The Bout. How the colour line was broken in Texas.

**travestyny** · 03-04-2021, 08:42 AM

Fantastic story! Thanks for sharing!!!

**JAB5239** · 03-04-2021, 09:42 AM

Great article!!!

**billeau2** · 03-04-2021, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by Citizen Koba

This showed up in my feed and I thought some of you might find it of interest: The story of the fight - and the legal battle - that broke down boxing's colour line in Texas

https://medium.com/truly-adventurous...t-2f3aff03a3be

Audio version included for those who prefer it

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Great read, thanks CK

**QueensburyRules** · 03-04-2021, 09:45 PM

- -JJOHNSON was fighting white fighters at the turn of the 20th century as some of the earliest recorded Texas fights. What is this, some kinda pink cotton candy glee club?

**Citizen Koba** · 03-05-2021, 03:42 AM

Originally posted by QueensburyRules

- -JJOHNSON was fighting white fighters at the turn of the 20th century as some of the earliest recorded Texas fights. What is this, some kinda pink cotton candy glee club?

Black vs White prizefights in Texas were banned in 1933 at the same time as legally sanctioned prizefighting returned to the state after a 38 year absence.Basically they let guys fight for money again but simultaneously drew a colour line. Did you not read the article? Johnson's mentioned in it too FWIW:

The pre-history of Maverick’s bill went back to February 25, 1901 in Galveston’s Harmony Hall, when a white veteran fighter from California named Joe Choynski slammed a right hand into the face of a young black Galveston fighter in the third round. Knocked cold, the young fighter fell into the arms of Choynski before hitting the floor. The young fighter was Jack Johnson, who in seven years would become boxing’s first black heavyweight champion of the world and one of the sport’s most gifted fighters in its history.

Texas Rangers arrested Choynski and Johnson for fighting not because theirs was an interracial prize fight but because it was a prize fight with money on the line, which was illegal in Texas. The two men were jailed for three weeks and sparred every day in prison, often before an audience, with Johnson playing student to Choynski’s teacher. Upon their release, they left Galveston.

Not quite sure what you mean by the bolded, you maybe want to expound on that a little?

**QueensburyRules** · 03-05-2021, 04:42 AM

- -My quote function MIA in the new BS under haul, but for some reason only known to Texas legislators, even though Texas history is steeped in violence more so than any other state because we had to win Independence to establish ourself as a nation before becoming a state, boxing has always been an enemy in Texas. Could be seeing two men stripped down engaged in a fight was too much for the invading Puritans who took over the state functions. In 1896 Fitz and Peter Maher were run outta El Paso by the state and the Mexican govt who in no way wanted an army of wastrels invading their their border. There were dozens of Texas Rangers and Militias with shoot to kill orders and over a thousand Mex Soldiers with the same orders. Net result was Judge And Texas Legend Roy Bean surreptitiously built a Ring on a No Mans spit Island in the Rio Grande where the first attempt to film a full length feature, in this case the then disputed heavy title by Thomas Edison failed because because slap dash way the bout came off and the 1 minute it took Fitz to knock Maher stiff. Dan Stuart the well to do Dallas promoter then moved to Carson City, Nevada where the only guns present were in the Corners of Fitz and Corbett and the spectators. Boxing still in disrepute, but now Texas makes money off them even if Texas has the worst ref for big fights in boxing history, Laurence Cole. Your story is a good one, but the title is misleading because of the outlaw nature of boxing and overall incompetence of not just Texas Legislators throughout history. The people have always been integrated though not exclusively so...

**Citizen Koba** · 03-05-2021, 11:49 AM

Originally posted by QueensburyRules

- -My quote function MIA in the new BS under haul, but for some reason only known to Texas legislators, even though Texas history is steeped in violence more so than any other state because we had to win Independence to establish ourself as a nation before becoming a state, boxing has always been an enemy in Texas. Could be seeing two men stripped down engaged in a fight was too much for the invading Puritans who took over the state functions. In 1896 Fitz and Peter Maher were run outta El Paso by the state and the Mexican govt who in no way wanted an army of wastrels invading their their border. There were dozens of Texas Rangers and Militias with shoot to kill orders and over a thousand Mex Soldiers with the same orders. Net result was Judge And Texas Legend Roy Bean surreptitiously built a Ring on a No Mans spit Island in the Rio Grande where the first attempt to film a full length feature, in this case the then disputed heavy title by Thomas Edison failed because because slap dash way the bout came off and the 1 minute it took Fitz to knock Maher stiff. Dan Stuart the well to do Dallas promoter then moved to Carson City, Nevada where the only guns present were in the Corners of Fitz and Corbett and the spectators. Boxing still in disrepute, but now Texas makes money off them even if Texas has the worst ref for big fights in boxing history, Laurence Cole. Your story is a good one, but the title is misleading because of the outlaw nature of boxing and overall incompetence of not just Texas Legislators throughout history. The people have always been integrated though not exclusively so...

You a Texan then QR? Good to know, and no doubt you know more overall about the history of boxing in your state than I do over here an ocean away... some of what you mention is touched on in the article and I read about more when I had a glance on wiki before I posted. You say that the 'people' had always been integrated, and I'd like to think there's something in that - as the story says black and white fighters had always sparred together and it seems like the colour law wasn't really popular with white fighters or managers either:

The two-decades old ban also wasn’t popular with the boxing and wrestling communities. After Maverick’s bill was filed, the Austin-American Statesman’s Buster Haas wrote, “We have talked to every leading boxer in the state, in addition to all fight mangers, and have heard no dissenting vote against allowing Negro and white fighters to box…In fact, most boxers and managers, in addition to promoters who predict an upswing in boxing popularity if the bill passes, say that ‘mixed’ bouts are the only salvation for boxing in Texas

So yeah what I guess I'm talking about (cos the headline apart from the title 'The Bout' was mine not the authors) was specifically the repeal of the legislation - the official 'colour line' - rather than a general comment on racism in Texan boxing, but I think it's still a significant step and I'd like to imagine an important moment for the history of boxing in the state. In my experience regular folk who have to work and live alongside one another ain't usually the root of the problem when in comes to racism in boxing or elsewhere.

**QueensburyRules** · 03-05-2021, 03:04 PM

Originally posted by Citizen Koba

You a Texan then QR? Good to know, and no doubt you know more overall about the history of boxing in your state than I do over here an ocean away... some of what you mention is touched on in the article and I read about more when I had a glance on wiki before I posted. You say that the 'people' had always been integrated, and I'd like to think there's something in that - as the story says black and white fighters had always sparred together and it seems like the colour law wasn't really popular with white fighters or managers either:

So yeah what I guess I'm talking about (cos the headline apart from the title 'The Bout' was mine not the authors) was specifically the repeal of the legislation - the official 'colour line' - rather than a general comment on racism in Texan boxing, but I think it's still a significant step and I'd like to imagine an important moment for the history of boxing in the state. In my experience regular folk who have to work and live alongside one another ain't usually the root of the problem when in comes to racism in boxing or elsewhere.

- -Quote works today, gone tomorrow.

The 1930s were the start of the Jim Crow era of ********ic segregation, but >>> 80-90 years later, the Dems the new age WOKE legislators, no better than the old ones, just outta power now save the major metros where they have managed to make a steaming hot mess of the metros. Boxing has always been the people's sport and has the most integration of races and nationalities of any sport save the 4 year orchestration of the Olympic games, now dying in corruption.

**Citizen Koba** · 03-05-2021, 05:28 PM

Originally posted by QueensburyRules

- -Quote works today, gone tomorrow.

The 1930s were the start of the Jim Crow era of ********ic segregation, but >>> 80-90 years later, the Dems the new age WOKE legislators, no better than the old ones, just outta power now save the major metros where they have managed to make a steaming hot mess of the metros. Boxing has always been the people's sport and has the most integration of races and nationalities of any sport save the 4 year orchestration of the Olympic games, now dying in corruption.

Those dumb city folk just don't know what's best for 'emselves huh?

I don't trust politicians of any stripe and I ain't here for a discussion on party politics man, or I woulda posted it in the lounge... but yeah, agree that boxing can be and often has been a great equaliser... one of the things that's always drawn me to the sport.

The Bout. How the colour line was broken in Texas.