Did Jack Johnson ever apologise to Jess Willard?

[Caractacus]

Shortly after loosing the Heavyweight Championship to Jess Willard in April 1915,
Jack Johnson went back to England and told the newspaper JOHN BULL,
that he had "laid Down" for the amount of 50 grand(American money)
to loose to Jess Willard.
My question is did Jack Johnson ever make a retraction and or an apology
in besmerching the reputation and also tainted the ligetemcy of "Big Wheeler'
when all Jess Willard was doing was trying to make a living?

Where does a man go to get his reputation back?

[Caractacus]

Dont believe it?
Then read this link to a newspaper article dated July.24.1915

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 6659&hl=en

[keithmoonhangover]

Shortly after loosing the Heavyweight Championship to Jess Willard in April 1915,
Jack Johnson went back to England and told the newspaper JOHN BULL,
that he had "laid Down" for the amount of 50 grand(American money)
to loose to Jess Willard.
My question is did Jack Johnson ever make a retraction and or an apology
in besmerching the reputation and also tainted the ligetemcy of "Big Wheeler'
when all Jess Willard was doing was trying to make a living?

Where does a man go to get his reputation back?

If he lay down, why should he apologize?

[Caractacus]

Why should he apologise?
How about,
For claiming to have thrown the fight
and not admitting that Jess Willard had vanqushed him in the ring there.

[HomicideHenry]

I think excuses were commonplace then... after all... Johnson claimed he took a dive to Willard... Willard claimed Dempsey used loaded gloves or was holding a spike in his hand... Dempsey claimed he was sick from a doctored drink after losing to Tunney...

[Ambling Alp II]

Thank goodness those excuse days are long over.

[Caractacus]

You forgot Jim J. Jeffries claiming that he was drugged a few days before the bout with Jack Johnson,
and his handlers couldnt even hardly wake him up to get out of bed the morning of July 4th 1910.
also he had the "squirts" too
but no one ever really believed Jim Jeffries claim back then,
however there are still people who believe that Johnson threw the Willard fight.

[keithmoonhangover]

Why should he apologise?
How about,
For claiming to have thrown the fight
and not admitting that Jess Willard had vanqushed him in the ring there.

That's my point. Jack thought he threw the fight. Why apologise for that? No one can prove he didn't throw the fight.

[Caractacus]

So and nobody can prove that Tommy Burns didnt throw his fight with Jack Johnson,
because maybe Tommy Burns just didnt feel like"Doin his best" that afternoon in 1908?

[keithmoonhangover]

So and nobody can prove that Tommy Burns didnt throw his fight with Jack Johnson,
because maybe Tommy Burns just didnt feel like"Doin his best" that afternoon in 1908?

I don't recall Burns mentioning it.

[Caractacus]

You know why it was that Jack Johnson was able to continue that mistruth for so many years?
Because fight films were banned in America in 1910
and no one saw the film footage for decades.
The had only seen the photograph(usually it hanged in bar rooms across America) of Jack Johnson on the canvas shading his eyes.
I dont know how exactly shading his eyes would prove that he had thrown the fight to anyone either.
But check this out,watch the fighters reaction when he hits the canvas after a devastating combination at approx. 14:50 of this clip.
Thats what you call "The Jack Johnson Effect".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUl4tck4T0c

and since when did a fighter have to be rendered totally unconcious to be counted out as a KO?

[Caractacus]

read this link to a newspaper article published in 1968.
The fable that Jack Johnson perpetuated that he threw the fight with Willard,
haunted Willard to his last days.


http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?n ... 4645&hl=en

[Caractacus]

read this link to a newspaper article published in 1968.
The fable that Jack Johnson perpetuated that he threw the fight with Willard,
haunted Willard to his last days.
(and a lot of dopey assed people still believed it)


http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?n ... 4645&hl=en

[keithmoonhangover]

You know why it was that Jack Johnson was able to continue that mistruth for so many years?

How do you know for certain it's a mistruth?

[Cap]

It happens to every champion if he hangs around long enough or tries to come back. Sooner or later someone younger comes along and "puts the boots to 'im". Johnson was no different.

[Caractacus]

just thought I would bump this thread up because someone here on another thread brought up the absurd
"dive" claim by Jack Johnson again.

[Cutman Scabbers]

Fascinating that Willard's championship -- both the gaining and losing of it -- was defined by such mythologies.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Shortly after loosing the Heavyweight Championship to Jess Willard in April 1915,
Jack Johnson went back to England and told the newspaper JOHN BULL,
that he had "laid Down" for the amount of 50 grand(American money)
to loose to Jess Willard.
My question is did Jack Johnson ever make a retraction and or an apology
in besmerching the reputation and also tainted the ligetemcy of "Big Wheeler'
when all Jess Willard was doing was trying to make a living?

Where does a man go to get his reputation back?

Mate your kidding aint ya Jack Johnson was treated worse then a DOG.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

You forgot Jim J. Jeffries claiming that he was drugged a few days before the bout with Jack Johnson,
and his handlers couldnt even hardly wake him up to get out of bed the morning of July 4th 1910.
also he had the "squirts" too
but no one ever really believed Jim Jeffries claim back then,
however there are still people who believe that Johnson threw the Willard fight.

He owed Willard f.cking nothing

[ClivePatrickLyons]

It happens to every champion if he hangs around long enough or tries to come back. Sooner or later someone younger comes along and "puts the boots to 'im". Johnson was no different.

Johnson was ruled by the colour barrier and he was suspected of taking a dive for year's and year's so uncle Sam would get off his back his title reign was anything but normal.

[Caractacus]

Shortly after loosing the Heavyweight Championship to Jess Willard in April 1915,
Jack Johnson went back to England and told the newspaper JOHN BULL,
that he had "laid Down" for the amount of 50 grand(American money)
to loose to Jess Willard.
My question is did Jack Johnson ever make a retraction and or an apology
in besmerching the reputation and also tainted the ligetemcy of "Big Wheeler'
when all Jess Willard was doing was trying to make a living?

Where does a man go to get his reputation back?

Mate your kidding aint ya Jack Johnson was treated worse then a DOG.

If you were to ask me it was Jess Willard who was treated like a dog.
show me a photograph with him (Willard)and his "adoring" fans then.

[BitPlayer]

Claiming to take a dive seems odd. I thought that'd be more damaging than losing. Just claim he was ill or something.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Shortly after loosing the Heavyweight Championship to Jess Willard in April 1915,
Jack Johnson went back to England and told the newspaper JOHN BULL,
that he had "laid Down" for the amount of 50 grand(American money)
to loose to Jess Willard.
My question is did Jack Johnson ever make a retraction and or an apology
in besmerching the reputation and also tainted the ligetemcy of "Big Wheeler'
when all Jess Willard was doing was trying to make a living?

Where does a man go to get his reputation back?

Mate your kidding aint ya Jack Johnson was treated worse then a DOG.

If you were to ask me it was Jess Willard who was treated like a dog.
show me a photograph with him (Willard)and his "adoring" fans then.

The great white hope was treated like a dog well that will do me you should check what time in Americas[shameful] history we are talking about.

[gilgamesh]

I doubt he ever apologized to Jess Willard because he was probably telling the truth.

[foxdog1923]

Well it's good Jack Johnson raised the corruption of boxing all the way back to his days.