Wills also fought them to draws. Tony Ross had back to back losses when he got his shot at Johnson...how was he any more deserving? Entered the fight with 9 losses. Jack Murray was coming off a loss to a guy who was 4-0-3 when he got his shot at Johnson...how was he more deserving?
Jim Johnson lost to Jeannette 3x, McVea and Langford and still got his shot at Johnson. Langford would go on to beat him 10x more after the Johnson fight. Jeannette and McVea would go on to beat Jim Johnson 5x each afternoon he fought Jack. All Jack could muster against him was a draw. Wills beat Jim Johnson the year Jack lost his title. Wills would have been a more compelling and competitive fight than Murray, Ross, Jim Johnson and Kaufman. Johnson wasn’t making $30k to fight all of them, yet demanded that against Langford and Jeannette.
Johnson had agreed to fight Langford for $10K in 1911 (that is $20K less than he demanded in 1909), but of course he backed out of that one too.
Jim Johnson lost to Jeannette 3x, McVea and Langford and still got his shot at Johnson. Langford would go on to beat him 10x more after the Johnson fight. Jeannette and McVea would go on to beat Jim Johnson 5x each afternoon he fought Jack. All Jack could muster against him was a draw. Wills beat Jim Johnson the year Jack lost his title. Wills would have been a more compelling and competitive fight than Murray, Ross, Jim Johnson and Kaufman. Johnson wasn’t making $30k to fight all of them, yet demanded that against Langford and Jeannette.
Johnson had agreed to fight Langford for $10K in 1911 (that is $20K less than he demanded in 1909), but of course he backed out of that one too.
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