Jack Johnson was the first black boxing champion. He came from Galveston, Texas. They say everything is bigger in Texas.
Jack stood at an impressive 6′ 2″. His nickname was the “Galveston Giant.”
He was “the son of ex-slaves and the third of nine children, Johnson possessed an air of confidence and drive to exceed beyond the hardscrabble life his parents had known.”
Jack became the first, black heavyweight boxing champion. Moreover, in the “1910 fight against James J. Jeffries dubbed the “fight of the century,” he secured his title as a legend! In total, Johnson’s “professional record included 73 wins (40 of them being knockouts), 13 losses, 10 draws and 5 no contests.”
Per his biography, here’s the thing about Jack. He liked women. A lot.
Specifically, he “dated white women, drove lavish cars and spent money freely. But trouble was always lurking. In 1912, he was convicted of violating the Mann Act for bringing his white girlfriend across state lines before their marriage. Sentenced to prison, he fled to Europe, remaining there as a fugitive for seven years. He returned to the United States in 1920 and ultimately served out his sentence.”
President Trump was asked to pardon Jack Johnson for taking his girlfriend over State lines. And so, yesterday, AP announced the news:
“BREAKING: Trump grants posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, boxing’s first black heavyweight champion.”
BREAKING: Trump grants posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, boxing's first black heavyweight champion.
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 24, 2018
And Hannity announced: “White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took a break from the usual press pool Thursday night; trading blows with iconic ‘Rocky’ star Sylvester Stallone as he visited the White House to witness the posthumous pardoning of boxing champion Jack Johnson.
Stallone, who advocated for the pardon with President Trump, posed for a hilarious photo with Sanders just moments after the ceremony.”
“It ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward,” -Rocky Balboa
Thank you @TheSlyStallone!!! pic.twitter.com/pzhJJzQ36g— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) May 25, 2018