On This Day In Boxing History (OTDIBH), Jess Willard took on Jack Johnson in a ridiculous 45 round fight in front of a massive crowd in Havana, Cuba. Luckily for Willard, he found a way to knockout Johnson in the 26th round to win the world heavyweight boxing title.
There is much controversy around this fight as Johnson said he lost the fight on purpose even though there was video evidence to prove otherwise. Willard stated “If he was going to throw the fight, I wish he’d done it sooner. It was hotter than hell out there.” Later, Johnson admitted to lying to him losing on purpose and eventually said the Willard was just too much for him that day.
Willard went on to make only one title defense when he defeated Frank Moran in 1616 at Madison Square Garden.
See the full fight here:
Comments