Poche Pictures
e-mail: rich@pochepictures.com
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
BIRTH OF A BOXING FAN
-My own story of how this obsession came about.
ERIC 'THE PRINCE' MARTIN
1958-2007
-My tribute to my friend and former Bay Area
boxing great
-My own story of how this obsession came about.
ERIC 'THE PRINCE' MARTIN
1958-2007
-My tribute to my friend and former Bay Area
boxing great
“Unforgivable Blackness” is a fascinating
documentary on the turn of the century black
heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.
This documentary not only has appeal to the
boxing fan but to students of the history of the
United States as well. Lately, I’ve been feeling
rather reflective about this era of time because
it is coinciding with a great book I’m reading
called “American Lightning” by Howard Blum.
documentary on the turn of the century black
heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.
This documentary not only has appeal to the
boxing fan but to students of the history of the
United States as well. Lately, I’ve been feeling
rather reflective about this era of time because
it is coinciding with a great book I’m reading
called “American Lightning” by Howard Blum.
One of the primary insights I’ve come away with
from viewing the film and reading the
aforementioned book is that America was never
innocent. There was never a time period in our
history where the country had a clearly defined
“Good Old Days”. In the documentary, writer
Stanley Crouch comments that there are two great
myths in America. One is the myth of our
childhood. The other myth is that everything under
the Mason Dixon line was great back in the day.
I think he’s right.
One only has to listen to a garden variety politician,
talk show pundit or a preacher and you’ll inevitably
hear about how things need to return to how they
were back in the day. They often talk wistfully
about how the way things used to be and how
now everything sucks…
Well, sometimes history isn’t quite what we want
it to be.
But we can learn from it.
I think there is a lot to learn from Jack Johnson's
life story.
What struck me about the documentary is that at
first glance I thought that it was going to be about
Johnson’s struggles to overcome institutional
racism. And to some degree it was about that. But
at the end, his life was more about a man being
himself and achieving a freedom on his own
terms.. He was going to do things his way. Some
people got hurt in the process (particularly one of
his many lady friends) but…He was his own
man. I can’t imagine a guy like Johnson toiling
away in anonymity at some job, forced to be an
obedient and reliable “good employee“. He had an
ability to fight and used that ability to forge out an
extraordinary life…All the more incredible
considering the cultural mores of the time. I’ll leave
it to you to check out the documentary itself as
people who have done far more homework than I
weigh in on the subject of Johnson’s life.
from viewing the film and reading the
aforementioned book is that America was never
innocent. There was never a time period in our
history where the country had a clearly defined
“Good Old Days”. In the documentary, writer
Stanley Crouch comments that there are two great
myths in America. One is the myth of our
childhood. The other myth is that everything under
the Mason Dixon line was great back in the day.
I think he’s right.
One only has to listen to a garden variety politician,
talk show pundit or a preacher and you’ll inevitably
hear about how things need to return to how they
were back in the day. They often talk wistfully
about how the way things used to be and how
now everything sucks…
Well, sometimes history isn’t quite what we want
it to be.
But we can learn from it.
I think there is a lot to learn from Jack Johnson's
life story.
What struck me about the documentary is that at
first glance I thought that it was going to be about
Johnson’s struggles to overcome institutional
racism. And to some degree it was about that. But
at the end, his life was more about a man being
himself and achieving a freedom on his own
terms.. He was going to do things his way. Some
people got hurt in the process (particularly one of
his many lady friends) but…He was his own
man. I can’t imagine a guy like Johnson toiling
away in anonymity at some job, forced to be an
obedient and reliable “good employee“. He had an
ability to fight and used that ability to forge out an
extraordinary life…All the more incredible
considering the cultural mores of the time. I’ll leave
it to you to check out the documentary itself as
people who have done far more homework than I
weigh in on the subject of Johnson’s life.
I will, however, comment on his boxing career as that is in my area of expertise. One of the more
revealing aspects of the documentary is that it dispels the legend of Johnson throwing his
championship fight against Jess Willard. I always thought that Johnson had in fact thrown this fight
for nebulous reasons. Maybe his life was threatened. But it became apparent after viewing the
footage, however, that Johnson was simply outlasted by the bigger Willard. Johnson was finally
knocked out in the 26th round of a grueling bout. There is a famous photo of Johnson laying on his
back while being counted out. He covers his eyes with his arms to shield them from the 106 degree
Cuban sun. Some people cited this photo as proof that Johnson, in fact, could have gotten up.
Johnson was reported to have said “I was forced to lose to a man…Who could not have beaten me“
It is apparent though, that Johnson had simply gotten old, lost interest in training and finally got his
ass whipped by a “White Hope”.
Johnson’s career actually started here on the west coast. He fought a handful of times in San
Francisco and Oakland. These were minor bouts and Johnson eventually won the “Colored
Heavyweight Championship” which he defended numerous times. I found it interesting that after he
won the heavyweight title he did not find it necessary to defend against his fellow black fighters. His
reasoning was that there was too much risk for too little money. The documentary does err in
giving the impression that Johnson mowed down all white opposition during his title reign. This
doesn’t appear to be the case…There was the title winning effort against Tommy Burns and the
huge super fight win against James Jeffries (the latter which caused numerous race riots around the
country) but in all he had about eight title defenses with two of those title defenses ending in a draw.
Johnson was in his mid-thirties and was undoubtedly slowing down physically.
After the Willard loss, Johnson fought on, fighting journeymen in Spain, Mexico and Leavenworth,
Kansas. He rode an unbeaten streak until the age of 48 when he was stopped by “Fighting” Bob
Lawson. His career went into a tailspin and he started losing more than winning, then he retired.
Some of these bouts are wrongly attributed as exhibitions.
Johnson attempted a comeback at age 60. Like many fighters after him, Johnson could not stay out
of the spotlight. In addition to boxing he tried his hand at vaudeville and music. Still, his fighting days
were behind him. Writer Stanley Crouch noted and I’m paraphrasing, that despite the warts of
America, Johnson could not achieved his greatness in any country other than the United States. He
describes how there is an “elasticity” here and that if a man is bold enough to dream, he can achieve
his dreams if he is man enough.
Perhaps the most mind-boggling aspect of his personality was his ability to never get ruffled. He
was showered with every racial epithet imaginable in and out of the ring. His life was threatened
constantly and through it all, he smiled…But it was a mocking smile. “You are not getting under my
skin”, he seemed to be saying. And this is what pissed off the white folk even further. He smiled
and laughed his way through the big matches against Burns and Jeffries, taunting the fighters and
their corner men. Their taunts and threats never got to him, at least not on the surface.
But in 1946, Johnson entered a North Carolina café to eat with a friend. They were not refused
service but they were told that if they wanted to eat there they would have to sit in the back.
Johnson refused and stormed out. He got so pissed off he drive his car at top speed down the
highway, lost control and slammed into a telephone pole. Johnson died in the accident.
He was 68 years old. They finally got under his skin.
revealing aspects of the documentary is that it dispels the legend of Johnson throwing his
championship fight against Jess Willard. I always thought that Johnson had in fact thrown this fight
for nebulous reasons. Maybe his life was threatened. But it became apparent after viewing the
footage, however, that Johnson was simply outlasted by the bigger Willard. Johnson was finally
knocked out in the 26th round of a grueling bout. There is a famous photo of Johnson laying on his
back while being counted out. He covers his eyes with his arms to shield them from the 106 degree
Cuban sun. Some people cited this photo as proof that Johnson, in fact, could have gotten up.
Johnson was reported to have said “I was forced to lose to a man…Who could not have beaten me“
It is apparent though, that Johnson had simply gotten old, lost interest in training and finally got his
ass whipped by a “White Hope”.
Johnson’s career actually started here on the west coast. He fought a handful of times in San
Francisco and Oakland. These were minor bouts and Johnson eventually won the “Colored
Heavyweight Championship” which he defended numerous times. I found it interesting that after he
won the heavyweight title he did not find it necessary to defend against his fellow black fighters. His
reasoning was that there was too much risk for too little money. The documentary does err in
giving the impression that Johnson mowed down all white opposition during his title reign. This
doesn’t appear to be the case…There was the title winning effort against Tommy Burns and the
huge super fight win against James Jeffries (the latter which caused numerous race riots around the
country) but in all he had about eight title defenses with two of those title defenses ending in a draw.
Johnson was in his mid-thirties and was undoubtedly slowing down physically.
After the Willard loss, Johnson fought on, fighting journeymen in Spain, Mexico and Leavenworth,
Kansas. He rode an unbeaten streak until the age of 48 when he was stopped by “Fighting” Bob
Lawson. His career went into a tailspin and he started losing more than winning, then he retired.
Some of these bouts are wrongly attributed as exhibitions.
Johnson attempted a comeback at age 60. Like many fighters after him, Johnson could not stay out
of the spotlight. In addition to boxing he tried his hand at vaudeville and music. Still, his fighting days
were behind him. Writer Stanley Crouch noted and I’m paraphrasing, that despite the warts of
America, Johnson could not achieved his greatness in any country other than the United States. He
describes how there is an “elasticity” here and that if a man is bold enough to dream, he can achieve
his dreams if he is man enough.
Perhaps the most mind-boggling aspect of his personality was his ability to never get ruffled. He
was showered with every racial epithet imaginable in and out of the ring. His life was threatened
constantly and through it all, he smiled…But it was a mocking smile. “You are not getting under my
skin”, he seemed to be saying. And this is what pissed off the white folk even further. He smiled
and laughed his way through the big matches against Burns and Jeffries, taunting the fighters and
their corner men. Their taunts and threats never got to him, at least not on the surface.
But in 1946, Johnson entered a North Carolina café to eat with a friend. They were not refused
service but they were told that if they wanted to eat there they would have to sit in the back.
Johnson refused and stormed out. He got so pissed off he drive his car at top speed down the
highway, lost control and slammed into a telephone pole. Johnson died in the accident.
He was 68 years old. They finally got under his skin.