# Jim Johnson (boxer)

"Battling" Jim Johnson (September 2, 1887 – November 1, 1918) was an American boxer who fought as a heavyweight from 1908 to 1918. He had little success and lost with great frequency to top boxers such as Sam Langford, Joe Jeanette, Sam McVey, Harry Wills and Kid Norfolk.
In spite of this, Jack Johnson, the first black world heavyweight champion, gave him a title shot. When they fought in Paris in August 1913, it was the first time that two black boxers had fought for the world heavyweight title. Battling Jim was the only black fighter Johnson faced during his reign as heavyweight champ from 1908 to 1915.

## Title Shot

Battling Jim fought former colored champ Joe Jeanette four times between 19 July 1912 and 21 January 1912 and lost all four fights. The only fighter of note he did beat in that period was future colored champ Big Bill Tate, whom he K.O.-ed in the second round of a scheduled 10-round bout. It was Tate's third pro fight.
In November 1913, the International Boxing Union had declared the world heavyweight title held by Jack Johnson to be vacant. The heavyweight title fight between the two Johnsons, scheduled for 10 rounds, was held on 19 December 1913 in Paris. It was the first time in history that two blacks had fought for the world heavyweight championship.

## Johnson v. Johnson

While the Johnson v. Johnson fight had been billed as a world heavyweight title match, in many ways, it resembled an exhibition. A sportswriter from the Indianapolis Star reported that the fight crowd became unruly when it was apparent that neither boxer was putting up a fight.
   "Jack Johnson, the heavyweight champion, and Battling Jim Johnson, another colored pugilist, of Galveston, Texas, met in a 10-round contest here tonight, which ended in a draw. The spectators loudly protested throughout that the men were not fighting, and demanded their money back. Many of them left the hall. The organizers of the fight explained the fiasco by asserting that Jack Johnson's left arm was broken in the third round. There is no confirmation of a report that Jack Johnson had been stabbed and no evidence at the ringside of such an accident. During the first three rounds he was obviously playing with his opponent. After that it was observed that he was only using his right hand. When the fight was over he complained that his arm had been injured. Doctors who made an examination, certified to a slight fracture of the radius of the left arm. The general opinion is that his arm was injured in a wrestling match early in the week, and that a blow tonight caused the fracture of the bone."
Because of the draw, Jack Johnson kept his championship. After the fight, he explained that his left arm was injured in the third round and he could not use it.

## Later career

Battling Jim's next fight, four months later, also was a title match. On 27 March 1914 in New York City, Sam Langford won a newspaper decision in a ten-rounder with Johnson. According to the New York Times, the colored heavyweight champ "won by a wide margin" because Johnson "failed to show anything remotely resembling championship ability."
Battling Jim fought Langford ten more times (including two more colored title matches). Two of the fights were draws, including their last fight on 22 September 1918, which was also Battling Jim's last pro bout. He faced Joe Jeanette five more times and did not win a single contest. Two of their fights were draws and their last fight on 20 August 1918, Battling Jim's penultimate pro fight, was a no decision.
Of the other colored heavyweight champs that Battling Jim battled, he won only one fight, against Harry Wills, because he broke his wrist blocking a punch in a non-title match and Johnson won by a technical knockout. Battling Jim lost his other two fights with Wills and lost the five fights he had with ex-colored heavyweight champ Sam McVey in the post-Jack Johnson title shot period.

## Illness and death

Jim was signed to fight Sam Langford in a 12-round fight at the Crescent Athletic Club in Lowell, Massachusetts. However, the fight was postponed due to the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. While waiting for the bout to be rescheduled, Johnson contracted the disease. After he was removed from the hospital, he died after a few days of pneumonia.

## Record and legacy

Battling Jim ended with a career record of 30 wins against 31 losses and six draws when his newspaper decisions are factored in. Looking at his dismal performance with the top black heavyweights of his era and his inability to best a one-armed Jack Johnson, Battling Jim Johnson cannot be considered a top contender of his era or a worthy opponent when Jack Johnson awarded him the sole title shot given to a black boxer in the 29 years between Jack and Joe Louis winning the heavyweight crown.

## Professional boxing record

All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

### Official record

| 84 fights | 27 wins | 18 losses |
| By knockout | 23 | 4 |
| By decision | 4 | 10 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 4 |
| Draws | 7 | 7 |
| No contests | 1 | 1 |
| Newspaper decisions/draws | 31 | 31 |
All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| 84 | Loss | 27–18–7 (32) | Joe Jeanette | PTS | ? | Aug 27, 1918 | Wiedenmayer Park, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 83 | Loss | 27–17–7 (32) | Sam Langford | NWS | 8 | Aug 22, 1918 | Lafayette A.C., Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 82 | Loss | 27–17–7 (31) | Sam Langford | NWS | 8 | Aug 5, 1918 | Atlantic City S.C., Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 81 | Loss | 27–17–7 (30) | Kid Norfolk | NWS | 4 | Jul 16, 1918 | Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 80 | Loss | 27–17–7 (29) | Sam Langford | PTS | 10 | Jun 19, 1918 | Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
| 79 | Loss | 27–16–7 (29) | Sam McVey | PTS | 25 | Oct 14, 1917 | Broadway Theater, Colon City, Panama | |
| 78 | Win | 27–15–7 (29) | Jeff Clark | TKO | 8 (15) | Sep 16, 1917 | Broadway Theater, Colon City, Panama | |
| 77 | Loss | 26–15–7 (29) | Sam McVey | PTS | 20 | Aug 12, 1917 | Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama | |
| 76 | Loss | 26–14–7 (29) | Tango Kid | DQ | 8 (10) | Jun 29, 1917 | Vanderbilt A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 75 | Loss | 26–13–7 (29) | Harry Wills | NWS | 10 | Jun 1, 1917 | Harlem S.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 26–13–7 (28) | Harry Wills | TKO | 2 (12) | Feb 7, 1917 | Future City A.C., Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 73 | Loss | 25–13–7 (28) | Sam Langford | PTS | 12 | Jan 1, 1917 | Academy A.C., Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | For world colored heavyweight title claim |
| 72 | Loss | 25–12–7 (28) | Sam Langford | KO | 12 (12) | Dec 12, 1916 | Future City A.C., Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. | For world colored heavyweight title claim |
| 71 | Win | 25–11–7 (28) | Lowe Simms | KO | 5 (10) | Sep 15, 1916 | Idaho, Boise, U.S. | |
| 70 | Loss | 24–11–7 (28) | Joe Bonds | PTS | 10 | Aug 1, 1916 | Idaho, Boise, U.S. | |
| 69 | Win | 24–10–7 (28) | Jack Thompson | KO | 3 (20) | May 18, 1916 | Elks Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 23–10–7 (28) | Kyle Whitney | KO | 2 (20) | Apr 13, 1916 | Elks Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 67 | Draw | 22–10–7 (28) | Jack Thompson | PTS | 10 | Dec 3, 1915 | North Side A.C., Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 66 | Draw | 22–10–6 (28) | Jeff Clark | PTS | 15 | Nov 1, 1915 | Joplin, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 65 | Loss | 22–10–5 (28) | Sam Langford | PTS | 15 | Oct 18, 1915 | National A.C., Denver, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 64 | Loss | 22–9–5 (28) | Andre Anderson | TKO | 9 (10) | Oct 4, 1915 | St. Nicholas Arena, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 63 | Draw | 22–8–5 (28) | Soldier Kearns | NWS | 10 | Sep 21, 1915 | Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 62 | Loss | 22–8–5 (27) | Harry Wills | NWS | 10 | Jul 5, 1915 | Sacandaga Park, Gloversville, New York, U.S. | |
| 61 | Loss | 22–8–5 (26) | Sam McVey | NWS | 10 | Jun 9, 1915 | Gayety Theatre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 60 | Loss | 22–8–5 (25) | Sam Langford | NWS | 10 | Jun 8, 1915 | Broadway S.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 59 | Win | 22–8–5 (24) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | May 10, 1915 | Sohmer Park, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 58 | Draw | 22–8–5 (23) | Joe Battling Woods | NWS | 10 (?) | May 3, 1915 | Broadway S.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 57 | Win | 22–8–5 (22) | Arthur Pelkey | KO | 7 (10) | Apr 30, 1915 | Sohmer Park, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 56 | Loss | 21–8–5 (22) | Sam Langford | NWS | 10 | Apr 6, 1915 | 135th Street A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | World colored heavyweight title claim at stake; (via KO only) |
| 55 | Loss | 21–8–5 (21) | Sam McVey | PTS | 20 | Feb 20, 1915 | Havana, Cuba | |
| 54 | Win | 21–7–5 (21) | Fred Jackson | TKO | 4 (10) | Jan 11, 1915 | Pioneer Sporting Club, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 53 | Loss | 20–7–5 (21) | Sam McVey | NWS | 10 | Dec 10, 1914 | Fairmont A.C., Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 52 | Draw | 20–7–5 (20) | Joe Jeanette | PTS | 12 | Nov 10, 1914 | Atlas A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 51 | Draw | 20–7–4 (20) | Sam Langford | PTS | 12 | Sep 15, 1914 | Atlas A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | For world colored heavyweight title claim |
| 50 | Loss | 20–7–3 (20) | Sam Langford | NWS | 10 | Aug 12, 1914 | Stadium A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | World colored heavyweight title claim at stake; (via KO only) |
| 49 | Loss | 20–7–3 (19) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Aug 5, 1914 | Stadium A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 48 | Loss | 20–7–3 (18) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Jul 15, 1914 | St. Nicholas Arena, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 47 | Loss | 20–7–3 (17) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Jul 1, 1914 | St. Nicholas Arena, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 46 | Loss | 20–7–3 (16) | Porky Dan Flynn | PTS | 12 | May 19, 1914 | Atlas A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 45 | Loss | 20–6–3 (16) | Sam Langford | NWS | 10 | Mar 27, 1914 | Empire A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 44 | Draw | 20–6–3 (15) | Jack Johnson | PTS | 10 | Dec 19, 1913 | Élysée Montmartre, Paris, Paris, France | For world heavyweight title |
| 43 | Win | 20–6–2 (15) | Jim Esson | KO | 1 (?) | Jun 22, 1913 | Américan-Park, Bordeaux, Gironde, France | |
| 42 | NC | 19–6–2 (15) | Kid Jackson | NC | ? | May 29, 1913 | Apollo Saint-Michel, Avignon, Vaucluse, France | |
| 41 | Win | 19–6–2 (14) | Bob Scanlon | TKO | 6 (20) | May 26, 1913 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England, U.K. | |
| 40 | Win | 18–6–2 (14) | Kid Jackson | TKO | 10 (?) | May 3, 1913 | Eldorado-Casino, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France | |
| 39 | Win | 17–6–2 (14) | Gustave Marthuin | TKO | 8 (20) | Apr 28, 1913 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England, U.K. | |
| 38 | Win | 16–6–2 (14) | Con O'Kelly | KO | 11 (15) | Apr 3, 1913 | Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, U.K. | |
| 37 | Loss | 15–6–2 (14) | Joe Jeanette | DQ | 15 (?) | Jan 21, 1913 | Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 15–5–2 (14) | Tom Overby | KO | 6 (10) | Jan 16, 1913 | Keystone A.C., Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 35 | Loss | 14–5–2 (14) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Jan 1, 1913 | Irving A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 14–5–2 (13) | Bill Tate | KO | 2 (10) | Dec 1, 1912 | Sharkey A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 13–5–2 (13) | Tom Overby | NWS | 6 | Nov 26, 1912 | Spring Garden A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 13–5–2 (12) | Black Bill | KO | 7 (10) | Nov 12, 1912 | Royale A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 31 | Loss | 12–5–2 (12) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Oct 30, 1912 | Forty-Fourth Street A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 12–5–2 (11) | Bill Watkins | KO | 2 (5) | Sep 30, 1912 | American A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 29 | Win | 11–5–2 (11) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 6 | Jul 19, 1912 | Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 11–5–2 (10) | Chuck Carleton | NWS | 6 | May 20, 1912 | American A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 27 | Loss | 11–5–2 (9) | Fred Storbeck | PTS | 20 | Apr 4, 1912 | Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, U.K. | |
| 26 | Win | 11–4–2 (9) | Tom Cowler | PTS | 15 | Mar 30, 1912 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England, U.K. | |
| 25 | Loss | 10–4–2 (9) | Alf Langford | DQ | 3 (20) | Jan 29, 1912 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England, U.K. | Johnson hit Langford when he was down |
| 24 | Win | 10–3–2 (9) | Dennis Haugh | KO | 3 (?) | Dec 8, 1911 | Cosmopolitan Gymnasium, Plymouth, Devon, England, U.K. | |
| 23 | Loss | 9–3–2 (9) | Matthew Curran | DQ | 4 (20) | Dec 1, 1911 | Cosmopolitan Gymnasium, Plymouth, Devon, England, U.K. | |
| 22 | Loss | 9–2–2 (9) | Alf Langford | KO | 4 (20) | May 22, 1911 | Attercliffe Boxing Hall, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, U.K. | |
| 21 | Win | 9–1–2 (9) | Seaman George Pascall | KO | 6 (10) | Feb 20, 1911 | The Empire, Holborn, London, England, U.K. | |
| 20 | Win | 8–1–2 (9) | Jewey Smith | TKO | 11 (20) | Jan 23, 1911 | Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End, London, England, U.K. | |
| 19 | Win | 7–1–2 (9) | Fred Drummond | TKO | 4 (10) | Jan 7, 1911 | Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End, London, England, U.K. | |
| 18 | Loss | 6–1–2 (9) | Sam McVey | KO | 21 (25) | Nov 19, 1910 | Luna Park Skating Rink, Paris, Paris, France | |
| 17 | Win | 6–0–2 (9) | Gustave Marthuin | PTS | 10 | Oct 9, 1910 | Wonderland, Paris, Paris, France | |
| 16 | Win | 5–0–2 (9) | Jim Maher | KO | 3 (10) | Sep 1, 1910 | Hippodrome, Paris, Paris, France | |
| 15 | Win | 4–0–2 (9) | Alexandre Meunier | KO | 5 (10) | Aug 19, 1910 | Hippodrome-Théâtre, Roubaix, Nord, France | |
| 14 | Draw | 3–0–2 (9) | Sam McVey | PTS | 15 | Aug 7, 1910 | Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France | |
| 13 | Draw | 3–0–1 (9) | Tom Overby | NWS | 6 | May 31, 1910 | Douglas A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 3–0–1 (8) | Morris Harris | NWS | 6 | May 23, 1910 | Willis A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 11 | Loss | 3–0–1 (7) | Sam Langford | NWS | 6 | May 14, 1910 | National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | World colored heavyweight title claim at stake; (via KO only) |
| 10 | Draw | 3–0–1 (6) | Tony Ross | NWS | 6 | Apr 19, 1910 | Douglas A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 9 | draw | 3–0–1 (5) | Tom Overby | PTS | 10 | Apr 14, 1910 | Keystone A.C., Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 8 | Draw | 3–0 (5) | Al Kubiak | NWS | 6 | Mar 29, 1910 | Douglas A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 3–0 (4) | Charley Stevenson | NWS | 6 | Mar 14, 1910 | West End A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 3–0 (3) | Tom Overby | NWS | 6 | Mar 5, 1910 | National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 3–0 (2) | Tom Overby | NWS | 6 | Feb 19, 1910 | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 4 | Loss | 3–0 (1) | Jeff Clark | NWS | 6 | Feb 14, 1910 | West End A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | George Kid Cotton | PTS | 8 | Jan 17, 1910 | Phoenix A.C., Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Battling Harris | PTS | 8 | Jan 3, 1910 | Phoenix A.C., Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Battling Brooks | TKO | 4 (6) | Mar 26, 1909 | Lyric Theatre, Binghamton, New York, U.S. | |

### Unofficial record

| 84 fights | 35 wins | 36 losses |
| By knockout | 23 | 4 |
| By decision | 12 | 28 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 4 |
| Draws | 12 | 12 |
| No contests | 1 | 1 |
Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| 84 | Loss | 35–35–13 (1) | Joe Jeanette | PTS | ? | Aug 27, 1918 | Wiedenmayer Park, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 83 | Loss | 35–34–13 (1) | Sam Langford | NWS | 8 | Aug 22, 1918 | Lafayette A.C., Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 82 | Loss | 35–33–13 (1) | Sam Langford | NWS | 8 | Aug 5, 1918 | Atlantic City S.C., Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 81 | Loss | 35–32–13 (1) | Kid Norfolk | NWS | 4 | Jul 16, 1918 | Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 80 | Loss | 35–31–13 (1) | Sam Langford | PTS | 10 | Jun 19, 1918 | Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
| 79 | Loss | 35–30–13 (1) | Sam McVey | PTS | 25 | Oct 14, 1917 | Broadway Theater, Colon City, Panama | |
| 78 | Win | 35–29–13 (1) | Jeff Clark | TKO | 8 (15) | Sep 16, 1917 | Broadway Theater, Colon City, Panama | |
| 77 | Loss | 34–29–13 (1) | Sam McVey | PTS | 20 | Aug 12, 1917 | Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama | |
| 76 | Loss | 34–28–13 (1) | Tango Kid | DQ | 8 (10) | Jun 29, 1917 | Vanderbilt A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 75 | Loss | 34–27–13 (1) | Harry Wills | NWS | 10 | Jun 1, 1917 | Harlem S.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 34–26–13 (1) | Harry Wills | TKO | 2 (12) | Feb 7, 1917 | Future City A.C., Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 73 | Loss | 33–26–13 (1) | Sam Langford | PTS | 12 | Jan 1, 1917 | Academy A.C., Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | For world colored heavyweight title claim |
| 72 | Loss | 33–25–13 (1) | Sam Langford | KO | 12 (12) | Dec 12, 1916 | Future City A.C., Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. | For world colored heavyweight title claim |
| 71 | Win | 33–24–13 (1) | Lowe Simms | KO | 5 (10) | Sep 15, 1916 | Idaho, Boise, U.S. | |
| 70 | Loss | 32–24–13 (1) | Joe Bonds | PTS | 10 | Aug 1, 1916 | Idaho, Boise, U.S. | |
| 69 | Win | 32–23–13 (1) | Jack Thompson | KO | 3 (20) | May 18, 1916 | Elks Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 31–23–13 (1) | Kyle Whitney | KO | 2 (20) | Apr 13, 1916 | Elks Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 67 | Draw | 30–23–13 (1) | Jack Thompson | PTS | 10 | Dec 3, 1915 | North Side A.C., Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 66 | Draw | 30–23–12 (1) | Jeff Clark | PTS | 15 | Nov 1, 1915 | Joplin, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 65 | Loss | 30–23–11 (1) | Sam Langford | PTS | 15 | Oct 18, 1915 | National A.C., Denver, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 64 | Loss | 30–22–11 (1) | Andre Anderson | TKO | 9 (10) | Oct 4, 1915 | St. Nicholas Arena, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 63 | Draw | 30–21–11 (1) | Soldier Kearns | NWS | 10 | Sep 21, 1915 | Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 62 | Loss | 30–21–10 (1) | Harry Wills | NWS | 10 | Jul 5, 1915 | Sacandaga Park, Gloversville, New York, U.S. | |
| 61 | Loss | 30–20–10 (1) | Sam McVey | NWS | 10 | Jun 9, 1915 | Gayety Theatre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 60 | Loss | 30–20–9 (1) | Sam Langford | NWS | 10 | Jun 8, 1915 | Broadway S.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 59 | Win | 30–19–9 (1) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | May 10, 1915 | Sohmer Park, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 58 | Draw | 29–19–9 (1) | Joe Battling Woods | NWS | 10 (?) | May 3, 1915 | Broadway S.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 57 | Win | 29–19–8 (1) | Arthur Pelkey | KO | 7 (10) | Apr 30, 1915 | Sohmer Park, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 56 | Loss | 28–19–8 (1) | Sam Langford | NWS | 10 | Apr 6, 1915 | 135th Street A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | World colored heavyweight title claim at stake; (via KO only) |
| 55 | Loss | 28–18–8 (1) | Sam McVey | PTS | 20 | Feb 20, 1915 | Havana, Cuba | |
| 54 | Win | 28–17–8 (1) | Fred Jackson | TKO | 4 (10) | Jan 11, 1915 | Pioneer Sporting Club, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 53 | Loss | 27–17–8 (1) | Sam McVey | NWS | 10 | Dec 10, 1914 | Fairmont A.C., Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 52 | Draw | 27–16–8 (1) | Joe Jeanette | PTS | 12 | Nov 10, 1914 | Atlas A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 51 | Draw | 27–16–7 (1) | Sam Langford | PTS | 12 | Sep 15, 1914 | Atlas A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | For world colored heavyweight title claim |
| 50 | Loss | 27–16–6 (1) | Sam Langford | NWS | 10 | Aug 12, 1914 | Stadium A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | World colored heavyweight title claim at stake; (via KO only) |
| 49 | Loss | 27–15–6 (1) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Aug 5, 1914 | Stadium A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 48 | Loss | 27–14–6 (1) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Jul 15, 1914 | St. Nicholas Arena, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 47 | Loss | 27–13–6 (1) | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Jul 1, 1914 | St. Nicholas Arena, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 46 | Loss | 27–12–6 (1) | Porky Dan Flynn | PTS | 12 | May 19, 1914 | Atlas A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 45 | Loss | 27–11–6 (1) | Sam Langford | NWS | 10 | Mar 27, 1914 | Empire A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 44 | Draw | 27–10–6 (1) | Jack Johnson | PTS | 10 | Dec 19, 1913 | Élysée Montmartre, Paris, Paris, France | For world heavyweight title |
| 43 | Win | 27–10–5 (1) | Jim Esson | KO | 1 (?) | Jun 22, 1913 | Américan-Park, Bordeaux, Gironde, France | |
| 42 | NC | 26–10–5 (1) | Kid Jackson | NC | ? | May 29, 1913 | Apollo Saint-Michel, Avignon, Vaucluse, France | |
| 41 | Win | 26–10–5 | Bob Scanlon | TKO | 6 (20) | May 26, 1913 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England, U.K. | |
| 40 | Win | 25–10–5 | Kid Jackson | TKO | 10 (?) | May 3, 1913 | Eldorado-Casino, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France | |
| 39 | Win | 24–10–5 | Gustave Marthuin | TKO | 8 (20) | Apr 28, 1913 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England, U.K. | |
| 38 | Win | 23–10–5 | Con O'Kelly | KO | 11 (15) | Apr 3, 1913 | Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, U.K. | |
| 37 | Loss | 22–10–5 | Joe Jeanette | DQ | 15 (?) | Jan 21, 1913 | Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 22–9–5 | Tom Overby | KO | 6 (10) | Jan 16, 1913 | Keystone A.C., Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 35 | Loss | 21–9–5 | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Jan 1, 1913 | Irving A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 21–8–5 | Bill Tate | KO | 2 (10) | Dec 1, 1912 | Sharkey A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 20–8–5 | Tom Overby | NWS | 6 | Nov 26, 1912 | Spring Garden A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 19–8–5 | Black Bill | KO | 7 (10) | Nov 12, 1912 | Royale A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 31 | Loss | 18–8–5 | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 10 | Oct 30, 1912 | Forty-Fourth Street A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 18–7–5 | Bill Watkins | KO | 2 (5) | Sep 30, 1912 | American A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 29 | Win | 17–7–5 | Joe Jeanette | NWS | 6 | Jul 19, 1912 | Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 16–7–5 | Chuck Carleton | NWS | 6 | May 20, 1912 | American A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 27 | Loss | 15–7–5 | Fred Storbeck | PTS | 20 | Apr 4, 1912 | Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, U.K. | |
| 26 | Win | 15–6–5 | Tom Cowler | PTS | 15 | Mar 30, 1912 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England, U.K. | |
| 25 | Loss | 14–6–5 | Alf Langford | DQ | 3 (20) | Jan 29, 1912 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England, U.K. | Johnson hit Langford when he was down |
| 24 | Win | 14–5–5 | Dennis Haugh | KO | 3 (?) | Dec 8, 1911 | Cosmopolitan Gymnasium, Plymouth, Devon, England, U.K. | |
| 23 | Loss | 13–5–5 | Matthew Curran | DQ | 4 (20) | Dec 1, 1911 | Cosmopolitan Gymnasium, Plymouth, Devon, England, U.K. | |
| 22 | Loss | 13–4–5 | Alf Langford | KO | 4 (20) | May 22, 1911 | Attercliffe Boxing Hall, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, U.K. | |
| 21 | Win | 13–3–5 | Seaman George Pascall | KO | 6 (10) | Feb 20, 1911 | The Empire, Holborn, London, England, U.K. | |
| 20 | Win | 12–3–5 | Jewey Smith | TKO | 11 (20) | Jan 23, 1911 | Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End, London, England, U.K. | |
| 19 | Win | 11–3–5 | Fred Drummond | TKO | 4 (10) | Jan 7, 1911 | Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End, London, England, U.K. | |
| 18 | Loss | 10–3–5 | Sam McVey | KO | 21 (25) | Nov 19, 1910 | Luna Park Skating Rink, Paris, Paris, France | |
| 17 | Win | 10–2–5 | Gustave Marthuin | PTS | 10 | Oct 9, 1910 | Wonderland, Paris, Paris, France | |
| 16 | Win | 9–2–5 | Jim Maher | KO | 3 (10) | Sep 1, 1910 | Hippodrome, Paris, Paris, France | |
| 15 | Win | 8–2–5 | Alexandre Meunier | KO | 5 (10) | Aug 19, 1910 | Hippodrome-Théâtre, Roubaix, Nord, France | |
| 14 | Draw | 7–2–5 | Sam McVey | PTS | 15 | Aug 7, 1910 | Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France | |
| 13 | Draw | 7–2–4 | Tom Overby | NWS | 6 | May 31, 1910 | Douglas A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 7–2–3 | Morris Harris | NWS | 6 | May 23, 1910 | Willis A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 11 | Loss | 6–2–3 | Sam Langford | NWS | 6 | May 14, 1910 | National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | World colored heavyweight title claim at stake; (via KO only) |
| 10 | Draw | 6–1–3 | Tony Ross | NWS | 6 | Apr 19, 1910 | Douglas A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 9 | draw | 6–1–2 | Tom Overby | PTS | 10 | Apr 14, 1910 | Keystone A.C., Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 8 | Draw | 6–1–1 | Al Kubiak | NWS | 6 | Mar 29, 1910 | Douglas A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 6–1 | Charley Stevenson | NWS | 6 | Mar 14, 1910 | West End A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 5–1 | Tom Overby | NWS | 6 | Mar 5, 1910 | National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 4–1 | Tom Overby | NWS | 6 | Feb 19, 1910 | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 4 | Loss | 3–1 | Jeff Clark | NWS | 6 | Feb 14, 1910 | West End A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | George Kid Cotton | PTS | 8 | Jan 17, 1910 | Phoenix A.C., Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Battling Harris | PTS | 8 | Jan 3, 1910 | Phoenix A.C., Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Battling Brooks | TKO | 4 (6) | Mar 26, 1909 | Lyric Theatre, Binghamton, New York, U.S. | |