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Jeannette fought Sam McVey over 49 grueling rounds in France in 1909. Around the 40th round each man was administered oxygen in their corners, however Jeannette received a tonic of caffeine and ether which gave him a burst of energy and the edge he needed to prevail.
What we know is that his manager Dan McKetrick was considered shady at the very least by sports writers, fighters, coaches and promoters of the day.
There are several skeptical members of this forum who labeled Jeannette a liar when he claimed Jack Johnson never gave him a shot at the title. This would cast a lot of doubt over Jeannette’s credibility and integrity both as a man and a fighter.
See for yourself...
Despite the facts of the bout and the strategic successes and blunders each fighter made, there was controversy. Just days after the Finish Fight a report in the Syracuse Herald stated that Richard Klegin, McVey's manager at that time, demanded a rematch set for "twenty rounds only" that would include "no doping."
Klegin believed that the mixture of oxygen, caffeine and ether Jennette received in the corner between rounds along with the "cold water that was thrown on him" had turned the fight in Joe's favor and robbed McVey of certain victory. In August of 1909 Klegin even blamed the oxygen given to McVey for the loss, claiming it had made him groggy so that "he hardly knew where he stood. "' But, would an oxygen, caffeine and ether mixture have changed things all that dramatically?
Dr. Robert Axtell attributes some potential benefit to such a mixture:" Caffeine would have some ergogenic effects. The effects are mediated by activation of the sympathetic nervous system (sympathomimetic). Activation of the sympathetic nervous system causes a flight or fight response which could enable the boxers to keep fighting even though physically they should be fatiguing.
Ether used to be used as an anesthetic which would blunt some of the pain from the continued punches received during the bout. Therefore, this mixture enables the athletes to feel less pain and limit fatigue and thus fight multiple rounds."
It seems Joe Jennette may have received some improved performance during the bout due to the mixture he was inhaling. More than a physiological benefit, however, was the psychological boost Jennette likely enjoyed.
The First Black Boxing Champions: Essays on Fighter’s od the 1800s to the 1920s ~ Colleen Ayc o c k
What we know is that his manager Dan McKetrick was considered shady at the very least by sports writers, fighters, coaches and promoters of the day.
There are several skeptical members of this forum who labeled Jeannette a liar when he claimed Jack Johnson never gave him a shot at the title. This would cast a lot of doubt over Jeannette’s credibility and integrity both as a man and a fighter.
See for yourself...
Despite the facts of the bout and the strategic successes and blunders each fighter made, there was controversy. Just days after the Finish Fight a report in the Syracuse Herald stated that Richard Klegin, McVey's manager at that time, demanded a rematch set for "twenty rounds only" that would include "no doping."
Klegin believed that the mixture of oxygen, caffeine and ether Jennette received in the corner between rounds along with the "cold water that was thrown on him" had turned the fight in Joe's favor and robbed McVey of certain victory. In August of 1909 Klegin even blamed the oxygen given to McVey for the loss, claiming it had made him groggy so that "he hardly knew where he stood. "' But, would an oxygen, caffeine and ether mixture have changed things all that dramatically?
Dr. Robert Axtell attributes some potential benefit to such a mixture:" Caffeine would have some ergogenic effects. The effects are mediated by activation of the sympathetic nervous system (sympathomimetic). Activation of the sympathetic nervous system causes a flight or fight response which could enable the boxers to keep fighting even though physically they should be fatiguing.
Ether used to be used as an anesthetic which would blunt some of the pain from the continued punches received during the bout. Therefore, this mixture enables the athletes to feel less pain and limit fatigue and thus fight multiple rounds."
It seems Joe Jennette may have received some improved performance during the bout due to the mixture he was inhaling. More than a physiological benefit, however, was the psychological boost Jennette likely enjoyed.
The First Black Boxing Champions: Essays on Fighter’s od the 1800s to the 1920s ~ Colleen Ayc o c k