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THE FIRST BLACK BOXING WORLD CHAMPION BROKE ALL THE RULES
Born in 1878 in Galveston, United States, John Arthur Johnson was the son of two former slaves. When he left school he was constantly changing jobs until he met Walter Lewis, a carriage painter, who took him on as...
Born in 1878 in Galveston, United States, John Arthur Johnson was the son of two former slaves. When he left school he was constantly changing jobs until he met Walter Lewis, a carriage painter, who took him on as...
his apprentice. Lewis loved boxing and this rubbed off on Johnson who found a love for the sport. It was his chance meeting with Lewis that helped pave the way for him to become heavyweight champion of the world..
Johnson later moved to New York for more work and once he had saved up enough money he bought himself some boxing gloves and started sparring whenever he could. He then got into prize fighting and made his professional debut in 1898. In 1901 he fought Joe Choynski who...
knocked him out in the third round, but because prize fighting was illegal they were both arrested. Whilst in the cells they sparred together and Choynski taught Johnson defensive skills which helped him massively. They were set free once their bails were paid..
Johnson began improving with the more fights he had until he eventually got a shot at the heavyweight title in 1908; the fight was against Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia. Johnson stopped Burns in the fourteenth round to become heavyweight champion of the world...
But as he rose to stardom he became a target for white people who hated and envied his success. They disapproved of his relationships with white women and his lavish lifestyle. In 1912 he opened a desegragated restaurant/nightclub that encouraged all colours to socialise together
But in that year he was convicted of taking a white woman over state lines for so-called "immoral purposes". Johnson fled the country for seven years taking fights along the way before returning and being sent to prison. When he got out he carried on boxing professionally...
until he was 50. In 1946 he died in a car crash and 72 years later he was posthumously pardoned for his crime by Donald Trump.
During his career Johnson fought around 95 times winning 70, losing 11, drawing 11, with 3 no contests. Whilst champion he fought James Jeffries...
During his career Johnson fought around 95 times winning 70, losing 11, drawing 11, with 3 no contests. Whilst champion he fought James Jeffries...
who was seen as the "Great White Hope" to topple Johnson's reign. In the "Fight of the Century" Johnson beat Jeffries by a late stoppage. So confident was he in his day that he would often grab his opponents to stop them going down so they could recover for further punishment...
and because of his slick defensive skills he remained champion for seven years. He was born John Arthur Johnson, but he is better known as Jack Johnson "the Galveston Giant", a man who transcended boxing and the first African-American heavyweight champion of the world.
