VIDEO: President Trump Pardons Jack Johnson

[Best Coast]

That tall guy with the bow tie in the background sure looks like Deontay Wilder!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

It is him. Lennox Lewis also there.

The guy behind Trump looks very familiar also.

[Best Coast]

It is him. Lennox Lewis also there.

The guy behind Trump looks very familiar also.

Nice touch adding some modern-day black HW champs to the ceremony!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Stallone's little speach too. Why not let Lewis get a few words in. I believe that's Mauricio Sulaiman next to Lewis. That belt might be another commenorative title he created and he's probably having Trump pay a sanctioning fee.

[jamamb]

ya you can see trumps face on the belt

[Best Coast]

Stallone's little speach too. Why not let Lewis get a few words in. I believe that's Mauricio Sulaiman next to Lewis. That belt might be another commenorative title he created and he's probably having Trump pay a sanctioning fee.

Stallone got to speak because he lobbied on Johnson's behalf for years.

Wilder and Lewis were just given the privilege of being there, which is an honor in itself. I'm sure there are lots of fighters who would have liked to get face time in such a historic photo op!!

Sulaiman weaseled his way in by providing an official belt for the occasion...and I dont doubt he tried to get a sanctioning fee or some other benefit out of this.

[Best Coast]

Nice photo of Stallone clowning with Deontay Wilder and Lennox Lewis...

[dickbelden]

Stallone's little speach too. Why not let Lewis get a few words in. I believe that's Mauricio Sulaiman next to Lewis. That belt might be another commenorative title he created and he's probably having Trump pay a sanctioning fee.

LEWIS did speak & did so very well !

[Best Coast]

Stallone's little speach too. Why not let Lewis get a few words in. I believe that's Mauricio Sulaiman next to Lewis. That belt might be another commenorative title he created and he's probably having Trump pay a sanctioning fee.

LEWIS did speak & did so very well !

Cool...do you have video of that or anyone else speaking that I might have missed?

[Heretic]

Hey that's Rocky in there

[Gimp Mask]

Hard to believe Rocky was a heavyweight!

[Heretic]

Hard to believe Rocky was a heavyweight!

Yeah he could not make it in today's era

[Gimp Mask]

I hope no one takes this the wrong way, but did Jack Johnson really deserve to be pardoned? Wasn't he technically guilty of transporting a prostitute across state lines? Was Johnson the woman's pimp? What's the full story here?

[oogiebe]

I hope no one takes this the wrong way, but did Jack Johnson really deserve to be pardoned? Wasn't he technically guilty of transporting a prostitute across state lines? Was Johnson the woman's pimp? What's the full story here?

I thought it was his long time companion under the "man act," which was a very racist law.

[Gimp Mask]

I've read that there were two separate incidents.

One was with his white girlfriend who would be his future wife, but this case was dropped.

The second was with one of his "lovers", who was known to be a prostitute. This was the charge he was convicted of.

I guess it depends what his motives were. Was Johnson the woman's pimp, and was he transporting her to traffic her? Or was he just giving her a friendly ride on a road trip? He deserves to be pardoned if it's the latter.

[Thomastearns]

If they think there might be votes in it they'll pardon anyone. The facts mustn't get in the way as all that Rubin Carter outcry proved. Jack Johnson at the least, seemed hell-bent on getting himself into trouble, and he did.

The US only just resisted throwing Ali in jail after the Frazier fight. Luckily for Ali public opinion had begun to heavily turn against the Vietnam war and an election was around the corner. The Supreme Court, after much agonising, wisely overthrew his conviction in 1971 on religious grounds, (many other 'draft dodgers' were not so fortunate and naturally felt a sense of injustice).

History sometimes makes a complete mockery of the law and crime. So all you naughty people out there, don't do it. If you must do it, don't get caught! If you are unlucky or careless enough to get caught (and can't bribe your way out legally or illegally), then at the least don't cry about it.

[Best Coast]

Here's the full video of the entire ceremony....14+ minutes!!

Basically everyone gets to speak: Lewis, Wilder, Sulaiman and the great-niece of Johnson, Ms Haywood:

[chuck9788]

The Jack Johnson pardon is fantastic. President Trump also got an American released from a Venezuela prison today. Good times!

[Best Coast]

The Jack Johnson pardon is fantastic. President Trump also got an American released from a Venezuela prison today. Good times!

Dont forget the 3 prisoners released by North Korea about a month ago.

[jamamb]

is this a trump point scoring thread now?

i haven't really followed his presidency so I can't add much. i heard it was a big coup for him to get the north korea talkks though

[Best Coast]

is this a trump point scoring thread now?

i haven't really followed his presidency so I can't add much. i heard it was a big coup for him to get the north korea talkks though

It may have turned into one, but the reason I started the thread was because I was pleasantly surprised to see Deontay Wilder involved in the ceremony!!

You know my posts well enough to know that I'm usually looking for opportunities to put in a good word for athletes I root for, which is what 90% of sports forum users do.

As far as North Korea talks they are on again/off again but even if they dont happen the 3 prisoners released from there are very grateful.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as ... 80acabdf8c

A team of U.S. officials crossed into North Korea on Sunday for talks to prepare for a summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un, as both sides press ahead with arrangements despite the question marks hanging over the meeting.

[Nile4000]

I've read that there were two separate incidents.

One was with his white girlfriend who would be his future wife, but this case was dropped.

The second was with one of his "lovers", who was known to be a prostitute. This was the charge he was convicted of.

I guess it depends what his motives were. Was Johnson the woman's pimp, and was he transporting her to traffic her? Or was he just giving her a friendly ride on a road trip? He deserves to be pardoned if it's the latter.

He shouldn't have been messed with in the first place. He was the heavyweight champ of the world who was black and arrogant. And white america couldn't deal with it. So they made his life a living hell.

[Best Coast]

I've read that there were two separate incidents.

One was with his white girlfriend who would be his future wife, but this case was dropped.

The second was with one of his "lovers", who was known to be a prostitute. This was the charge he was convicted of.

I guess it depends what his motives were. Was Johnson the woman's pimp, and was he transporting her to traffic her? Or was he just giving her a friendly ride on a road trip? He deserves to be pardoned if it's the latter.

He shouldn't have been messed with in the first place. He was the heavyweight champ of the world who was black and arrogant. And white america couldn't deal with it. So they made his life a living hell.

That's true. America was a far different country 100 years ago. The Jack Johnson issue transpired at a time when black folks were being routinely LYNCHED in some parts of the country!!