Article by David Martinez – Boxing Historian,
Photo of Peter Jackson, from David Martinez Private Collection
Let me bring you a feature story that you will probably not read any where regarding, all together, the five best black heavyweights at the turn of the 20th century.
I got the idea when I over heard some mutual friends talking about the best black baseball players that never got the chance to play in the major leagues, and had to settle playing against each other in the old negro league.
I have rated many boxers in many categories throughout my 50 years of boxing … on this website alone you will find that I have rated the best heavyweights, the best lightweights, the best Mexicans fighters, and now I will personally rate the best black heavyweights in a time period that but only one of them, Jack Johnson, had the opportunity to fight for the heavyweight championship.
But before Johnson came into the scene, I must acknowledge Peter Jackson. He was a true pioneer in the brass knuckle days, and the first black heavyweight that set the stage for the top recognition of the black boxers, and that was before the turn of the 20th century.
Racial prejudice was the only thing that kept Jackson from his chance to win the heavyweight championship. In a ten year span, 1882-1892, in which Jackson was in his prime, the heavyweight champion was John L. Sullivan, who stated that he would never fight a Negro for his crown.
Just before Sullivan lost his coveted belt, in 1892, to James J Corbett, a year prior to that fight in 1891 Jackson fought Corbett to a grueling 61 round draw, in a bout that lasted over four hours. Jackson would never fight Corbett once he held the title, and lost to another future heavyweight champion Jim Jeffries seven years later after the Corbett fight, in a fight that virtually ended his career.
Jackson “aka” The Black Prince was considered by many boxing experts (even to this to this day) at the peak of his career as one of the most complete heavyweights ever.
After the turn of the 20th century, I rate Jack Johnson the best at that time, and in his prime he was truly the top heavyweight. Johnson was a master defensive boxer, and well ahead of his time among any of the great boxers, black or white in his era. He won the heavyweight championship when he was 32 years old, Ali was 22, and Joe Louis was 23. He was the central figure in the most dramatic fight in heavyweight boxing history; his July 4, 1910, bout with Jim Jeffries caused more national repercussions than any thing ever seen in the sport. Johnson fought the best in his time, and lost the championship to Jess Willard on a “controversial” knockout. The late Nat Fleischer, Ring Magazine founder, and in my opinion, said Johnson was simply the best heavyweight champion ever.
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