On This Day In Boxing History

1861: Peter Jackson Was Born!

Peter Jackson, nicknamed the "Black Prince", was one of the top heavyweights of the late 1880s and early 1890s. The Cyber Boxing Zone called him "one of the greatest boxers who ever fought in the ring." However, Jackson was never given a chance to fight for the world title because he was black.

"Jackson was more scientific than Jack Johnson, was faster and smoother than Joe Louis but hit just as hard, and possessed footwork similar to Muhammad Ali," stated boxing historian Tracy Callis. "In the opinion of this writer, Jackson was one of the greatest fighters in the history of the heavyweight division and deserves to be ranked among the all-time best men in this weight class."

Jackson was born on a sugar plantation near the town of Christiansted on the island of St. Croix, one of the main islands comprising the Danish West Indies (now the United States Virgin Islands). His date of birth is usually listed as July 3, 1861, but it has also been listed as July 6 and July 16. Jackson biographer Bob Petersen claims Jackson was born on September 23, 1860. "Dr. George Tyson [president of the Virgin Islands Social History Associates] has a photocopy of the baptismal register, where Peter's name and details were entered in the clergyman's neat handwriting, his birth date being written as September 23," Petersen stated.

Jackson started boxing in Australia. There are different stories as to how he arrived in the Land Down Under. Jackson told the Louisville Commercial in 1890 that he moved to Australia with his family in 1866. Bob Peterson claims that is not true, as census records show that Jackson and his family were still living in the Danish West Indies in 1870. Petersen wrote that Jackson arrived in Australia on February 19, 1879, via a cargo ship, on which he had been working as a seaman.

Jackson's first professional fight was in 1882. He fought for the Australian Heavyweight Championship two years later and lost to Bill Farnan by a fourth-round knockout. Jackson challenged for the title again on September 25, 1886, and stopped Tom Lees in 30 rounds to become the Australian Heavyweight Champion.

In 1888, Jackson left Australia for the United States. On August 24, 1888, he stopped George Godfrey in 19 rounds to win the World Colored Heavyweight Championship in San Francisco, California. Jackson hoped to challenge John L. Sullivan for the World Heavyweight Championship, but Sullivan refused to fight him. "I will not fight a Negro," Sullivan said. "I never have and I never will."

Jackson set sail for Great Britain in 1889 for a series of bouts. He returned to the United States in 1890 and won several bouts before heading back to Australia. While there, he successfully defended the Australian Heavyweight Championship with an eight-round draw against Joe Goddard on October 20, 1890.

On May 21, 1891, Jackson fought future World Heavyweight Champion Jim Corbett to a 61-round no contest in San Francisco, California. Tracy Callis called it "one of the ring’s greatest battles." Corbett, who would knock out John L. Sullivan in 21 rounds to win the World Heavyweight Championship on September 7, 1892, later said Jackson was one of the most intelligent pugilists that ever stepped into the ring. He often said Jackson could defeat any fighter he had ever seen.

On May 30, 1892, Jackson knocked out Frank Slavin, a bitter rival from Australia, in 10 rounds to win the Commonwealth (British Empire) Heavyweight Championship in London, England. Slavin later said Jackson was "unbeatable . . . the greatest of all masters."

Jackson toured the United States during 1893 and 1894, portraying Uncle Tom in a play of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin and boxing exhibitions with Joe Choynski between acts. Jim Corbett said Choynski couldn't lay a glove on Jackson.

In July 1896, Jackson boxed an exhibition with future World Heavyweight Champion Bob Fitzsimmons in London, England. Jim Corbett said it was like a professor giving a pupil a lesson. In his 1938 book Black Dynamite, Nat Fleischer wrote that Fitzsimmons called Jackson the greatest fighter who ever breathed and refused to meet him in an official fight.

Jackson opened a boxing gym in London, England, in 1897.

On March 22, 1898, Jackson fought future World Heavyweight Champion Jim Jeffries in San Francisco, California. It was Jackson's first proper fight since he battled Frank Slavin six years earlier. In the meantime, drink and indulgence had taken a toll on him. "I will allow that since my contest with Slavin I have enjoyed myself," he told the San Francisco Call five days before the bout. A shell of his former self, Jackson was stopped in three rounds by Jeffries.

Jackson returned to Australia in 1900 and was diagnosed as having tuberculosis shortly afterward. He died at a sanitarium in Roma, Australia, on July 13, 1901.

Jackson was inducted into The Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1957, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 (its inaugural year), the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.

Peter Jackson

Born: July 3rd, 1861  

Birth Place: Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands

Residence: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Pro-Debut: January 1st, 1882

Alias: The Black Prince

Division: Heavyweight

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 6′ 1½″  

Reach: 77″  

Bouts: 83

Rounds: 406

Ko’s: 35%

Record: 42-5-3, 29Ko’s

Died: Age 40, July 13th 1901

Career

Australian Heavyweight Championship - 1886

World Colored Heavyweight Championship - 1888

Commonwealth (British Empire) Heavyweight Championship -1892

International boxing Hall of Fame – 1990

July 3rd

1861: Peter Jackson born.

1905: Marvin Hart KO12 Jack Root

1915: Gene Tunney KO9 Bobby Dawson

1926: Sammy Mandell W10 Rocky Kansas

1931: Max Schmeling KO15 Young Stribling

1933: Panama Al Brown W15 Johnny King

***1937: July 3rd, 1937 Alexandra Park, Ipswich, Suffolk, UK, Chelsea, London bus driver, Billy Bird, 227-62-16 (retired most KO’s ever 260-73-20, 139Ko’s) won a twelve round unanimous decision over Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom’s Len Wickwar, 279-77-41. Boxing history’s busiest fighter Wickwar is believed to have had at least 470 professional bouts, at the very least he has more than any boxer recording over 4,000 rounds compiling a record of 340-87-43, 94Ko’s. Turning pro at 17 in 1928, Wickwar having fought up to three times in one night battled until 1947 and with a six-year gap for World War II, he fought on average around every nine days throughout his 12-and-a-half active years.

1940: Willie Pep W4 James McGovern - Pep’s pro debut

wins first 63-fights before loss to lightweight champ Sammy Angott.

1963: Chris Pyatt born Islington, England

1965: John John Molina was born Juan Molina in Fajardo, Puerto Rico

1974: Soo Hwan Hong W15 Arnold Taylor

1980: Frank "The Animal" Fletcher TKO4 Caveman Lee

1982: Pinklon Thomas KO2 Jerry Williams

1989: Carlos Monzón was found guilty of homicide, receiving an 11-year prison sentence for beating then throwing his unconscious wife off a second-floor balcony, February 14, 1988, while vacationing in the resort city of Mar del Plata

Tommy Morrison W6 Aaron Brown

1991: Nigel Benn TKO4 Kid Milo

1993: Sung-II Moon W12 Carlos Salazar

Ricardo Lopez KO2 Saman Sorjaturong

1996: James Toney W10 Charles Oliver

2000: Anthony Mundine KO4 Gerrard Zohs

2003: Chris John TKO1 Dae-Kyung Park

2004: Yutaka Niida W12 Noel Arambulet

Julio David Roque Ler KO4 Carlos Pramacio Villagran

Joel Casamayor W10 Daniel Seda

2008: Hugo Garay W12 Yuri Barashian

2009: Natalya Ragozina W10 Laura Ramsey

2010: Steve Herelius RTD11 Firat Arslan         

Jeannine Garside W10 Ina Menzer

Hugo Fidel Cazares TKO7 Everardo Morales    

Ana Maria Torres KO4 Olga Julio

Deontay Wilder RTD1 Dustin Nichols

2015: Prasitsak Phaprom TKO4 Ramadhani Kumbele