How come so many people know Ali and Tyson, but not Jack Johnson?

[DreamFighter]

He set blacks backwards.

that bits very unfair - it was some American whites who set blacks backwards. Jack was just being independent. If some whites hadn't been so racist, Jack wouldnt have been seen any worse than a Floyd Mayweather.

Personally I think Jack wouldn't be out of place in todays me-me-me consumer world, he took what he wanted without much global conscience.

[edgarg]

thia is the true account of the tragedy for you to remember for the future.

"......Additionally, Elizabeth Terry, Etta’s mother, said that her daughter was “insane” due to the fact she was injured as a young grl and had demonstrated symptoms of insanity on numerous occasions. Rather than being insane to the point of being institutionalized, Johnson’s wife likely did suffer from severe depression, evidenced by her many reportedly wild mood swings. Treatment for such a mental condition was poor at the time, and despite Jack Johnson’s efforts to see to it she was properly attended, she became increasingly despondent, and exactly one month before her suicide, Etta Terry Duryea Johnson wrote the following letter to her mother which was signed, sealed and locked away in a safe, only to be discovered after her death.

My Dear Mother:

I am writing this and am going to have Jack put it in his safe, so if anything should happen to me there will be no hard feelings left behind me. I would send this letter to you only I know much you worry and I do not want you to know how sick I really am. Jack has done all in his power to cure me but it is no use. Since papa’s death I have worried myself into the grave. I haven’t been worrying about papa’s loss, only over some horrible dread – I don’t know what. I want to be buried in Chicago. Never try to take my body to Hempstead only to be a mark for curiosity seekers – let me rest for once.

With love and always the sweetest to you,
I am your loving daughter,
Etta

On September 12, 1912, Etta was scheduled to travel with a friend to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where Jack Johnson hoped his wife would get some sun and lift her spirits, but that day she came down with a bout of what may have been a panic attack, and she deemed herself too ill to travel. That evening in her apartment located above the couple’s popular club Café de Champion in Chicago, she called her two maids into her room for prayer before retiring for the evening, and shortly afterwards a gunshot was heard. Found with a bullet wound in her head, lying on the ground and whispering inaudibly, the champion’s wife was rushed to Provident Hospital where she died while undergoing surgery.

In the end, we can only speculate about the “horrible dread” that had taken hold of Etta Terry Duryea Johnson’s life that led to her madness and ultimate suicide. But had she truly suffered bouts of insanity throughout her life in accordance with her mother’s recollection, the circus that was the life of her husband Jack Johnson certainly did not help. While Etta’s suicide resulted in the end of her life on earth, it also triggered a series of events that would ultimately lead to Jack Johnson’s legal and financial demise.

[fishscale]

I swear almost every person I have run into knows who Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson are, but don't have the slightest clue who Jack Johnson is.

Jack was waaaaaaay ahead of his time. He was destroying white fighters in front of all white crowds during very dark times for the black race in America. Sleeping with white women when the KKK was big and gave blacks all over the country hope every time he beat his opponent. This guy was doing so much way before people like MLK and Malcolm X and groups like the Black Panthers came onto the scene.

How so many people have never heard of him is a shame.

He also got his ass whooped by a white man.

[ShoulderRoll]

that bits very unfair - it was some American whites who set blacks backwards. Jack was just being independent.

That's how I see it too.

When you consider the times he lived in it was actually quite ballsy of him to be so rebellious and have such a **** You attitude. Massive respect to him for living life on his terms and not compromising.

He was a G.

[KidDinamita]

Jack Johnson lived 100 years ago, Muhammad Ali fought some 40 years ago and people already started to watch live fights, and as for Mike Tyson he fought from 1985, youngest Heavyweight World Champion, had a very troubled life outside the ring and was a wrecking machine inside the ring.

Ali - non boxing fans know about him because of his talking that he is the greatest etc etc. and non boxing fans still hear about him and see TV adverts where Ali is included (example: Discovery Channel).

Tyson - non boxing fans know about him because of his life outside of the ring and media.

How do you think people will know about Johnson, when to know about this guy you need to do researches and because he lived 100 years ago?

[BrokenHat]

Ali was the first global sports icon. Largely due to his conversion to Islam, and refusing to go to war against Vietnam. Ali was hated in America, but beloved in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He's also one of the few genuine ****** icons.

Along with Tyson they captured peoples imagination.

[toshmurph]

Yeah but Jack Johnson was so much more than a boxer, he was the shining light for people of color all over America at the time. School history books should start including him just like they've included MLK and any other historic figure that played a major role in America.

Unfortunately your wrong about that, he was a man ahead of his time. But Black people did not like him in his day!

He slept and married white women, something both white and black people of the time despised, his antics enraged the racists inciting lynchings and other terrible acts!

Once he got the belt He refused to fight the best black boxers of his day, instead fighting light heavyweights and has beens! Sam Langford who was 5'6 and between 147-154lbs was ducked by 6'2 200lb Johnson!

Johnson was the very reason no black fighter got a shot at the title till Louis in the 30' and he was made to be polite and behave by his handlers specifically because of Johnson!

He was a good defensive fighter and in many ways a revolutionary, in an era when there wasn't many good fighters allowed to fight for the title, he dominated, I wouldn't have him in the top 10 of all time like some though!

As I said he wasn't a shining light, nor would I compare him to MLK like you but he did have a large impact on American history! You should read the book about his life, Unforgivable Blackness, it's one of the greatest boxing books ever, great read!

[toshmurph]

That's how I see it too.

When you consider the times he lived in it was actually quite ballsy of him to be so rebellious and have such a **** You attitude. Massive respect to him for living life on his terms and not compromising.

He was a G.

That's largely true, but his actions were causing bigoted and racist idiots in the south to butcher and lynch innocent blacks, people who turned their backs on him for this very reason! He knew this and carried on anyway! I'm not saying this was his fault but he could have tried to be more secretive about it! He even publicly had affairs with women, while his depression suffering and suicidal wife spiralled further down!

He also would have probably been arrested in this time as he broke many legitimate laws and bribed police officers out of it!

[SBleeder]

I've watched every Johnson fight I've been able to find, which is about a dozen fights.

By contrast, I've only seen about 5 or 6 Tyson fights, but probably 45-50 Clay/Ali fights.

[Rico1965]

Same reason John F. Kennedy isn't known for having an affair in the White House but Bill Clinton is...........MEDIA