In addition to that little Declaration of Independence thing we all celebrated over the weekend, there was another anniversary on Sunday, the centennial anniversary of one of the few, honest-to-god boxing matches of the century.
On July 4th, 1910, heavyweight champion Jack Johnson fought former undefeated heavyweight champion Jim ("The Great White Hope" ) Jefferies for fifteen rounds when Jefferies' corner threw in the towel for fear of seeing a loss by knockout. Jefferies had come out of retirement to prove once & for all that a white man could always prove himself better than a black man.
For those not having PBS or basic knowledge of the sport, Jack Johnson was one of the more fascinating characters of the first half of the 20th century, & one of the most impressive fighters to enter a ring. He made it his business to knock out white boxers, & upset white establishment. In fact, after his defeat of Jefferies, widespread celebrations broke out in black neighborhoods, labeled by many as "riots"
Some "riots" were simply blacks celebrating in the streets. In certain cities, like Chicago, the police did not disturb the celebrations. But in other cities, the police and angry white citizens tried to subdue the revelers. Police interrupted several attempted lynchings. In all, "riots" occurred in more than 25 states and 50 cities. About 23 blacks and two whites died in the riots, and hundreds more were injured.
The fight itself wasn't much to speak of, in all honesty, but the historical context & social changes it heralded are what qualify it for the fight of the century, as well argued by Henry Fetter here.
ChrisSick
Philadelphia, PA
March 2008
JUL 07, 2010 06:24 AM