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100 years ago on 4th of July. Fight of the century.
Yes. It was the first fight billed as The Fight of the Century. Between champion Jack Johnson and former champion who retired undefeated James J. Jeffries. Jeffries was 37. 6 years into his retirement. Urged by the white public he made a comeback.
Tomorrow it's 100 years ago.
Here's Jeff training for Johnson:
The fight was scheduled for the marathon distance of 45 rounds which basically is a fight to the finish.
Here's a nice vid:
In the end Jeffries was no match for Johnson who completely dominated the fight.
An excerpt from The Daily Standard from July 5th 1910 describes the end like this:
Tomorrow it's 100 years ago.
Here's Jeff training for Johnson:
The fight was scheduled for the marathon distance of 45 rounds which basically is a fight to the finish.
Here's a nice vid:
In the end Jeffries was no match for Johnson who completely dominated the fight.
An excerpt from The Daily Standard from July 5th 1910 describes the end like this:
..... Johnson proved himself so absolutely Jeffries master that experts
such as w Corbett the Australian writer and sporting expert declared
that Tommy Burns had put up a better fight against Johnson and that
the black man was only playing with the other one.
The end was sudden and terrible.
It looked as bough Johnson had been holding himself under cover all the rest of the time and when he had measured Jeffries In all his weakness, he had determined to stop it quick. Jeffries had lost tho power of defense.
A series of right and left uppercuts delivered at will sent him staggering to the ropes. He turned and fell back Instinctively and because he was dying hard. With the exception of a few fast rounds the fight was tame. Jeffries did not have the power In his punch to hurt Johnson after he had received blow after blow on the Jaw and his vital power was ebbing. But even before this
stage came Jeffries could not reach the black. His blows nearly always landed with nearly all the speed taken out of them. It was like hitting a punching bag.
The Jeffries crouch was in evidence at times but during most of the fight Jeffries fought standing straight and working with something of his old aggressiveness.
End Was Sudden
The fifteenth round started with a clinch after Jeffries had failed to land on the body Johnson then tore loose and before the spectators were prepared for the finish he had sent Jeffries down with lightning left and right blows to the Jaw. Jeffries reeled and fell half way through the ropes on the west side of the ring. Those under him saw that he had lost his sense of surroundings and that the faces at the ringside were a blur to him. His time had come. He was feeling what he had caused others to feel in tho days of his youth and power.
Johnson came over to the spot and stood posed over his adversary his
body ready for a left hook If Jeffries regained his feet.
Corbett Pleads With Johnson
Jim Corbett who twice had gone down before Jeffries blows and who had stood In Jeffries corner all during this fight telling Johnson what a fool he was; that he was In for the beating of his life now ran forward with outstretched arms saying "Oh dont Jack dont hit him".
Jeff painfully raised himself to his feet. His Jaw had dropped. His eyes were nearly shut and his face was covered with blood. With trembling legs and shielding arms he tried to put up a defence but he could not stop a terrific right smash in the Jaw followed by two left hooks. He went down again. Jeffries physician and other friends Jumped Into the ring......
such as w Corbett the Australian writer and sporting expert declared
that Tommy Burns had put up a better fight against Johnson and that
the black man was only playing with the other one.
The end was sudden and terrible.
It looked as bough Johnson had been holding himself under cover all the rest of the time and when he had measured Jeffries In all his weakness, he had determined to stop it quick. Jeffries had lost tho power of defense.
A series of right and left uppercuts delivered at will sent him staggering to the ropes. He turned and fell back Instinctively and because he was dying hard. With the exception of a few fast rounds the fight was tame. Jeffries did not have the power In his punch to hurt Johnson after he had received blow after blow on the Jaw and his vital power was ebbing. But even before this
stage came Jeffries could not reach the black. His blows nearly always landed with nearly all the speed taken out of them. It was like hitting a punching bag.
The Jeffries crouch was in evidence at times but during most of the fight Jeffries fought standing straight and working with something of his old aggressiveness.
End Was Sudden
The fifteenth round started with a clinch after Jeffries had failed to land on the body Johnson then tore loose and before the spectators were prepared for the finish he had sent Jeffries down with lightning left and right blows to the Jaw. Jeffries reeled and fell half way through the ropes on the west side of the ring. Those under him saw that he had lost his sense of surroundings and that the faces at the ringside were a blur to him. His time had come. He was feeling what he had caused others to feel in tho days of his youth and power.
Johnson came over to the spot and stood posed over his adversary his
body ready for a left hook If Jeffries regained his feet.
Corbett Pleads With Johnson
Jim Corbett who twice had gone down before Jeffries blows and who had stood In Jeffries corner all during this fight telling Johnson what a fool he was; that he was In for the beating of his life now ran forward with outstretched arms saying "Oh dont Jack dont hit him".
Jeff painfully raised himself to his feet. His Jaw had dropped. His eyes were nearly shut and his face was covered with blood. With trembling legs and shielding arms he tried to put up a defence but he could not stop a terrific right smash in the Jaw followed by two left hooks. He went down again. Jeffries physician and other friends Jumped Into the ring......
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