Who Had The Worst Reign Ever ?

[Seamus]

I was hoping someone besides myself would bring up Johnson. He didn't just duck the top contender, he avoided the top 5 or 6 at least.

[keithmoonhangover]

I was hoping someone besides myself would bring up Johnson. He didn't just duck the top contender, he avoided the top 5 or 6 at least.

I'm not sure if avoided is the right word. The way fights came about then was a totally different thing. Promoting an all black title fight would have been financial suicide, because most of the crowd paid in the hope that Johnson would get beat by a white fighter.

[Ezzard]

Back in those days it’s true that most of the champs has far better pre-title careers. Once they won the title it was seen as a way to promote themselves in stage tours, vaudeville etc…

Johnson and Dempsey had great pre-title careers.

[Vano-irons]

Yeah I'm not slagging off Johnson's resume in the slightest. In fact, I have him as the 3rd best HW ever, behind Louis and Ali. While he had already beaten these guys years before, his actual title rein left a lot to be desired.

I'm also no convinced he 'ducked' these black challengers. It was better for him financially to fight the Great White Hopes

[Adamj1987]

Yeah I'm not slagging off Johnson's resume in the slightest. In fact, I have him as the 3rd best HW ever, behind Louis and Ali. While he had already beaten these guys years before, his actual title rein left a lot to be desired.

I'm also no convinced he 'ducked' these black challengers. It was better for him financially to fight the Great White Hopes

I dont think he ducked them i think he just drew the colour line and fought white guys as he ade more money for less risk at the time

[Seamus]

Even if he intended to only defend against White fighters, he still ended up not fighting a few guys who were superior to the ones he did defend against.

Gunboat Smith
Luther McCarty
Carl Morris
Jim Coffey
Battling Levinsky

[Boilermaker]

Even if he intended to only defend against White fighters, he still ended up not fighting a few guys who were superior to the ones he did defend against.

Gunboat Smith
- Gunboat was Jack Johnson's sparring partner for a while before the Ketchell fight here is one description of their spar which was part of a larger session with several other fighters.

http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cdnc?a ... th----1909

Of course this apparently was followed by this one, but i hardly think this one had the crowd scurrying for a title fight, do you?

http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cdnc?a ... th----1909#

Between 1912 and 1914 Gunboat was on fire, and was realistically the no 1 contender from late 1913 until he was Kod by Langford. The problem is that Johnson was banned from the USA and was fighting in Europe. Gunboat was in the US. NOt a realistic matchup. And when Gunboat did venture to Europe, he had mixed success fighting Carpentier.





Luther McCarty -
Might have been a chance in 1913, but again, fighting on a different continent doesnt really make this a viable opponent does it?

Carl Morris -
I suppose he might have been a top white fighter when he beat Pelkey or Gunboat in 1916 but johnson wasnt even champion then. An earlier date might have been the after the fulton fight,

Jim Coffey - He was coming along well until he was knocked out in about 1915 by Frank Moran, who had just been beaten by Jack Johsnon. NOt realistic.

Battling Levinsky - I really cant see how Levinsky would make the radar. At the very least, his light heavyweight title fight would have placed him behind Dillon wouldnt it?

[kolcade4]

Klompton, Sorry to veer off subject
On another thread you said you thought you had footage of Nick Wells , could you please contact me @ [email protected] ASAP
THANKS

[revporl]

Ken Norton