened a "black and tan" (desegregated) nightclub called Cafe de Champion, which was operated in part by his white wife. His relationships with white women and his ownership of the nightclub drew scrutiny from the government, and Johnson was eventually arrested and charged with violating the Mann Act, which forbade one to transport a woman across state lines for "immoral purposes." He was sentenced to a year in prison and fled the country to fight boxing matches abroad for seven years until serving his sentence at the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth.
Jack Johnson was married three times, all to white women. In 1911, Johnson married Etta Duryea, a Brooklyn socialite, but their tumultuous relationship led to his infidelity and abuse. Duryea attempted suicide twice before fatally shooting herself in 1912. Johnson then married Lucille Cameron in 1912, but their relationship was also fraught with infidelity and eventually ended in divorce. Johnson's final marriage was to Irene Pineau in 1925, and they remained together until his death in 1946.
After his boxing career, Johnson continued to take paying fights and earned significant sums endorsing various products. He owned several expensive hobbies, such as automobile racing and tailored clothing, as well as purchasing jewelry and furs for his wives. Johnson died in a car crash in 1946 at the age of 68.
With his impact on boxing, U.S. culture, and the fight for racial equality, Jack Johnson remains a prominent figure in history. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 and pardoned by U.S. president Donald Trump in 2018. His story serves as a reminder of the progress made in the fight for racial equality and the work that still needs to be done.
Jack Johnson Fight Record
# | Date | Age | Opponent | Result | Via |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
93 | Apr 28, 1931 | 53 | Brad Simmons | Win | KO2 |
92 | Mar 4, 1931 | 52 | Brad Simmons | Loss | PTS |
91 | Jul 19, 1928 | 50 | Rough House Wilson | Win | DQ |
90 | May 15, 1928 | 50 | Bill Hartwell | Loss | RTD6 |
89 | Apr 16, 1928 | 50 | Bearcat Wright | Loss | KO5 |
88 | Sep 6, 1926 | 48 | Brad Simmons | Loss | PTS |
87 | May 30, 1926 | 48 | Bob Lawson | Loss | RTD7 |
86 | May 2, 1926 | 48 | Pat Lester | Win | PTS |
85 | Feb 22, 1924 | 45 | Homer Smith | Win | PTS |
84 | May 20, 1923 | 45 | Jack Thompson | Win | NWS |
83 | May 6, 1923 | 45 | Farmer Lodge | Win | KO4 |
82 | May 17, 1920 | 42 | George Roberts | Win | KO3 |
81 | Apr 18, 1920 | 42 | Bob Wilson | Win | KO3 |
80 | Sep 28, 1919 | 41 | Marty Cutler | Win | KO6 |
79 | Aug 10, 1919 | 41 | Tom Cowler | Win | PTS |
78 | Jun 22, 1919 | 41 | Bob Roper | Win | PTS |
77 | Feb 12, 1919 | 40 | Bill Flint | Win | KO2 |
76 | Feb 5, 1918 | 39 | Blink McCloskey | Win | RTD6 |
75 | Apr 23, 1916 | 38 | Arthur Cravan | Win | KO6 |
74 | Mar 23, 1916 | 37 | Frank Crozier | Win | TKO7 |
73 | Apr 5, 1915 | 37 | Jess Willard | Loss | KO26 |
72 | Jan 10, 1915 | 36 | Jack Murray | Win | KO3 |
71 | Jun 27, 1914 | 36 | Frank Moran | Win | PTS |
70 | Dec 19, 1913 | 35 | Battling Jim Johnson | Draw | PTS |
69 | Jul 4, 1912 | 34 | Fireman Jim Flynn | Win | DQ |
68 | Jul 4, 1910 | 32 | James J. Jeffries | Win | TKO15 |
67 | Oct 16, 1909 | 31 | Stanley Ketchel | Win | KO12 |
66 | Sep 9, 1909 | 31 | Al Kaufman | Win | NWS |
65 | Jun 30, 1909 | 31 | Tony Ross | Win | NWS |
64 | May 19, 1909 | 31 | Philadelphia Jack O'Brien | Draw | NWS |
63 | Dec 26, 1908 | 30 | Tommy Burns | Win | PTS |
62 | Jul 31, 1908 | 30 | Ben Taylor | Win | TKO8 |
61 | Sep 12, 1907 | 29 | Sailor Burke | Win | NWS |
60 | Aug 28, 1907 | 29 | Charles Cutler | Win | KO1 |
59 | Jul 17, 1907 | 29 | Bob Fitzsimmons | Win | KO2 |
58 | Mar 4, 1907 | 28 | Bill Lang | Win | TKO9 |
57 | Feb 19, 1907 | 28 | Peter Felix | Win | KO1 |
56 | Nov 26, 1906 | 28 | Joe Jeanette | Draw | NWS |
55 | Nov 8, 1906 | 28 | Jim Jeffords | Win | NWS |
54 | Sep 20, 1906 | 28 | Joe Jeanette | Win | NWS |
53 | Sep 3, 1906 | 28 | Billy Dunning | Draw | NWS |
52 | Jun 16, 1906 | 28 | Charlie Haghey | Win | KO2 |
51 | Apr 26, 1906 | 28 | Sam Langford | Win | PTS |
50 | Apr 17, 1906 | 28 | Jim McCormick | Win | DQ |
49 | Apr 16, 1906 | 28 | Black Bill | Win | KO7 |
48 | Mar 14, 1906 | 27 | Joe Jeanette | Win | PTS |
47 | Jan 16, 1906 | 27 | Joe Jeanette | Win | NWS |
46 | Dec 2, 1905 | 27 | Joe Jeanette | Win | NWS |
45 | Dec 1, 1905 | 27 | Young Peter Jackson | Win | NWS |
44 | Nov 25, 1905 | 27 | Joe Jeanette | Loss | DQ |
43 | Jul 24, 1905 | 27 | Joe Grim | Win | NWS |
42 | Jul 18, 1905 | 27 | Sandy Ferguson | Win | DQ |
41 | Jul 13, 1905 | 27 | Morris Harris | Win | KO1 |
40 | Jul 13, 1905 | 27 | Black Bill | Win | NWS |
39 | Jun 26, 1905 | 27 | Jack Munroe | Win | NWS |
38 | May 9, 1905 | 27 | Walter Johnson | Win | KO3 |
37 | May 9, 1905 | 27 | Joe Jeanette | Win | NWS |
36 | May 2, 1905 | 27 | Black Bill | Win | TKO4 |
35 | Apr 25, 1905 | 27 | Jim Jeffords | Win | KO4 |
34 | Mar 28, 1905 | 26 | Marvin Hart | Loss | PTS |
33 | Oct 10, 1904 | 26 | Denver Ed Martin | Win | KO2 |
32 | Jun 2, 1904 | 26 | Frank Childs | Win | PTS |
31 | Apr 22, 1904 | 26 | Sam McVey | Win | KO20 |
30 | Feb 15, 1904 | 25 | Black Bill | Win | NWS |
29 | Feb 6, 1904 | 25 | Sandy Ferguson | NC | NC |
28 | Dec 11, 1903 | 25 | Sandy Ferguson | Win | PTS |
27 | Oct 27, 1903 | 25 | Sam McVey | Win | PTS |
26 | Jul 31, 1903 | 25 | Sandy Ferguson | Win | NWS |
25 | May 11, 1903 | 25 | Joe Butler | Win | KO3 |
24 | Apr 16, 1903 | 25 | Sandy Ferguson | Win | PTS |
23 | Feb 26, 1903 | 24 | Sam McVey | Win | PTS |
22 | Feb 5, 1903 | 24 | Denver Ed Martin | Win | PTS |
21 | Dec 4, 1902 | 24 | Fred Russell | Win | DQ |
20 | Oct 31, 1902 | 24 | George Gardiner | Win | PTS |
19 | Oct 21, 1902 | 24 | Frank Childs | Win | TKO12 |
18 | Jun 20, 1902 | 24 | Hank Griffin | Draw | PTS |
17 | May 16, 1902 | 24 | Jack Jeffries | Win | KO5 |
16 | Mar 7, 1902 | 23 | Joe Kennedy | Win | KO4 |
15 | Dec 27, 1901 | 23 | Hank Griffin | Draw | PTS |
14 | Nov 4, 1901 | 23 | Hank Griffin | Loss | PTS |
13 | Aug 14, 1901 | 23 | Mexican Pete Everett | Draw | PTS |
12 | Apr 26, 1901 | 23 | Billy Stift | Draw | PTS |
11 | Feb 25, 1901 | 22 | Joe Choynski | Loss | KO3 |
10 | Jan 14, 1901 | 22 | Jim Scanlon | Draw | PTS |
9 | Dec 27, 1900 | 22 | Klondike Haynes | Win | TKO4 |
8 | Jun 25, 1900 | 22 | Klondike Haynes | Draw | PTS |
7 | Apr 20, 1900 | 22 | Jim McCormick | Win | DQ |
6 | Apr 9, 1900 | 22 | William McNeill | NC | ND |
5 | Mar 21, 1900 | 21 | Jim McCormick | NC | ND |
4 | May 6, 1899 | 21 | Klondike Haynes | Loss | TKO5 |
3 | Jul 24, 1898 | 20 | Cherokee | Win | KO2 |
2 | Nov 20, 1897 | 19 | Ed Johnson | Win | KO5 |
1 | Nov 1, 1897 | 19 | Charley Brooks | Win | KO2 |