Jack Johnson Poem by Francis Duggan

Those who know anything about professional boxing will know of the big fight at Sydney's Rushcutter Bay
Between Tommy Burns the Canadian world heavyweight champion
and the Challenger Jack Johnson of the U.S.A.
On December the twenty sixth in the Australian summer a few months short of ninety five years ago
Jack Johnson toyed with and humiliated the smaller Burns as anyone who know of boxing history know.

Jack Johnson was a victim of discrimination and his only crime he was not born white
Born on march the thirty first in 1878 in Galveston in Texas and at a young age he was taught how to fight
The first black heavyweight champion of the World one well might say that he came up the hard way
The mighty man in his time was a legend and he remains a legend to this day.

On June the tenth 1946 Johnson died in a car crash but the legend of the great man still lives on
And the fame of the 'Galveston Giant' still living though many great boxers since have come and gone
Nat Fleischer boxing's greatest ever analyst so many great fighters he could recall
In his old age said of all the great fighters he could remember Jack Johnson was the greatest of them all.

Jack Johnson was the first black heavyweight champion and his legend is alive and well today
He won the title by outclassing Tommy Burns in Sydney in New
South Wales at Rushcutter Bay
And he finally lost his crown to Jess Willard in Havana Cuba
when he was many years beyond his prime
And he perhaps is still the greatest champion and was definitely the greatest of his time.