Bouts to Recreate

Graziano came into the fight with a 45-7-5 record. The champion Tony Zale came into the fight with a 63-16-2 record and was no pushover. Zale was favored to win the fight and floored Graziano for a no-count in the third round. For 5 rounds Rocky took a punishing beating, suffering a closed eye and it looked like it was going to be a repeat of the first fight. But Rock had heart and came out for the 6th with a barrage of 30 punches to put Zale on the ropes and score the TKO to become the middleweight champion of the world. Voted 1947 Fight of the Year by Ring Magazine. As a footnote, in their third fight, Zale got his revenge and again knocked out Graziano cold. A movie was made out of his life called "Somebody Out There Likes Me".
 

Finally Canadian champion Tommy Burns caved in and said he would fight Johnson in Australia if his enormous price was met. The Canadian said "I will defend my title as heavyweight champion of the world against all comers, none barred. By this I mean black, Mexican, Indian or any other nationality without regard to color, size or nativity." Johnson easily won the December 26, 1908 match in 14 rounds and became the first black heavyweight champion. Every time Burns was about to go down, Johnson would hold him up again, punishing him more. The camera was stopped just as Johnson was finishing off Burns so that nobody could actually see Johnson becoming the champion. Almost immedietly the cry went up from white America for a "great white hope" who could wrest the title away from Johnson. Jeffries was coaxed out of retirement to fight Johnson, who many felt was still the champion (not Burns) since he never lost his title in the ring. Johnson had once fought Jeffries' younger brother Jack and knocked him out in 5 rounds. When Johnson help carry Jack to his corner, he turned to Jim sitting ringside and said "I can whip you too". Jim Jeffries had retired in 1905, saying that there are no more "logical challengers" left for him to fight. Though Jeffries trained hard for the fight and shed over 100 pounds, he could not overcome a five-year layoff and was no match for Johnson. Jeffries struck first in the 4th round, opening up a cut Johnson had sustained in training. Jeffries' cheek and nose were bleeding by the 6th and his right eye almost swollen shut. Jeffries wobbled Johnson a bit in the 11th with a wicked body blow but by the 12th, Johnson was in control. Early in the 15th, Johnson landed a right uppercut and a series of lefts to send Jeffries through the ropes. Jeffries had never been knocked down before but struggled to his feet and then spit out some teeth. Johnson quickly sent him to the canvas again. Jeffries' men climbed into the ring to help him up but another Johnson flurry sent him down for the third time. When the count reached 7, Jeffries' second stepped into the ring to stop the fight. Johnson's TKO victory in the 15th sparked race riots across the nation leaving 26 dead. Some states banned the filming of Johnson's victories over white fighters.

After Jeffries failed to win the title back for White America, white society decided to drag the "immoral" Johnson through the court system. He was booked on trumped up charges under the Mann Act for transporting a white prostitute (who had been Johnson's on and off girlfriend for several years) across state lines. The case was successfully prosecuted and Johnson was found guilty in 1913 and given the maximum penalty of a year and a day in prison. Johnson jumped bail and fled to Europe. Johnson eventually lost the title in Havana, Cuba in April 1915 to Jess Willard. No black would fight for the heavyweight title for another 22 years, until Joe Louis did so, winning it in 1937. A documentary was made about Johnson's life by Ken Burns called "Unforgiveable Blackness".
 

This fight was marred by the famous "long count" in the 6th round when Corbett's stiff left hook dropped Fitzsimmons who broke his fall by wrapping his arms around Corbett. Fitzsimmons slid to the floor until his right knee rested on the canvas and kept his balance by clinging to the champion's leg. Corbett dared not break Fitzsimmon's grip for fear of fouling in the eyes of Fitzsimmons's corner gunmen, so he called for Referee Siler to break him from his knee. Siler politely asked Fitzsimmons to let go, which the boxer finally did after a few more seconds. Then Siler started the count. It was estimated this all took 15 seconds or longer. Fitzsimmons recovered and went on to knock out Corbett in the 14th round to become the new heavyweight champion.
 

Sullivan vs. Corbett was the first heavyweight title fight using gloves. The 33 year-old champion was a 4-1 favorite but spent the first two rounds rushing the challenger as Corbett nimbly sidestepped him. In the third, a Corbett left broke Sullivan's nose and the champion bled profusely for the remainder of the round. In the7th, Corbett shifted to a body attack and began to bury lefts and rights in Sullivan's midsection. By the 14th round, Corbett was easily landing punches and bloody and battered Sullivan wasn't offering much in return. In the 21st round, Corbett unleashed a series of punches that staggered the tired champ. Sullivan retreated to a corner and grabbed hold of the top rope. A right hand dropped Sullivan to his knees. He managed to rise, but a crushing left-right combination pitched Sullivan forward on his face and chest and was counted out for the first loss of his career. A defeated Sullivan addressed the crowd, "Gentlemen, gentlemen, I have nothing at all to say. All I have to say is that I came into the ring once too often -- and if I had to get licked I'm glad I was licked by an American. I remain your warm and personal friend, John L. Sullivan."