Early 20th century African American iconic boxing champion Jack Johnson was a keen motorist, but ultimately all did not go well as regards his pastime. What were the circumstances of this?

Answer: Jack Johnson was the first black heavyweight boxing champion after winning the title from Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia, on December 26, 1908.

Known as the ‘Galveston Giant’ and ‘Little Arthur’, Johnson was handsome and charismatic and had his last fight aged fifty.

His father was a janitor who preached in local churches. Johnson was close to his mother and spoke with pride of buying her a house with some of the early proceeds of his wins in the ring.

Outside of the ring, Johnson spent a life of adventure, including some time fighting bulls in Spain.

As he wrote in his autobiography, he was also a “Great Motorist”.

But on the road Johnson was less masterful than in the ring.

No fewer than five times cars rolled on top of him and each time he survived.

But his luck was to run out.

Once, driving fast through a town in America’s south, the local sheriff stopped him for speeding and fined him fifty dollars. Johnson, smiling, handed over a one hundred dollar bill saying, “I’m coming back the same way.”

The great boxing icon died on June 10, 1946 in North Carolina, when he lost control of his car which hit a light pole and overturned.

Source: The Great White Hopes: The Quest to Defeat Jack Johnson by Graeme Kent

More at: History

Comments are closed.