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By Frank Ceresi

Today, a hundred years after he dominated boxing at the highest level, even casual sports fans instantly know of Jack Johnson and are aware that he was one of the true giants in American boxing history. Being the first, and some say greatest, African American heavyweight champion during a time period when racial hatred seemed to define American society must have in many ways been an unimaginable burden for the boxer.

It is not hard to understand why he was both feared and admired. Boxing enthusiasts were in awe as he dominated the game for years taking on and beating a slew of “great white hopes”, but high society at large was downright hostile to him from the very first time he exploded on the scene. Why? Well, openly dating, than unapologetically marrying, white women certainly left an impression that was controversial at best. But when his white wife number one committed suicide in 1911 after Johnson became the Heavyweight Champion, things got downright nasty. In short order he married white wife number 2, became embroiled with the law as a result of a Mann Act charge, thus, inducing the couple to flee the United States and live in Europe.

It was during the spring of 1915 that our story begins to take shape. It was then that Harry Frazee (yes, the same man who as owner of the Boston Red Sox unceremoniously sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankee’s a few years later) and Johnson’s longtime manager Jack Curley promoted the fight that would not only ultimately prove to be Johnson’s last as a Champion but also produce the remarkable several page “confession” that is the subject of our National Treasure article. Let’s first talk about the boxing match that spawned the confession and created a stir in the boxing world that had scarcely experienced before or since.

The contest pitted the heavily favored “unbeatable” black fighter against a 6 foot 6 inch tall and 230 pound former mule skinner, the lily white country boy, Big Jess Willard. The stage would be set in May for what the whole world thought would be a walk in the park for the menacing Johnson. But those in the fight game knew that despite a spotty record (Jess lost a few times to fighters who were clearly physically inferior to him), Willard was no push over for he created quite a stir in the netherworld of boxing when he killed a man in the ring with one solid punch only two years before the scheduled match.

As summer of 1915 approached it was decided that the fight would be held on June 15th in what would become the sweltering heat in Havana, Cuba. Johnson did not give the impression of one who thought the fight would be tough. He spent more time swimming, clowning around and betting at the famous Orient Race Track than preparing for what would turn out to be a street brawl. The first part of the fight seemed predictable with the Champion coasting. But after 20 grueling rounds (most won by Johnson according to boxing enthusiasts who were present), things began to change as the tiring and older Champ began to feel the sweltering Havana heat. Newspaperman Damon Runyon sitting at ringside called the last several rounds a “fistic frenzy”. Big Jess had turned the tide and clearly took the offensive.

In the 26th round a weakened Johnson seemed to crumble as a result of a series of blows and was knocked down by younger Willard. Shockingly, there Johnson lay, flat on his back, with Referee Jack Welch counting to 10, and a victorious Willard towering over him. It was over. Johnson lost and Jess Willard was crowned the new Heavyweight Champion of the World! Runyon summed up the wild racially charged mood in Cuba the night Johnson lost and a new king was crowned. “Something approaching a race riot followed with thousands marching throughout the streets of Havana chanting “Viva El Bianco”!

As fascinating and interesting as the fight was, the significance of the actual brawl pales in comparison to the historical significance our National Treasure, a hand signed confession composed dated January 27, 1916 in which Johnson details a sordid story in which he claims to have “faked” the fight, throwing it and losing at the suggestion of promoters Harry Frazee and Jack Curley. In words that even today sting with anger, sadness and despair, in five long pages Johnson details the fix, the fight and what he claims was a sinister “double cross”. The former champ signed the confession twice and added his own striking notes to the document in deep black ink. He then presented the same to his old friend Nat Fleischer, the esteemed editor of boxing’s Bible, Ring Magazine, for publication.

How rare is this artifact? It was never actually published by Fleisher and rarely has been seen in the 90 years since the fight itself. It is awesome! The writing is steeped in its own controversy and the influential publisher adds his own note to the piece that “I saw the fight and didn’t think it was a fake”! What the real truth is we will never know. Does the photo of the fight showing Johnson “resting” on the canvas that accompanies this column confirm Johnson’s confession? Or, was it the writing a ruse to get money as Fleischer noted on the artifact itself?

That fascinating question will be debated in boxing circles forever but this summer, on June 5th, someone somewhere will have a chance to actually own the key piece of what can only be called “boxing’s biggest puzzle”. For it is then that SCP and Sotheby’s Live Sports Auction will offer the original “confession” at auction in New York City.

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