Stanley Ketchel vs Jack Johnson

[AfflictionFTW]

Jack Johnson has to be one of the most overrated HW champion of all time.

He used to get KTFO and/or floored by middleweights, lost a points decision to another midget in Hart and had an obscure title reign.

Him as a ATG HW is an absolute joke

[toby099]

imagine if julian jackson or tommy hearns landed their right hand on johnsons jaw...no way would he of got up

[dudespin]

Stanley Ketchel reportedly lost all his front teeth at 0:15! I read Jack Johnson's bio, Unforgivable Blackness.

[andrewr62]

I personally believe the first knockdown was staged to enhance the value of the film. I read Ketchel did get some revenge on Johnson later that evening winning

much of his purse in card game.

[bladosc444]

Kiecal polish man

[Wartfacedfreak]

Johnson broke ketchel's front teeth at the gum line with one shot; they were in his glove after the punch. Jack Johnson was the best heavyweight of all time.

[Geist452]

i think jack takes a dive looking at his legs and stanley's hesitance. no doubt he hit him but its a telegraphed shot and jonhson's movements match. the quick response only adds to the idea that it was a ploy. johnson was known to play on the "negative" white crowd

[snide95]

the end of the fight where they both got dropped looks staged. ketchel telegraphed the punch. johnson knew it was coming. and then in the end where ketchel immediately goes down

[Saighu]

@snide95, you are probably right, i wouldn't be surprised given the nature of boxing administration back then.

[09bnunez]

he was told to carry ketchel ..but ketchel doublecross jack and deck him so jack said okay you want to play that game so jack ko his ass

[mrnails81]

Watch the story about Jack johnson he and Ketchel were friends.They agreed to put on a show,Ketchel hit him to hard so he crushed him.Ketchel lost around 4-5 teethon that one punch.Think about how solid those gloves were.

[ewoldt]

Ketchel was a badass

[Maryjaneslave]

This is one of the funniest moments in boxing.

[PowerFlash82196]

There was a script When Ketchel did that johnson was mad bcause that wasn't in the script so he knocked out ketchel. It is in the documentary

[frank47hammer]

@PowerFlash82196 I read that somewhere, too.

[AfflictionFTW]

..and he was outweighed by 50lbs.

[AfflictionFTW]

there wasn't any script.

Johnson previously knocked ketchel down in the 2nd round.

Yes Stanley was that good, he came 2 secs away from winning the heavyweight belt.

[DrJReefer]

@AfflictionFTW I believe Johnson was told to carry Ketchell to a good performance to set up interest in a re-match. Ketchell was told to knock Johnson out. Johnson gets dropped, realises he's about to be screwed and bangs Stanley out with his next punch.

[amazindan]

@AfflictionFTW

Your wrong there was a script and thease 2 men were friends outside the ring and use to pal around together. The plan was make the fight go long to make more money and when Stanely got that punch in, he upset Johnson so Johnson knocked him out! lol. Johnson knocked out all his front teeth and a couple of Stanleys teeth were stuck in Johnsons glove. lol If this fight wasn't scripted Johnson could have knocked him out in the 1st round!

[toby099]

@amazindan

if there was a script why was ketchel knocked down in the 2nd? Ketchel was a proud guy, i doubt he'd agree to an early knockdown being part of the script

[AfflictionFTW]

@amazindan

If their plan was to make the fight go as long as possible then explain me why the fuck did Johnson bum rushed Ketchel in the 2nd round, bloodied his face and knocked him down?

[amazindan]

@AfflictionFTW

Yes there was a script! Just do some research on the fight and you will see what im talking about

[darpachief]

loooool

[ABauersMusic]

Ketchel lost a couple teeth in Johnson's glove for that one

[chapine7]

@ABauersMusic that was just a rumor but by the way johnson caught him with the right i wouldnt doubt it.

[layups]

It would not surprise me if Johnson and Ketchel had an 'gentlemans' agreement not to throw with full force.

Johnson flips the switch and turns it on once he got hit.

[007ninja365]

Also, look at the way the knockout punches are thrown. I'm not sure they are even allowed to do it like that anymore, because who does? Both guys practically leap forward on the knockout shots. Johnson even stumbles through and falls himself. Ketchel's 'shift' punch is nasty and Johnson decides to come right back with one of his own. Johnson adapts but it's Ketchel's famous move. They can't generally land bombs like that early, the other guy would dodge, but by this point they are both tired.

[PowerFlash82196]

@007ninja365 There was a script. Ketchel didn't follow it so Johnson knocks out Ketchel. lol. Johnson flew on that punch from the power he used for that hit. :D

[Geist452]

@007ninja365 its not often done today because of the craft but more importantly gloves are larger now and harder to slip through / easier to block . the result implies more risk

[007ninja365]

You'd have to be not much of a boxing fan to see this footage and believe the old Jack Johnson story about the gentleman's agreement. The truth is, he was THE Jack Johnson and known for talking big. People, years later, wanted to know how a 'little white man' could have knocked him down, and rather than try to explain Kechel to people who had no clue, he just played it off. The truth is, these guys are both legends and would be top fighters, and who knows how much more, even today.

[delirious44]

Ketchel was messing with some woman on a ranch , and some dude must have either with woman or had designs on her got jealous and popped him . ACCORDING TO THE STORY THE WOMAN WASN'T EVEN VERY ATTRACTIVE , But that's what us men are like when we see women we want to bang

[MagnJas]

Ketchel would later end up dying under questionable circumstances on some ranch in Texas. Those already against Johnson blamed him.

[edcarlisle85]

@MagnJas

Actually, Ketchel was shot in the back by a ranch hand in Conway Missouri. It had nothing to do with Johnson, and the man who shot him spent 23 years in prison. Ketchel was known to carry a gun with him at all times.

[Cayntstopme89]

flavius and dan plz don't talk about boxing ever again cuz youre both wrong...

[Mowglieboy69]

I couldn't tell a single thing landed.

[cdwordsworth26]

when johnson knocked jeffries down he was stood right over him looking to hammer him while he was getting up.If Ketchel had done that he could have beat johnson that day,

[mixedbreed19]

@cdwordsworth26 Haha, you must be joking! Johnson would have knocked him out in his sleep! Come on, the Middleweight Cham beating the Heavyweight Champ?? Especially Johnson?? He toyed around with the all "greatest" boxers of the day....and all with a smile :)

[ebeneezzer]

"the Middleweight Cham beating the Heavyweight Champ?? "

Johnson was KOed by the much smaller Joy Choynski.

[ranma763]

These guys were friends, and this was supposed to be a friendly in which they agreed to take it easy. He knocked Johnson down, so Johnson took him to town.

[ebeneezzer]

WATCH THE ENTIRE FUCKING FIGHT.

Johnson did not take it easy on him. They attacked each other from the opening bell, Jonhson bloodied up Ketchel and knocked him down in the middle rounds.

Christ.....

[ihatelifejosemartine]

@ebeneezzer Choynski is one of the hardest punchers who ever lived. Instead of showing your obvious bias, why not try speaking the facts, please?

[AfflictionFTW]

@ihatelifejosemartine

speaking of facts how the fuck you know that a 164lbs 5ft.8 man could be one of the hardest punchers who ever lived?

Why because the newspapers of the time said so? those newspapers knew fuck all about Dempsey or Marciano or Joe Louis...not to mention murderous punchers like Foreman, Lyle, Lewis or Klitschko

[walkdeep]

ketchel is like, forget the script, i'm gonna knock this black man out and be a hero :). OH, he got up :( and he's dont look to happy lol

[mixedbreed19]

@walkdeep Ketchel was a snake-but so was society-in terms of racial tolerance...Johnson didnt need that garbage, and their friendship was severed with Ketchel's fukk up, but wat should it matter to the heavyweight champ?? So he got up after a 2 count and walked away with Ketchel's teeth stuck in his gloves!

[imster]

tht final knockout punch by jack johnson wuz so devastating ketchel's complete front set of teeth wer knocked out of his mouth including some of them were actually embedded in johnson's gloves... u cant even tell in this video! but it wuz tht devastating!!

[chitch1776]

That's what a middle-weight gets...

[overdozerecords]

a Jack Johnson vs. mike tyson fantasy fight would be great, but too bad johnson had all the qualities mike would fear, johnson was a naturally strong gifted athlete and would kill mike in the clinches, johnson was just one of those fighters that would cross any era and would still be a champion in heavyweight boxing

[FlaviusConstantius]

Too bad Tyson has many of the qualities Johnson would fear, like being a prime dangerous heavyweight, not a journeyman or middleweight-sized heavy that Johnson preferred to defend his title against...

[mixedbreed19]

@FlaviusConstantius Not gonna lie, I think it would be a very good fight to watch. Tyson is crazy as fukk and unpredictable...he might try to bite off Johnson's ear!

[mixedbreed19]

@overdozerecords After Johnson had literally toyed around with all the "great white hopes", and even the best champs of the times, do you really think Ketchel could still stand a chance? Johnson had already been known for his unpenetrable defense and unwavering smile while doing so...it was easy for him!

[FlaviusConstantius]

The only fighters Johnson ever toyed with were the middleweights and journeymen he fought whilst ignoring a slew of strong prime era contenders.

[mixedbreed19]

@FlaviusConstantius Yea? Name them

[FlaviusConstantius]

Langford, McVea and Jeannette were the main three, but also Harry Wills. Even the likes of Gunboat Smith, Dillon and Carpentier would have been stiffer tests than Ketchel, Moran and Fireman Jim Flynn!

[ihatelifejosemartine]

@FlaviusConstantius Eh, you do know Johnson toed the color line with McVey, Jeanette, Langford, and Wills because he knew that people wouldn't pay to see two Black fighters fight for the world title, right?

[FlaviusConstantius]

@ihatelifejosemartine Er, you do know Johnson was offered substantial sums from white promoters like Hugh McKintosh and the National Sporting Club to defend his title against Jeannette, McVea and especially Langford (anything from $30,000-$100,000) and he turned them all down? Funny how the color line didn't extend to the much less daunting Battling Jim Johnson.

[Independantfellow]

@ihatelifejosemartine because those guys might've beat him, also.

[edcarlisle85]

@FlaviusConstantius

You are exactly right. Ketchel was tough as nails, size difference or not. I don't think that he had a chance of beating Johnson, but he is still regarded today as one of the best middleweights of all time, and that part I agree whole heartedly with.

[madmax8903]

Johnson actually cleaned the front teeth from Ketchel's head. In longer films you see him picking some of them out of his glove. They found for all the teeth scattered about the ring eventually except two. These were later found still embedded in Johnson's glove. He was carrying Ketchel exhibition-style when Stanley got serious and dropped him. Jack sure enough paid him for the doublecross!

[PREZ150]

Yea they was not useing mouthpeice then.

[ebeneezzer]

It was not a doublecross, you idiot.

They were fighting hard from the early rounds leading to Johnson dropping Ketchel in the seventh round.

[madmax8903]

TWAT! There, I can call you names too. Seriously though, Johnson didn't see Ketchel as being any threat to him and was content to carry him for as long as possible. The moment Ketchel showed that he might be a serious danger an enraged Johnson ended the fight post haste.

[ebeneezzer]

WRONG!

Watch the ENTIRE fight, not just a clip.

Johnson went after Ketchel hard in the early rounds, busting Stanley's face up before dropping in the seventh round.

Ketchel came back and hurt Johnson several times,nearly putting him down with a left hook.

That was all before Ketchel knocking Jack down in the clip we just saw. Johnson was not carrying him in any way shape or form.

[mixedbreed19]

@ebeneezzer No carrying u say? Then you obviously didnt see after one of Ketchel's attempted blows, that upon kinda falling to the ground, Johnson, who had been hit, had literally picked Ketchel up off the mat and CARRIED him over to the nearest corner...believe me, Johnson was not affected in this fight! Except for that double-crossing blow, which prompted Johnson to know what he had to do!

[ebeneezzer]

"had literally picked Ketchel up off the mat and CARRIED him over to the nearest corner."

Too bad that never actually happened.

The entire reel of this fight is available and clearly shows Johnson attacking Ketchel viciously from the start, bloodying his face up and knocking him down in the early rounds. There was no double crossing blow.

Next you'll be telling us that he took a dive against Willard

[mixedbreed19]

@ebeneezzer I kno he got beat by willard...fell flat on his ass/back...btw, if you see the entire fight, you would have noticed the "picking up" part...check out the documentaries on youtube...

[ebeneezzer]

And if you seen the entire fight you'll have noticed Johnson attacking Ketchel right from the opening bell, bloodying his right eye up with jabs and knocking him down.

You'll also have seen Ketchel visibly rock Johnson with a left hook in the 7th round.

The reason Johnson came up with the whole "we had a deal and he double crossed me" bullshit is because he was so embarrassed by having such a tough fight with a middleweight.

[jimpy419]

The truth is that it was all staged..both fighters agreed to take the fight the full 20 round distance so many people would go to the theatre later to watch it and more money would be generated so the two fighters would get mthe most money possible. Ketchel changed his mind without notifying Johnson and tried to KO Johnson. When Johnson realized he was being duped he got up and he was furious and he ended the conest with that tooth clearing blow. THAT's the truth.

[ebeneezzer]

Have you seen the entire fight or read my previous post?

Do both and then get back to us.

[FlaviusConstantius]

Truth is, Johnson claimed it was a fix many years later, but that story has never been verified, and it's not like Jack was averse to embellishing the truth...

[mixedbreed19]

@jimpy419 It actually is the truth....whoever "thumbs down"ed jimpy comment simply, leads to this.......YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!! haha

[mixedbreed19]

@ebeneezzer Haha, how delusional. Johnson had practically NEVER allowed his opponents to land a single punch. They were drinking, whore housing buddies for years before the fight, and had told the presses that each did not commit to winning beforehand. Ketchel tried to take advantage of the situation and it cost him the entire front row of his pearly whites...which then ended up in Johnson's gloves..the doublecrosser was dealt with..

[MikeyMcCrashCap]

What I can't believe is how fast Jack was able to react. One punch is all it took. That ought to let everybody know that he could have ended the fight any time he wanted to.

[isiahlilman]

well this really wasnt a fght, they were friends and this guy this didnt follow the script and punched him thinking he would KO him, that why he got up and cold cocked him, that poor guy lost 2 teeth and had a fractured jaw and suffered a concusion, i saw this on his bio on GPB

[dan32113]

ketchel was a middleweight, wasn"t a fair fight from the start. if they were same weight ketchel would have killed him, argualy greatest middleweight of all time along with hagler/monzon (you doughnut)

[FlatulenceFox]

Look at his head turning from side to side after he is floored. That even hurts 100 years later.

[smokeindoors420]

wtf is this announcer saying?

[BasePlug]

i heard the other day on pbs that one of ketchel's teeth was lodged into johnson's glove

that's a certified epic win

[alexi2341]

nice video! xD

wow!! O.o IT

[Ahsap7]

Ketchel was a terror....wish I could have seen him and Harry Greb fight.

[witchman67]

Don't forget that these guys were friends outside of the ring.

Ketchel's nickname was "The Michigan Assassin."

[passwordthisasspart2]

They made an agreement to let the fight go six rounds before trying to hurt each other so they could sell the replay at the movies . Then Ketchel hit him hard anyway . Jack then knocked him out and knocked out three of his teeth ! It became public knowledge about the agreement later , it was fairly common at that time !

[ebeneezzer]

There was no agreement.

Watch the whole fight.

Johnson bloodied Ketchel up from the start and knocked him down. Ketchel buzzed Johnson with a left hook in the 7th before knocking him down in the 12th

[vincntblakshadow]

pbs and ken burns disagree with you.

[ebeneezzer]

Yeah, because PBS and Ken Burns are shining paragons of truth

[lombard34]

He was really young when he fought Choynski and became a much better fighter after that, and he was old against Willard and hadn't trained hard and had won the first 20+ rounds before getting tired in the Cuban heat.

I hate when retarded fans try to pick on a fighters early and declining years, yet ignore everything that happened inbetween. Fighters go through learning experiences when they're young, and they decline when they get old; this isn't exclusive to Johnson. Idiot.

[Sidthecrow]

After he lost to Choynski both fighters were arrested, the few days they spent in prison Choynski showed Johnson some proper moves apparently.

[lombard34]

I know that already. As I said, he became much better after he fought Choynski. There's probably not much that you can say about Johnson that I don't already know. What I was criticizing in madmax's post is his attack on Johnson on the basis of his performances against Choynski and Willard; he was very young and very old in those fights, and not at his best.

[Sidthecrow]

Cool man

I have only really began looking into these early masters, alway been a massive boxing fan but my knowledge only really went back to the Sugar Ray Robinson era. This era though has fascinated me since I started looking into it a bit. The chase that Johnson had to put up to get a shot is just incredible. The roots of boxing is somthing I really want to read about especially pre JL Sullivan era Jem Mace and that.

[swk321]

what the hell do you mean he was claiming to be the victim? what else do you call it when your a black celebrity in the early 1900's and slavery has just ended. you sound like a fucking hater, don't be mad cuz he was whoopin on them whiteboys and screwing them white girls. he was and is the fucking man for what he did back then and nobody has the right to take that away.that's how he'll be remembered dickhead, so stop your bitchin!

[007kash007]

Lol Good One

[ihatelifejosemartine]

Johnson later said that that knockdown punch from Ketchel was the hardest he EVER took. Ketchel was rated the 6th hardest puncher of all time, R.I.P. both Johnson and Ketchel, both were great fighters.

[andrewr62]

Gunboat Smith was a sparring partner of both Johnson and Ketchel before this fight. He stated the Ketchel knockdown of

Johnson was staged to enhance the value of the film. The Johnson knock out of Ketchel was obviously real. Johnson would later that night lose most of his purse to Ketchel in a poker game.

[LorcanFilms]

Boo and Beg: IF you watched the fight, or as much as is available, you'd see that Johnson beat up on Ketchel. You did see the knockdown in the first round, yes? How about Ketchel's reddened face from Johnson's blows? Johnson was one of the greatest ever, but he always made excuses for knockdowns or losses. Joe Choynski, another hard-punching 165 pounder KO'd Johnson with one left hook. Ketchel's knockdown of Johnson was legitimate.

[klori25]

At the early years boxing was a sport for real man like Ketchel or Dempsey but today to many pussies are boxing!

[stoutevan]

ketchel will always be better than johnson

[hkgenus]

what the hell you mean? With that one hit Johnson not only knocked Ketchel out but he broke his teeth at the gums!

[nza44]

After that punch Johnson found two teeth stuck to his gloves.....none of them were his.

[northside80]

Johnson was the ultimate killa.

[sasha28192]

marciano,tyson,foremon and demsey were stronger hitters proof is in there records

[BooBooLane]

The full clip shows Johnson doing little but holding; it's on ESPN once in awhile.

Ketchell must have got really pissed that Jack wouldn't fight; then he paid the price.

[Begbie90]

it was only an exhibition. Johnson said he wouldn't knock him out and ketchell said he wouldn't try to win. johnson could hav had him at any stage but kept holdin ketchel up if he hit him hard. they were fairly good friends before the fight

[BooBooLane]

Every clip of Jack Johnson shows him holding,

gripping with both hands, then shooting one punch only to clutch again.

His clutch and grab style dwarfed what any other fighter in hx did.

[Bonesteoca]

Boxing was a real sport back then.

[Conorlocke]

its obvious that this guy wud beat any1 around 2day with his penis!!

[Mowglieboy69]

LOL!

[hispanicmakingpanic]

Truth is this was supposed to have been an exhibition and both Ketchel and Johnson had agreed to put on a show. Ketchel, a savage middleweght, jumped on an opening in hopes of finally dethroning the "Dinge", but after Johnson got back to his feet he made Ketchel pay in teeth!

[SalvyMic]

It would have been cool if you would've shown Johnson leaning against the ropes afterwards, picking Ketchel's teeth out of his gloves.

[utubeissad]

I guess Jack Johnson only got more pissed off after he got knocked down, huh?

[creamofcardstv]

I like your video clip and have rated it as awesome. Please view my clip of some 1930's boxing tobacco cards. They include Jack Dempsey , Joe Louis, Jack Johnson and many more.

[randomman007]

Thank you for isolating the irrelevant parts of the fight but it could have been a bit more ellaborate.