By Sam Gregory: July 4th, 2010 marks the 100 year anniversary of what has become known as “The fight of the twentieth century”, the heavyweight fight between reigning heavyweight champion Jack Johnson and former heavyweight champion Jim Jefferies that took place on July 4th, 1910 in Reno, Nevada.
This year the professional boxing community, boxing fans, historians, political leaders, and the city of Reno will be celebrating this historic event.
Most of what you’ll read on the internet this weekend will be about the fight, the fighters and the centennial celebration. What I’ve written in this article is why the fight happened, what lead up to the fight and why it was such an important part of pugilistic history.
By Wayne Lord: How can people deduce that Jack Johnson’s pardon is a racial and useless? The first few responses to Brock Kaiser’s article prove that what was written is dead on! This is no different than men commenting on childbirth. Until a man can actually have a baby and endure it like a woman, we have no right to tell them what the pain is really like.
By Brock Kaiser: There is a saying that sometimes the more things change, the more they actually stay the same. Race was once again ushered into the forefront in boxing this week as the United States Congress approved a resolution this past Wednesday urging a posthumous presidential pardon for Jack Johnson, who in 1908 shocked the world by becoming the sport’s first black heavyweight champion.
By Sam Gregory: Renewed efforts are underway to clear the name of Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion of the world, for a conviction of violation of the Mann Act; a law prohibiting black men from transporting white woman across state lines. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, plan to introduce resolutions before Congress this week calling on President Barack Obama to pardon Johnson.