Prejudice the only thing to hold Peter Jackson back

[THE REAL NINJA]

Born 7/3/1861, Racial prejudice may have been the only thing that kept him from a chance to win the heavyweight title. Jackson was a world class fighter but was never given the compatition he deserved.Born in the Virgin Islands he moved to Austraila when he was six years old. By the age of fourteen he was an exellent swimmer and diver and found work on ships.As a young man he was in a street fist fight that recivied attention from the Austraian press.Larry Foley,who managed Young Griffo seen this and went to sign him as a pro.

Jackson won the Australian title in 1886 with a ko of Tom Leeds in the 30th round.Jackson moved on to the United States in 1888.Most top fighters of his time shunned him for racial reasons.John L Sullivan even said of Jackson "I will never fight a negro. I never have, and I never shall." strangly Sullivan had in fact fought a black fighter in the past but would not fight Jackson.

Jackson moved on fighting and winning, he travelled to England where he won the Britsh Empire championship from Jem Smith .He would also fight Jim Corbett around this time which both men would fight to a 61 round draw. Corbett would later say that Jackson could beat any he had ever saw.

[INDENT]Jackson would contiue fighting acting and running a boxing school in London.In 1898,an over the hill Jackson lost to future champion James Jeffries by forth round ko.Jackson returned to Australia with tuberculosis which would kill him soon after.Died 7/13/1901 [WON 23] [LOST 3] [DRAWS 5][TB 33] [KO's 17] [W 5] [WF 1] [Ko'd 3] [ND 1] [NC 1] right -anded 6'1 1/2 192lbs time fought 1883-12/2/1899 hall of fame induction 1990 Known as "the Black Prince"http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=10543

[LondonRingRules]

I wouldn't really say he was held back. He held a belt as good as Sullivan's and aquitted himself well against Corbett.

[Yogi]

Anybody who wants to learn more about this great fighter from so long ago absolutely NEEDS to take some time to read the PDF story on Jackson called;

"Peter Jackson and the Elusive Heavyweight Championship: A Black Athlete's Struggle Against the Late Ninteenth Century Color-Line"

A wonderful, very extensive, and detailed read on Jackson (search for the keywords and you shall find), but if you're not up to reading something that long here's another article written about Jackson;

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/box9-99.htm#tracy

And for those wanting to do their own personal research on Jackson, you can alsways head over to the Brooklyn Eagle and read what contemporary writings were saying about him;

http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/eagle

[THE REAL NINJA]

I wouldn't really say he was held back. He held a belt as good as Sullivan's and aquitted himself well against Corbett.

well either or he was ducked ...at that time in america blacks were not allowed to fight white fighters for the most part and a lot of them used that as a reason not to give him a shot

[LondonRingRules]

well either or he was ducked ...at that time in america blacks were not allowed to fight white fighters for the most part and a lot of them used that as a reason not to give him a shot

** Hey, Jackson fought 2 white American HOFers at the very least, and probably most of his bouts in America were against white fighters since there were very few black fighters in his day. Notice he never fought George Godfrey either, and it's debatable if he even fought any black fighters in America.

[THE REAL NINJA]

** Hey, Jackson fought 2 white American HOFers at the very least, and probably most of his bouts in America were against white fighters since there were very few black fighters in his day. Notice he never fought George Godfrey either, and it's debatable if he even fought any black fighters in America.

Jeffries only fought him on the down side of his career 2nd to last fight it was one of Jeffries first. there are other great black fighters from that time also but old records are so hard to find ...and take a look at his record he had very few fights in america because white people would not fight him ..he fought mostly in the UK and AUS

[Yogi]

Jackson did in fact fight Godfrey though (and stopped him in the 19th), which took place during the late 1880's in San Francisco...Also besides Jackson, Godfrey, Charles Hadley, and Morris Grant, off the top of my head I can't bring to mind any other accomplished black heavyweights of that day.

Guys like Bob Armstrong, Denver Ed, and Klon***e Haines seem to have come onto the scene later on at the very, very end of Jackson's time.

[THE REAL NINJA]

1899-08-23 Jim Jeffords Vancouver, BC, Canada L KO 4
1898-03-22 James J Jeffries San Francisco, CA, USA L TKO 3
1895-05-29 Gus Wilkie Baltimore, MD, USA NC ND 6
1892-11-28 Denny Kelliher Philadelphia, PA, USA W PTS 4
1892-05-30 Frank (Paddy) Slavin Covent Garden, London, En W KO 10
Commonwealth (British Empire) Heavyweight Title
1892-02-17 Joe Butler Philadelphia, PA, USA W PTS 3
1892-01-12 Jack King Chicago, IL, USA W TKO 2
1892-01-12 (Captain) James Dalton Chicago, IL, USA W KO 3
1891-05-21 James J Corbett San Francisco, CA, USA NC NC 0
1890-11-19 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1890-10-20 Joe Goddard Melbourne, VIC, Australia D PTS 8
Australian Heavyweight Title
1890-09-09 Martin (Buffalo) Costello Melbourne, VIC, Australia NC ND 4
1890-09-08 Martin (Buffalo) Costello Melbourne, VIC, Australia NC ND 4
1890-09-06 Jack Burke Wagga Wagga, Australia NC ND 4
1890-09-02 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1890-08-30 Mick Dooley Newcastle, Australia NC ND 4
1890-07-23 Tom Johnson Marysville, CA, USA W TKO 4
1890-05-19 Denver Ed Smith Chicago, IL, USA W TKO 5
1890-04-01 Dick Keating Louisville, KY, USA W KO 1
1890-03-05 Gus Lambert Troy, NY, USA NC ND 4
1890-03-04 Jack Fallon Brooklyn, NY, USA NC NC 2
1890-02-20 James J Walker Washington, DC, USA W KO 1
1889-12-24 Peter Maher Dublin, Ireland W KO 2
1889-12-02 Scotchy Gunn Brighton, England W PTS 4
1889-12-02 W Woodhams Brighton, England W TKO 0
1889-11-29 Woolf Bendoff Portsmouth, England W TKO 2
1889-11-29 Sailor White Portsmouth, England W TKO 3
1889-11-27 ? Skinner Plymouth, England W DQ 2
1889-11-23 Charles Burgin Westminster, England W PTS 4
1889-11-21 Horace Horrigan Westminster, England W TKO 2
1889-11-11 Jem Smith Soho, London, England W DQ 2
1889-10-16 Alf Ball Westminster, England W TKO 2
1889-10-15 Alf Mitchell Westminster, England W PTS 4
1889-10-14 Jem Young Westminster, England W PTS 4
1889-10-07 Jack Partridge Westminster, England W KO 3
1889-08-19 Jack Fallon New York, NY, USA W TKO 2
1889-08-09 James (Ginger) McCormick Hoboken, NJ, USA W KO 2
1889-08-08 Billy Baker Hoboken, NJ, USA W PTS 4
1889-08-05 Paddy Brennan Buffalo, NY, USA W TKO 1
1889-07-30 Tom Lynch Buffalo, NY, USA W DQ 2
1889-07-29 Billy Baker Buffalo, NY, USA W PTS 4
1889-07-27 Tom Lees Erie, PA, USA NC ND 4
1889-07-25 George Peters Detroit, MI, USA W TKO 3
1889-07-11 Sailor Charles Brown Chicago, IL, USA W TKO 4
1889-06-15 Tom Lees Minneapolis, MN, USA NC ND 4
1889-05-01 Shorty Kincaid Virginia City, NV, USA W TKO 2
1889-04-26 Patsy Cardiff San Francisco, CA, USA W TKO 10
1888-12-27 Joe McAuliffe San Francisco, CA, USA W KO 24
1888-08-24 George Godfrey San Francisco, CA, USA W TKO 19
1888-06-20 M J Sullivan San Francisco, CA, USA W KO 2
1888-04-17 Larry Foley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 0
1888-03-17 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1888-02-11 Tom Taylor Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1888-02-04 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1888-01-26 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1888-01-14 Martin (Buffalo) Costello Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1887-12-24 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 2
1887-11-26 Stonewall Jack Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 2
1887-10-22 Steve O'Donnell Sydney, NSW, Australia W PTS 3
1887-10-01 Steve O'Donnell Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 3
1887-09-24 Jim Nolan Sydney, NSW, Australia W KO 1
1887-08-06 Tom Taylor Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1887-07-16 Steve O'Donnell Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1887-07-09 Dan Hickey Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1887-06-25 Jim Nolan Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1887-06-11 Opponent Unknown Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1887-06-04 Jim Nolan Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1887-04-25 Mick O'Brien Sydney, NSW, Australia W KO 1
1887-04-06 Pat Kieley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1887-02-15 Pat Kieley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1886-11-20 Pat Kieley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1886-10-09 Steve O'Donnell Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1886-10-02 Jack Malloy Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1886-09-25 Tom Lees Sydney, NSW, Australia W TKO 3
Australian Heavyweight Title
1886-08-15 Hugh Healey Newcastle, Australia NC ND 4
1886-08-07 ? Riley Sydney, NSW, Australia W PTS 3
1886-07-17 Dan Hickey Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1886-07-12 Tom Taylor Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 3
1886-05-22 Pablo Frank Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1886-04-03 Bob Berbs Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1886-03-27 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Australia W KO 3
1885-05-02 (Professor) William Mille Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1885-05-01 Larry Foley Belmore Park,Sydney, NSW, NC ND 3
1884-09-23 Bill Farnan Sydney, NSW, Australia D PTS 6
Australian Heavyweight Title
1884-07-26 Bill Farnan Melbourne, VIC, Australia L TKO 4
Australian Heavyweight Title
1884-06-25 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1884-02-02 Tom Lees Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 4
1884-01-31 Tom Lees Sydney, NSW, Australia W PTS 4
1884-01-28 Tom Lees Sydney, NSW, Australia NC ND 6
1884-01-28 George Cave Sydney, NSW, Australia W KO 1
1882-04-01 Sam Britten Sydney, NSW, Australia W KO 0
1882-03-01 ? Dubbo Australia W PTS 0
1882-02-01 Jack Hayes Sydney, NSW, Australia W KO 7
1882-01-01 Jack Hayes Sydney, NSW, Australia D PTS 5

Record to Date
Won 46 (KOs 31) Lost 3 Drawn 3 Total 94

[Yogi]

Whoops!

Darren, the Denver Ed that I was referring to had the last name of Martin, not Denver Ed Smith, who as far as I know was yet another white heavyweight from that time.

My bad for not including the last name.

[THE REAL NINJA]

Whoops!

Darren, the Denver Ed that I was referring to had the last name of Martin, not Denver Ed Smith, who as far as I know was yet another white heavyweight from that time.

My bad for not including the last name.

yeah wasnt sure i thought he was white but a lot of them i have no clue what they look like so