Johnson, Jack Arthur

Jack Arthur Johnson was born March 31, 1878 in Galveston, Texas, in a poor black family, and from an early age was forced to work. As a teenager he left home and changed many professions before taking up boxing. It quickly became apparent that this is his calling. As professional boxer, he began to speak with 16 years, but details of his first battles remained little. At first he was fighting with varying success, while not sufficiently mastered the technical skills. Especially hard, he delved into the mysteries of Defense.
In 1906, when the heavyweight champion was a Canadian, Tommy Burns, who defeated Marvin Hart, Johnson's account was already more than 50 meetings, of which only three losing. He managed to overcome such serious opponents like Frank Chaylz, George Gardner, Sam McVie, Sam Langford, Joe Jeanette, Jim Flynn, and ex-world champion Bob Fitzsimmons. Johnson got two nicknames: 'Giant of Galveston' and, as it was called negros, 'Little Arthur', or 'Arturchik'.
'Arturchik' weighed at that time about 88 kg during the growth of 186.5 cm, characterized by a bear and a cat agility, strength. He really wanted to get the title of Burns, but the Negro in America was not easy to make a fight for the title of champion. An experienced manager, Sam Johnson Fitzpatrick believed the only way for her ward organization of meetings with Burns outside the United States, during one of the many voyages of the last.
But Burns is not eager to fight with the 'Giant of Galveston', which was harder to 14.5 cm above and to the same 'color'. In the end, he agreed to meet with Johnson subject to the receipt for the trouble of not less than 6 000 pounds / 30 000 dollars /. In those days it was a staggering amount, which has never paid for the boxers to fight. Burns called it, being sure that now he would be left alone. To his amazement, found an enterprising businessman and amateur boxing Hugo McIntosh, who accepted the requirement champion. Mac is not worried about the racial issue, because he was a man of action, counting on the large sum and was not mistaken. December 26, 1908 at a large stadium, recently erected on the outskirts of Sydney, Burns went into battle against Johnson.
After several rounds of Burns was pathetic, his whole face was covered in blood. Johnson does not aspire to quickly finish the match, he regularly lambasted the enemy and loud in every way he was abused. The public began to demand termination of the unequal battle, but the referee was in no hurry to intervene. Only in the 14 round, when Burns barely rose and again came under an avalanche of blows Negro, the police interrupted a meeting. For the first time in the history of boxing world champion in the most prestigious, heavy weight category was a Negro, and many Americans could not accept it.
The following year, Johnson holds four title fight and all wins. Began frantic search boxer who could move the self-confident, always smiling boldly Negro. And more and more eyes turned to the glorious hero of the ring to Jim Jeffries. But this, lost its former strength champion, 5 years does not go into the ring was defeated in the 15th round match held on July 4, 1910 in a small American town of Reno. The same day, telephone and telegraph spread throughout America, the news of the victory of the black world champion and the greatest defeat of the white champions. This news great cost to Americans. There were clashes between blacks and whites, was set on fire many houses, there were armed clashes, which caused human casualties, were carried out mass arrests of Negroes. Only 5 April 1915 Johnson surrendered his powers Jess Willard, who was able to knock out 37-year-old giant in the 26 round.
Johnson continues in the ring before the end of his life until he died in a car accident June 10, 1946. The legendary boxer, with the broadest technology capabilities and powerful blows. He has made many in the development of combat tactics in the ring. His name is connected with the development of boxing as an art. He originated the idea of preliminary design of combinational DIURNAL and by skillful maneuver in the ring to create the conditions for their successful conduct. In the lists of the best boxers of the time, developed a prominent American Boxing Nat Fleischer, the name of John Johnson was listed at number 1.