Fact: Jack Johnson Agreed to fight Joe Jeanette for Championship Title

[Marchegiano]

I heard about a russian offer years ago but that's all I remember.

[travestyny]

I heard about a russian offer years ago but that's all I remember.

Wow. Russia! That's actually pretty cool. lol

[Willie Pep 229]

I heard about a russian offer years ago but that's all I remember.

Are you speaking of a Johnson fight being staged in Russia?

If it was while Johnson was in Paris (1913) and fighting for Dan McKetrick I would say weird, but with what little I know about McKetrick, not impossible. ( Also his connection to Jeannette.)

Hell the commies hadn't yet murder the entire royal family.

Knowing McKetrick it could have been just hype.

There was a vogue thing going on with the European and American wealthy that saw Russia (of that period) as an exotic retro of the old European monarchies while Tsar Nicholas was constantly trying to modernize his culture.

Not impossible that there would be a offer.

Of course if you were talking about something then I am just blabbering. LOL

[Marchegiano]

Wow. Russia! That's actually pretty cool. lol

I misremembered, but, it's still interesting. Drop Jeanette, Add McVey, JJ was still in Russia for a big money fight for the HW title but a mix of Mann Act bull****, when he married Lucile, and WWI put a stop to it before the super rich black russian fella could put on the show.

JJinRussia.png

Frederick first approached Johnson just a few days after he had been arrested, and this was no coincidence. A year earlier, Richard Klegin, an American promoter of sporting events in Europe, had tried to start a boxing club in Moscow with Frederick’s help. At that time, the imperial government opposed the idea because Russia had never had Western-style prizefights before, and Klegin returned to the United States, but without giving up all hope. He left his proposal “in the hands of Mr. Thomas, owner of the Aquarium Gardens in Moscow,” as an American newspaper phrased it, just in case the government’s attitude changed. It did change around October 20, 1912, and the timing was perfect—so perfect, in fact, that it is tempting to speculate that Frederick may have had something to do with it. This was just two days after Johnson’s arrest, an event that had been reported immediately in scores of newspapers around the United States and quickly picked up by the foreign press in Europe and elsewhere. Frederick cabled Klegin to tell him about the government’s decision to allow boxing matches and to suggest that they organize “a great tournament” that would start in Moscow on January 1, 1913. It would last a week, and the final “battle” for the heavyweight championship would be between Johnson and Sam McVey. All the bouts would be held at Aquarium, which could make arrangements to seat ten thousand spectators. Klegin, in turn, immediately wired Johnson’s manager with a concrete offer from Aquarium: this included a certified check for $5,000, three round-trip tickets to Russia, a chance to win a $30,000 purse in a match against McVey, and one-third of the proceeds from the film that would be made of the fight. In today’s money, all this would be a very nice deal—an up-front fee of around $150,000; another $750,000 if Johnson won, as was expected; and even more from the film. The offer caused a sensation in the United States, and newspapers from coast to coast publicized it because of Johnson’s notoriety and celebrity, the large sums involved, and the remote and exotic locale. Newspapers also noted that the offer came from Aquarium’s black American proprietor, who was described not altogether accurately as a “negro named Thomas” from Chicago. Johnson quickly accepted and announced that he was anxious to go to Moscow. Thanks to Frederick, Russia was now beckoning to Johnson as a refuge from American racism. However, despite repeated efforts, Johnson was unable to leave the United States until the summer of 1913, so Frederick was forced to postpone all his grand plans. Johnson then toured several other European cities for close to a year before finally arriving in Russia in mid-July 1914. When he did meet Frederick, they hit it off right away: “Thomas and myself became close friends and we made our headquarters in his park,” Johnson recalled. The two black men had similar origins and had triumphed in two very different white worlds. They shared another similarity as well. As Johnson illustrated vividly in his memoirs, both were fond of tall tales that enhanced their present or embroidered their past and that underscored the extent to which both were showmen.

Amazon.com: The Black Russian eBook: Alexandrov, Vladimir: Kindle Store

What a difference that would have made for all the men involved though.

There's more to it in the book but this thread's about Jeanette and that is the meat of this story. I'll do a thread on Jack's time in Russia by-and-by. Unless someone beats me to it.

[Marchegiano]

Are you speaking of a Johnson fight being staged in Russia?

If it was while Johnson was in Paris (1913) and fighting for Dan McKetrick I would say weird, but with what little I know about McKetrick, not impossible. ( Also his connection to Jeannette.)

Hell the commies hadn't yet murder the entire royal family.

Knowing McKetrick it could have been just hype.

There was a vogue thing going on with the European and American wealthy that saw Russia (of that period) as an exotic retro of the old European monarchies while Tsar Nicholas was constantly trying to modernize his culture.

Not impossible that there would be a offer.

Of course if you were talking about something then I am just blabbering. LOL

Yer pretty ****in' good bud

[travestyny]

I misremembered, but, it's still interesting. Drop Jeanette, Add McVey, JJ was still in Russia for a big money fight for the HW title but a mix of Mann Act bull****, when he married Lucile, and WWI put a stop to it before the super rich black russian fella could put on the show.

JJinRussia.png




Amazon.com: The Black Russian eBook: Alexandrov, Vladimir: Kindle Store

What a difference that would have made for all the men involved though.

There's more to it in the book but this thread's about Jeanette and that is the meat of this story. I'll do a thread on Jack's time in Russia by-and-by. Unless someone beats me to it.

Wow. That's really cool!

I thought I vaguely remembered something about this from Unforgivable Blackness maybe....? But somehow it got deleted from my kindle so no idea if I'm completely making that up. Anyway, good find!!!!

[Willie Pep 229]

That Russian poster is priceless can anyone translate it ?

[GhostofDempsey]

Hahahhaha, man, you still crying about this shyt? Johnson never gave him his shot as champion, period. He gave him six fights all within Jeannette's first 20 fights while Joe was very green. On the sixth shot Joe fought him to a draw and Johnson never made an honest attempt at fighting him again. Now you got some Russian collusion angle you're trying to work, LMAO!

[travestyny]

Hahahhaha, man, you still crying about this shyt? Johnson never gave him his shot as champion, period. He gave him six fights all within Jeannette's first 20 fights while Joe was very green. On the sixth shot Joe fought him to a draw and Johnson never made an honest attempt at fighting him again. Now you got some Russian collusion angle you're trying to work, LMAO!

You were proven wrong. It's time for you to admit that. The post proving you wrong that the fight wasn't for the championship had nothing to do with Russia, but you can play dumb if you want. It's right there to see that you were wrong.


What's your response to post #20. Let me guess. You duck it and talk about something different.

[GhostofDempsey]

That sounds about right.

Plus he fought and beat all the great black fighters during his era anyway, before he was champion. They are on his resume.

Fought McVey when he only had less than ten fights. Fought Jeannette when he had only less than twenty fights. Fought a much smaller Langford while he was still coming up and never gave him another shot. Got worked over pretty good in a draw to Jim Johnson, which was the only black fighter he gave a title shot to, a cherry pick gone wrong. I believe Jack injured his arm in that scrap.