Johnson vs Langford 1909

[kara]

People not liking Jack is making my point. Yes, everybody hated Johnson which means they will buy a ticket to see him get his ass kicked. Back in the 1910's a black man driving a new car and showing off his white wife made many white people to lose their mind. Tex Rickard had $$ in his eyes when saw Jack.

Similar to Mayweather

[Willow The Wisp]

Come on man - you sound like the guys on this forum, locked in a boxing fan bubble; looking at the game through the prism of a fight fan.

You think great boxing/fighting would out draw hatred and the HW championship?

JJ was hated, first because of racial bigotry and then because he turned into a sham. But either way, he, for all the wrong reasons, would still out sell venues that WW/MW Langford couldn't. (IMO).

Interesting "What if" history: Let's say Langford or Jeannette takes out Johnson just around the time Johnson stops Flynn, i.e. before the Mann Act charge goes down, but still after the State by State black listing JJ suffered.

What does the white public do?

Sam and Joe were less 'in your face guys' so would have they treated them differently?

Would they have been allowed to defend? (In the States.)

Would they have been allowed to fight each other for the title?

Would they have been allowed to rematch Johnson?

Would they been driven out of the country?

Would they have gone overseas to defend in Europe just because they were so popular there?

WARNING next ones will likely offend JJ supporters:

Would the different, possibly postive, taste Sam or Joe would left in the mouth of white fans have opened the door for a Wills-Dempsey fight?

Would there have been a black HW Champion before Louis?

Some interesting perspectives shared here, tangentially and to the topic. This post is correct. When I say such things I'll often suffix with IMO, but not this time. Jack Johnson was the most famous black man on earth during his championship tenure, bar none. This is generally understood by researchers. Sam Langford, Joe Jeanette and Sam McVey would all follow if one were to make a list. Boxing, understand, was what the World Cup is today in terms of globalized reach, except that IT was centered in the US (which has only a passing interest in professional Futball today). Any fight involving Jack Johnson would make worldwide news. Somehow this was not fully expressed in all the thread's dialog. Promoting one of Johnson's fights was another matter, wrought with a level of danger. Another aspect inadequately discussed. Anyhow. Johnson was the best of the four.

[QueensburyRules]

Some interesting perspectives shared here, tangentially and to the topic. This post is correct. When I say such things I'll often suffix with IMO, but not this time. Jack Johnson was the most famous black man on earth during his championship tenure, bar none. This is generally understood by researchers. Sam Langford, Joe Jeanette and Sam McVey would all follow if one were to make a list. Boxing, understand, was what the World Cup is today in terms of globalized reach, except that IT was centered in the US (which has only a passing interest in professional Futball today). Any fight involving Jack Johnson would make worldwide news. Somehow this was not fully expressed in all the thread's dialog. Promoting one of Johnson's fights was another matter, wrought with a level of danger. Another aspect inadequately discussed. Anyhow. Johnson was the best of the four.

- - Sam after his loss to JJ until JJ lost his title, compiled a better record in that timeframe than the whole of JJ Career.

Additionally, Sam fought, beat, and KOed more HOF fighters then than JJ did in the entirety of his career if I may use the never yet replicated Sam boxing record as the top marker of excellence.

[mrbig1]

Similar to Mayweather

Like Ali said some love me and some hate me, but they all buy a ticket. Langford vs Jeffries wouldn't have drawn flies. My Grandfather told me him and his friends when to the telegraph office to hear a round by round updates. he said JJ vs Jeffries was bigger than Ali vs Frazier which was in my lifetime.

[Willow The Wisp]

- - Sam after his loss to JJ until JJ lost his title, compiled a better record in that timeframe than the whole of JJ Career.

Additionally, Sam fought, beat, and KOed more HOF fighters then than JJ did in the entirety of his career if I may use the never yet replicated Sam boxing record as the top marker of excellence.

Agree. But promoting Langford, Jeanette and McVey was easy. Johnson as champion was nearly impossible to promote in the environment of his time. All that said, the two met once, albeit when Langford was young and light; and Johnson beat him wide. With regret or with delight, that is our only concrete indication.

[Willie Pep 229]

Like Ali said some love me and some hate me, but they all buy a ticket. Langford vs Jeffries wouldn't have drawn flies. My Grandfather told me him and his friends when to the telegraph office to hear a round by round updates. he said JJ vs Jeffries was bigger than Ali vs Frazier which was in my lifetime.

NA! --> there were three fights of the century, all were big, none could be bigger than the other or it wouldn't have been "The Fight of the Century."

Jeffries-Johnson
Louis-Schmeling II
Frazier-Ali I

[QueensburyRules]

NA! --> there were three fights of the century, all were big, none could be bigger than the other or it wouldn't have been "The Fight of the Century."

Jeffries-Johnson
Louis-Schmeling II
Frazier-Ali I

- - Radio made Louis/Schmeling the biggest globally- 70 million in every imaginable time zone and of every imaginable nationality, race, religion, and class across the world listened to THE FIGHT, the first ever international broadcast of a championship fight relayed around the world.

Martin Luther and Nelson Mandela just kids!

The entire fate of the free world seemingly hinged on the results that saw Joe badly beaten in the first encounter. The stakes involved in Ali/Frazier were personal, not global.

And speaking of kids, knew an old guy related by marriage who had a paper route into the black side of town that he serviced as a 10 yr old on his bicycle. Unknown to him as a kid, Max had just walloped Joe, so a bunch of teens were on the prowl looking for whitey to whoop up on. Fortunately they realized he just kid in service of their community and let him go. Touch and go, what a story, and that was just the appetizer for what would come!!!

[Willie Pep 229]

- - Radio made Louis/Schmeling the biggest globally- 70 million in every imaginable time zone and of every imaginable nationality, race, religion, and class across the world listened to THE FIGHT, the first ever international broadcast of a championship fight relayed around the world.

Martin Luther and Nelson Mandela just kids!

The entire fate of the free world seemingly hinged on the results that saw Joe badly beaten in the first encounter. The stakes involved in Ali/Frazier were personal, not global.

And speaking of kids, knew an old guy related by marriage who had a paper route into the black side of town that he serviced as a 10 yr old on his bicycle. Unknown to him as a kid, Max had just walloped Joe, so a bunch of teens were on the prowl looking for whitey to whoop up on. Fortunately they realized he just kid in service of their community and let him go. Touch and go, what a story, and that was just the appetizer for what would come!!!

Joe Louis was so admired by the Black community that grown men actually cried when lost.

It was not uncommon for Black families to have a framed portrait of Louis at the family hearth (not just hanging on the wall in the kid's room.)

So who else:

Italians --> Marciano
Blacks --> Louis
Filipinos --> PAC Man

***s, Irish, Pols, Germans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Ukrainians, Russian, Australian,
ETC.

Remember, not just popular but out and out loved.

[mrbig1]

- - Radio made Louis/Schmeling the biggest globally- 70 million in every imaginable time zone and of every imaginable nationality, race, religion, and class across the world listened to THE FIGHT, the first ever international broadcast of a championship fight relayed around the world.

Martin Luther and Nelson Mandela just kids!

The entire fate of the free world seemingly hinged on the results that saw Joe badly beaten in the first encounter. The stakes involved in Ali/Frazier were personal, not global.

And speaking of kids, knew an old guy related by marriage who had a paper route into the black side of town that he serviced as a 10 yr old on his bicycle. Unknown to him as a kid, Max had just walloped Joe, so a bunch of teens were on the prowl looking for whitey to whoop up on. Fortunately they realized he just kid in service of their community and let him go. Touch and go, what a story, and that was just the appetizer for what would come!!!

Yes Frazier vs Ali was global like a mofo. Ali vs Frazier was young vs old. For the Vietnam war or against. Hippies vs ww2 and Korean war vets. We were in Washington D.C. to watch the fight on close circuit T.V. the place held about 10,000 and sold out that same day. my dad was lucky to get tickets. this fight was shown all over the world. Frazier and Ali got paid 2.5 million each. 10 times as much as any fighter was paid before that.

[QueensburyRules]

Yes Frazier vs Ali was global like a mofo. Ali vs Frazier was young vs old. For the Vietnam war or against. Hippies vs ww2 and Korean war vets. We were in Washington D.C. to watch the fight on close circuit T.V. the place held about 10,000 and sold out that same day. my dad was lucky to get tickets. this fight was shown all over the world. Frazier and Ali got paid 2.5 million each. 10 times as much as any fighter was paid before that.

- - What the closed circuit numbers in SAfrica, Nigeria, Ethiopia, ect? China, Russia, SE Asia? Australia?