December 26: On This Day in World History … briefly
Nicknamed the Galveston Giant, Jack Johnson was an American boxer who, at the height of the Jim Crow era, became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion.
1908: Johnson wins boxing crown
Texan boxer Jack Johnson outclasses world heavyweight champion Tommy Burns at Rushcutter’s Bay in Sydney with a dazzling display of fighting skills.
He finally got the better of Burns in the 14th round when police stopped the contest. The 6-foot (1.8m) challenger had followed the Canadian Burns around the world in the hope of forcing a title match.
Burns eventually agreed, but only after Snowy Baker had guaranteed him a purse of $30 000 (£16 300), the largest ever offered to a fighter. The road to the top has been a long one for the flamboyant 30-year-old Johnson, who had been a victim of racial attitudes which discouraged bouts between black and white boxers.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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