Jess Willard defeats Johnson for the heavyweight title...
Item # 722527
April 06, 1915
THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL, Memphis, Tennessee, April 6, 1915
* Jess Williard vs. Jack Johnson
* The "Great white hope" defeats 1st Black Boxing Champion
* Heavyweight boxing title fight (1st report)
The first column of the front page has stacked heads reporting on the heavyweight boxing championship, with: "WILLARD WINS FISTIC HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN" "Kansas Cowboy Knocks Out Negro in 26 Rounds" "Johnson Tired Self Down" "Had Advantage to 20th Lap, When Fall Commenced" with more. This report takes the full first column & carries over to page 10 where the text is more extensive. A large photo of Jess Willard is also presented, and is headed: "The New Heavyweight Champion of the World." See images for details.
Sixteen pages, partially loose at the spine. Good condition, but it should be handled VERY carefully.
background: The April 5, 1915, championship bout between Jack Johnson and Jess Willard remains one of the most grueling endurance tests in boxing history, ending Johnson’s seven-year reign as the first Black heavyweight champion. Held in the blistering 105°F heat of Havana, Cuba, the match was scheduled for an incredible 45 rounds, favoring Willard’s massive 6'6" frame and youth over the 37-year-old champion's aging stamina. While Johnson dominated the early rounds with his signature defensive wizardry and counter-punching, the tropical sun and Willard’s "stay-away" strategy eventually took their toll; by the 26th round, a physically exhausted Johnson was floored by a powerful right hand to the jaw. The fight’s aftermath was shrouded in controversy for decades, fueled by Johnson’s own later claims that he "threw" the fight to clear his legal troubles in the U.S., though film evidence of the brutal exchange and the sheer length of the contest lead most historians to conclude that Willard simply outlasted a legend.
* Jess Williard vs. Jack Johnson
* The "Great white hope" defeats 1st Black Boxing Champion
* Heavyweight boxing title fight (1st report)
The first column of the front page has stacked heads reporting on the heavyweight boxing championship, with: "WILLARD WINS FISTIC HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN" "Kansas Cowboy Knocks Out Negro in 26 Rounds" "Johnson Tired Self Down" "Had Advantage to 20th Lap, When Fall Commenced" with more. This report takes the full first column & carries over to page 10 where the text is more extensive. A large photo of Jess Willard is also presented, and is headed: "The New Heavyweight Champion of the World." See images for details.
Sixteen pages, partially loose at the spine. Good condition, but it should be handled VERY carefully.
background: The April 5, 1915, championship bout between Jack Johnson and Jess Willard remains one of the most grueling endurance tests in boxing history, ending Johnson’s seven-year reign as the first Black heavyweight champion. Held in the blistering 105°F heat of Havana, Cuba, the match was scheduled for an incredible 45 rounds, favoring Willard’s massive 6'6" frame and youth over the 37-year-old champion's aging stamina. While Johnson dominated the early rounds with his signature defensive wizardry and counter-punching, the tropical sun and Willard’s "stay-away" strategy eventually took their toll; by the 26th round, a physically exhausted Johnson was floored by a powerful right hand to the jaw. The fight’s aftermath was shrouded in controversy for decades, fueled by Johnson’s own later claims that he "threw" the fight to clear his legal troubles in the U.S., though film evidence of the brutal exchange and the sheer length of the contest lead most historians to conclude that Willard simply outlasted a legend.
Category: The 20th Century
