His monumental first-round knockout win over Max Schmeling saw him stand as a symbol in the battle against Nazi Germany.Īugust 17th, 1938: Henry Armstrong became the first fighter, black or white, to hold world titles in three weight classes simultaneously.ĭecember 20th, 1946: Sugar Ray Robinson stood up to the mob that controlled the sport, refusing to be dictated by their terms and eventually winning the welterweight crown with a win over Tommy Bell. June 22nd, 1938: Joe Louis became widely regarded as the first African-American to achieve national hero status. ‘The Brown Bomber’s’ triumph was a groundbreaking moment in African-American history, with thousands staying up all night throughout the country in celebration. June 22, 1937: Joe Louis became the first black world heavyweight champion since Jack Johnson, knocking James J.
#Black boxer archive
‘The Galveston Giant’ cemented himself as a towering cultural figure in American history, transcending the sport with his achievements.īlack Boxing History Photo: Bettmann Archive July 4th, 1910: Reigning heavyweight king Jack Johnson knocked out America’s ‘Great White Hope’ James J. The police halted the fight recording to make sure no footage existed of a white man being knocked out by a black man. ‘Barbados’ Joe Walcott lost his title to Dixie Kid by controversial disqualification, with the referee later believed to have bet on the victor.ĭecember 26th, 1908: Jack Johnson made history by becoming boxing’s first ever African-American world heavyweight champion, stopping Tommy Burns in Australia. ‘The Old Master’ was also the first American-born black man to hold a world championship in any sport.īlack Boxing History: Joe Gans made historyġ904: The first world title match between two black boxers. May 12th, 1902: Joe Gans became the first ever native-born black American world title holder after stopping Frank Erne in one round.
Later heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott named himself after the man he regarded as the greatest ever.
‘Little Chocolate’ was a 19th century catalyst for future generations of black boxers.ġ901: ‘Barbados’ Joe Walcott was the first black fighter to claim a world championship in the 20th century, by knocking out Jim Ferns. June 27th, 1890: Canadian George Dixon became the first black fighter ever to capture a world title by beating Nunc Wallace in London bypassing American segregation laws. Black Boxing History: Tom Molineaux was a pioneer.
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