Jack Johnson The First American World Heavyweight Boxing Champion

February 3 1903 John Arthur “Jack” Johnson won the Negro Heavyweight Title. Johnson whose nickname was the Galveston Giant became the first African American world Heavyweight boxing champion at the height of the Jim Crow era. He was champion from 1908 - 1915

Johnson was faced with controversy in 1912 when he was charged with violating the Mann Act. Ken Burns notes in a documentary about Johnson’s life that “for more than thirteen years Jack Johnson was the most famous and the most notorious African American on Earth”

Jack Johnson lost his title Jess Willard on April 5, 1915. Johnson was knocked out in the 26^th round of a fight scheduled to go 45 rounds. Wow, that was a long fight. Can you imagine today’s going 45 rounds.

After he lost his world heavyweight title he never fought again for the colored heavyweight crown.