So he was 37 when he lost the title to Willard and although he was obviously aging and no longer the same, I get the impression that another big reason he lost is because of his conditioning. "Unforgiveable blackness" even mentions that Johnson had won nearly every round up untill the end. He was never in title contention again but how would we determine the reason. Is it the racist politics at the time, or did Johnson simply lose all hunger for the sport, or was he too past it? Also could he have beaten Willard in a rematch and was he still good enough(if in great shape) to be the top dog at that time? I'm interested in this and look forward to your knowledgable answers.
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unforgivable blackness! dope doc check it out homie -
I wouldn't say Johnson's conditioning was poor against Willard. As a 37 year old man he fought like hell for 26 rounds and was well ahead on points, he just succumbed to the heat, his younger, stronger opponent and a hard right hand. I don't see an even older Johnson faring much better in a rematch.
Johnson was pretty much persona non grata after he lost the title. He was still a fugitive and reduced to fighting club fighters in places like Spain and Cuba. After serving his prison sentence he beat a few journeymen and made some noise about fighting Dempsey but he was never going to be allowed near the title again, and was never in a position to challenge for it anyway. You could put it down to racial politics and dislike of Johnson in particular, but it was mostly because he was just well past it.Last edited by Kid McCoy; 12-30-2010, 11:42 PM.Comment
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Who do you rate as the overall greater fighter, Dempsey or Johnson?Originally posted by Kid McCoy View PostComment
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Johnson still claims to this day he threw the fight so some charges against him were dropped si he could escape jail time.Comment
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