Imira
09-22-2008, 12:38 AM
From The Ring magazine July 1942 pg 34 and 35…
The Philadelphia Comet
Jack Blackburn, Famous Fighter and Trainer, Passes into the Great Beyond – Was Joe Louis’ Teacher – As a Lightweight, Fought Worlds’ Best Heavyweights – An Able Ringman
By “The Ring” Editor
Charles Henry Blackburn, known to followers of the fistic sport as Jack Blackburn, was born at Versailles; as such he received good family training. His dad wanted him to study for the ministry, but Jack was a lad who liked outdoor life, was very fond of fishing, baseball and boxing and eventually followed the last named for his livelihood.
When a youth, he moved to Philadelphia, and that was his home thereafter. It was there that he first became known s a boxer and it was there that he fought his greatest battles.
Blackburn had every asset of a great fighter. The only thing that reacted against him was his weight. He scaled only between 132 and 140 pounds and he was forced to clash with men in all divisions in order to make both ends meet. He was modest, unassuming, and soft spoken, but could fight like a demon when aroused. He never sought trouble, but once it came, he was right in the thick of it. At times he lost his bearing thought drink and when that happened he was a devil in disguise.
He rarely quibbled about conditions of a fight. His aim was to obtain work in the ring and when he found that he couldn’t get it in his own class, he was willing to go out of it, even to the extent of fighting much heavier men. In that respect he was much like other famous colored gladiators – Sam Langford, George Dixon and Joe Walcott, who often found it necessary to go out of their division to keep busy.
He was one of the most phenomenal boxers of his period, a fighter who has remained to this day one of the unsung heroes of the prize ring. Had he been properly handled he might have become a champion. Unfortunately, when he was at the height of his career and at the threshold of a championship match in 1909 Blackburn became involved in a family quarrel that resulted in the shooting by Jack of three persons, and by using a gun instead of his fists to settle the matter, he wrecked his prospects when he was sent away to serve 4 years and 8 months in the state penitentiary.
Having been a Sunday School teacher and an honored member of society prior to the unfortunate affair, it was not only a complete surprised to his army of admirers but a shock to his associates when he resorted to the use of firearms. It was only through their intervention that he was saved from a life imprisonment sentence.
At the time that Blackburn was sent behind the bars eh was recognized as one of America’s greatest lightweights and welterweights, for he could make either class with ease. His great battles with Sam Langford, Joe Gans, Jimmy Gardiner, Jack “Twin” Sullivan, Jimmy Barry, Dave Holly, Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, Harry Lewis, Larry Temple, George Gunther, Joe Grim, George Cole, Jack Bonner, Tony Caponi and John Willie among others, stamps him as one of the outstanding fighters of his class of all time.
He never defeated Langford, yet he waged five contests with that able boxer and hitter, three fifteen round battles, one 12 and one 6, each being declared a draw. These fights took place at a time when Langford’s rise made him a menace to the white race, and Blackburn, who scaled below our present lightweight limit, did to Langford what most of the big, husky Caucasian battlers were unable to accomplish.
Jack was a boxer whose skill and cleverness was recognized by the fistic experts. He was called “The Philadelphia Comet”. He was a sharpshooter. He was shifty and he was fast: He could block and he could counter, and when it came to mixing matters he was also equal to the occasion. Size never meant anything to Blackburn, for he never barred anyone. He could hold his own against the bigger and better fighters of his day the same as he could against the small fellows his size and weight. He gave Philadelphia Jack O’Brien something to remember him by and he cut Joe Grim to ribbons.
It was after his savage argument with Joe Gans, who just eked out a victory, that the Old Master paid a great tribute to Jack Blackburn. Here are his words:
“He’s the only man I’m afraid of”, said Gans some days after their first battle, “I don’t think there’s anybody in the lightweight class that I can’t whip, but I hate to tackle Blackburn.”
Blackburn used his great skill to his best advantage against the big men of the ring. So adept was he in the science of self defense, that many of the best fighters in the welter- and middleweight divisions shunned him when Jack Blackburn’s name was mentioned as a possible opponent. Not only was this exceptional boxer who flourished in the years following the turn of the century, famous for the licking he gave the top men of his day, but he was just as famous for the refusals given by the other aces of the period when promoter tried to match with him.
Packey McFarland turned down the offer.
Frank Klaus had other fish to fry.
Billy Papke said an emphatic “no” when asked whether he would fight Blackburn.
Battling Nelson declared that he could not read the contract.
Stanley Ketchel had other engagements.
And so down the line you can go to prove the subject of this story was a much feared ring gladiator.
Sam Langford was one of the few fighters who was ever ready to tackle Jack, just as was Sambo when the names of any ring men of prominence were mentioned. Fighting 62 rounds with a great, two-fisted slugger like Langford, attests to the ability of Blackburn, and when on considers that five contests were involved in there 62 sessions, each ending in a draw, the greatness of the man who, in his later years brought Joe Louis to the world heavyweight crown, is fully established.
More to come...
The Philadelphia Comet
Jack Blackburn, Famous Fighter and Trainer, Passes into the Great Beyond – Was Joe Louis’ Teacher – As a Lightweight, Fought Worlds’ Best Heavyweights – An Able Ringman
By “The Ring” Editor
Charles Henry Blackburn, known to followers of the fistic sport as Jack Blackburn, was born at Versailles; as such he received good family training. His dad wanted him to study for the ministry, but Jack was a lad who liked outdoor life, was very fond of fishing, baseball and boxing and eventually followed the last named for his livelihood.
When a youth, he moved to Philadelphia, and that was his home thereafter. It was there that he first became known s a boxer and it was there that he fought his greatest battles.
Blackburn had every asset of a great fighter. The only thing that reacted against him was his weight. He scaled only between 132 and 140 pounds and he was forced to clash with men in all divisions in order to make both ends meet. He was modest, unassuming, and soft spoken, but could fight like a demon when aroused. He never sought trouble, but once it came, he was right in the thick of it. At times he lost his bearing thought drink and when that happened he was a devil in disguise.
He rarely quibbled about conditions of a fight. His aim was to obtain work in the ring and when he found that he couldn’t get it in his own class, he was willing to go out of it, even to the extent of fighting much heavier men. In that respect he was much like other famous colored gladiators – Sam Langford, George Dixon and Joe Walcott, who often found it necessary to go out of their division to keep busy.
He was one of the most phenomenal boxers of his period, a fighter who has remained to this day one of the unsung heroes of the prize ring. Had he been properly handled he might have become a champion. Unfortunately, when he was at the height of his career and at the threshold of a championship match in 1909 Blackburn became involved in a family quarrel that resulted in the shooting by Jack of three persons, and by using a gun instead of his fists to settle the matter, he wrecked his prospects when he was sent away to serve 4 years and 8 months in the state penitentiary.
Having been a Sunday School teacher and an honored member of society prior to the unfortunate affair, it was not only a complete surprised to his army of admirers but a shock to his associates when he resorted to the use of firearms. It was only through their intervention that he was saved from a life imprisonment sentence.
At the time that Blackburn was sent behind the bars eh was recognized as one of America’s greatest lightweights and welterweights, for he could make either class with ease. His great battles with Sam Langford, Joe Gans, Jimmy Gardiner, Jack “Twin” Sullivan, Jimmy Barry, Dave Holly, Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, Harry Lewis, Larry Temple, George Gunther, Joe Grim, George Cole, Jack Bonner, Tony Caponi and John Willie among others, stamps him as one of the outstanding fighters of his class of all time.
He never defeated Langford, yet he waged five contests with that able boxer and hitter, three fifteen round battles, one 12 and one 6, each being declared a draw. These fights took place at a time when Langford’s rise made him a menace to the white race, and Blackburn, who scaled below our present lightweight limit, did to Langford what most of the big, husky Caucasian battlers were unable to accomplish.
Jack was a boxer whose skill and cleverness was recognized by the fistic experts. He was called “The Philadelphia Comet”. He was a sharpshooter. He was shifty and he was fast: He could block and he could counter, and when it came to mixing matters he was also equal to the occasion. Size never meant anything to Blackburn, for he never barred anyone. He could hold his own against the bigger and better fighters of his day the same as he could against the small fellows his size and weight. He gave Philadelphia Jack O’Brien something to remember him by and he cut Joe Grim to ribbons.
It was after his savage argument with Joe Gans, who just eked out a victory, that the Old Master paid a great tribute to Jack Blackburn. Here are his words:
“He’s the only man I’m afraid of”, said Gans some days after their first battle, “I don’t think there’s anybody in the lightweight class that I can’t whip, but I hate to tackle Blackburn.”
Blackburn used his great skill to his best advantage against the big men of the ring. So adept was he in the science of self defense, that many of the best fighters in the welter- and middleweight divisions shunned him when Jack Blackburn’s name was mentioned as a possible opponent. Not only was this exceptional boxer who flourished in the years following the turn of the century, famous for the licking he gave the top men of his day, but he was just as famous for the refusals given by the other aces of the period when promoter tried to match with him.
Packey McFarland turned down the offer.
Frank Klaus had other fish to fry.
Billy Papke said an emphatic “no” when asked whether he would fight Blackburn.
Battling Nelson declared that he could not read the contract.
Stanley Ketchel had other engagements.
And so down the line you can go to prove the subject of this story was a much feared ring gladiator.
Sam Langford was one of the few fighters who was ever ready to tackle Jack, just as was Sambo when the names of any ring men of prominence were mentioned. Fighting 62 rounds with a great, two-fisted slugger like Langford, attests to the ability of Blackburn, and when on considers that five contests were involved in there 62 sessions, each ending in a draw, the greatness of the man who, in his later years brought Joe Louis to the world heavyweight crown, is fully established.
More to come...