Jack Johnson & The beginnings of boxing | Galveston Giant |
Channel: BOXING LEGENDS
Date: 2020-03-07

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

John Arthur (“Jack”) Johnson (March 31, 1878 – June 10, 1946)



John Arthur “Jack” Johnson was born on March 31, 1878, to father Henry and mother Tina “Tiny” Johnson, both of whom were former black slaves who worked odd jobs as a janitor and as a dishwasher respectively. Johnson’s father, in particular, was a civilian teamster of the Union’s 38th Colored Infantry and was a role model for Johnson in his developmental years.

Nicknamed the Galveston Giant, Johnson was a professional boxer known for being the first African American to win the world heavyweight title. He held the title from 1908 to 1915, effecting a period of utter dominance with every performance inside the ring. His 1910 bout against James J. Jeffries was fondly dubbed “Fight of the Century”.


*103 years ago today, July 4, 1910, The “Battle of the Century,” takes place in a stadium built specifically for the fight in Reno, Nevada. Jack Johnson (Galveston Giant) KO 15 James J. Jefferies (The Boilermaker), Johnson retains world heavyweight title to become the first African American Heavyweight Champion of the World. After the news of Johnson’s victory spread, there were riots and lynching throughout the country, and 11 people were killed.


Johnson was also one of the originators of boxing entourages, and a life of glitz and glamor seemed to follow him wherever he would go. According to filmmaker Ken Burns, Johnson was the most famous and most notorious African American on Earth during his time.

It’s time for us to dig deep and get to know the man who helped shape the sport that we know and love into what it is today. Johnson, one of the most influential African American sports superstars in history, certainly deserves the recognition.



On June 10, 1946, Johnson died in a car accident in North Carolina. He was driving angrily and aggravated after coming from a diner that refused to serve him. He was taken to the closest colored hospital, Saint Agnes Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. Johnson was 68 years old at the time of death.



Johnson’s grave was initially unmarked. Today, a stone bearing only the name “Johnson” stands above.

Johnson is one of the most significant African American athletes in history and paved the way for many of boxing’s greatest legends to give rise to the sport that we know and love today. Guys like Joe Louis, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mike Tyson, and Muhammad Ali all owe Johnson his due credit, and their careers would not have existed if it weren’t for what Johnson was able to do during his time on this Earth.


One of the greatest boxers to ever live — the original baddest man on the planet, Jack Johnson.





*** Trump pardons boxer Jack Johnson 72 years after death


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