"Battling" Jim Johnson
BORN September 2 1887; Danville, Virginia (Some sources report 1883) DIED November 1 1918; Boston, Massachusetts (died from pneumonia) HEIGHT 6-3 WEIGHT 220-240 lbs Johnson was not a very good boxer but he was a big heavyweight - tall, heavy and strong; He was more of a sparring partner type; In 1913, Jim fought Jack Johnson for the Heavyweight Championship of the World
During his career, Godfrey defeated such men as Harry Wills, Arthur Pelkey, "Big" Bill Tate, Con O'Kelly, Ben Taylor, Tom Cowler, Gustave Marthuin, Fred Drummond, Joseph "Jewey" Smith, Denis Haugh, Black Bill (Claude Brooks) and Tom Overby1908 Apr 14 -Johnson made his Professional debut at Memphis, Tn 1910 Jan 3 Battling Harris Memphis, Tn W 8 Feb 14 Jeff Clark Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Feb 19 Tom Overby Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Mar 5 Tom Overby Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Mar 14 Charles Stevenson Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Mar 29 Al Kubiak Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Apr 14 Tom Overby Allentown, Pa D 10 Apr 19 Tony Ross Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 May 14 Sam Langford Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 May 23 Morris Harris Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Jun 1 Tom Overby Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Aug 7 Sam McVea Neuilly, Fr D 15 -Some sources report a Johnson-McVea bout in Aug 1910 at Paris, Fr which was won by McVea; Perhaps, this is that bout Aug Ben Taylor Paris, Fr KO Sep 1 Jim Maher Paris, Fr KO 2 -Some sources report "KO 3" Oct 9 Gustave Marthuin Paris, Fr W 10 Nov 19 Sam McVea Paris, Fr LK 18 -Some sources report "LK 21" 1911 Jan 7 Fred Drummond London, Eng TK 4 Jan 23 Joseph "Jewey" Smith London, Eng TK 11 Jan "Young" Jack Johnson London, Eng KO 11 -Some sources report 1/23/11; Feb 20 "Seaman" George Pascall London, Eng KO 6 -Some sources report "KO 8" May 22 Alf Langford Sheffield, Eng LT 4 Dec 1 Matthew "P.O." Curran Plymouth, Eng LF 4 Dec 11 Denis Haugh Plymouth, Eng KO 3 -Some sources report "Dewsbury, Eng" 1912 Jan 29 Alf Langford London, Eng KO 3 -Some sources report "LF 3" Mar 28 Tom Cowler London, Eng W 15 -Some sources report 3/30/12 Apr 4 Fred Storbeck Liverpool, Eng L 20 May 20 Chuck Carleton Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Jul 29 Joe Jeannette Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Sep 30 Bill Watkins Philadelphia, Pa KO 2 Oct 30 Joe Jeannette New York, NY ND 10 Nov 13 Black Bill (Claude Brooks) New York, NY KO 7 -Some sources report 11/12/12 in "Brooklyn, NY" Nov 26 Tom Overby Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Dec "Big" Bill Tate New York, NY KO 2 1913 Jan 1 Joe Jeannette Brooklyn, NY ND 10 Jan 17 Tom Overby Allentown, Pa KO 6 -Some sources report 1/16/13 Jan 21 Joe Jeannette Providence, RI LF 15 -Some sources report "Mariesville, RI"; Some sources report "LF 12" Apr 3 Con O'Kelly Liverpool, Eng TK 11 Apr 28 Gustave Marthuin London, Eng TK 8 -Some sources report "TK 7" May 3 Fred "Kid" Jackson Marseille, Fr TK 10 May 26 Bob Scanlon London, Eng TK 6 -Some sources report "TK 5" Dec 19 Jack Johnson Paris, Fr D 10 -Heavyweight Championship of the World; This bout was scheduled for 20 rounds but terminated after 10 rounds due to arm injury to the Champion 1914 Mar 27 Sam Langford New York, NY ND 10 -Some sources report "Boston, Ma" May 19 Dan "Porky" Flynn Boston, Ma L 12 Jul 1 Joe Jeannette New York, NY ND 10 Jul 15 Joe Jeannette New York, NY ND 10 Jul 19 Bob McAllister Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Aug 4 Joe Jeannette New York, NY ND 10 Aug 12 Sam Langford New York, NY ND 10 -Some sources report 8/14/14 Sep 15 Sam Langford Boston, Ma D 12 Oct 30 Bob McAllister New York, NY ND 10 Nov 10 Joe Jeannette Boston, Ma D 12 Dec 10 Sam McVea New York, NY ND 10 1915 Jan 11 Fred "Kid" Jackson New York, NY KO 4 -Some sources report "LT 4" Feb 20 Sam McVea Havana, Cu L 20 Mar 12 Harry Wills New Orleans, La L 20 Apr 6 Sam Langford New York, NY ND 10 Apr 30 Arthur Pelkey Havana, Cu KO 7 May 3 "Battling" Joe Woods Brooklyn, NY ND 10 May 10 Joe Jeannette Montreal, Que, Can ND 10 May 24 "Battling" Joe Woods Brooklyn, NY KO 6 Jun 5 Jack Reed New York, NY ND 10 Jun 8 Sam Langford Brooklyn, NY ND 10 Jun 9 Sam McVea Montreal, Que, Can ND 10 Jun 11 "Sailor" Fred Fritts Brooklyn, NY ND 10 Jul 1 Jack Hemple Brooklyn, NY LT 4 Jul 5 Harry Wills Gloversville, NY ND 10 -Some sources report 7/05/16 Sep 21 Alfred "Soldier" Kearns Brooklyn, NY ND 10 Oct 4 Andre Anderson New York, NY LK 9 -Some sources report 11/04/15; Some sources report "TK 9" Oct 15 Jack Reed Brooklyn, NY LT 5 Oct 18 Sam Langford Denver, Co L 15 Nov 25 Jack Thompson Kansas City, Mo D 10 1916 Aug Joe Bonds Boise, Id L 10 Sep 15 Lowe Simms Boise, Id KO 5 Dec 12 Sam Langford St. Louis, Mo LK 12 -Some sources report 12/13/16 1917 Jan 1 Sam Langford Kansas City, Mo L 12 -Some sources report "ND 12" Feb 7 Harry Wills St. Louis, Mo TK 2 -Wills received a broken arm Apr 23 Al Thomas Pittsfield, Ma L 12 Jun 1 Harry Wills New York, NY ND 10 Jun 29 Tango Kid Brooklyn, NY LF 8 -Some sources report "LF 6" Aug 12 Sam McVea Panama City, Pan L 20 -Some sources report "Colon, Pan" Oct 14 Sam McVea Colon, Pan L 20 1918 Jun 19 Sam Langford Atlanta, Ga L 10 Jul 16 Kid Norfolk New York, NY EX 4 -Some sources report "ND 4" Aug 5 Sam Langford Atlantic City, NJ ND 8 -Some sources report 8/15/18 Aug Joe Jeannette Newark, NJ ND 8 Aug 22 Sam Langford St. Louis, Mo L 8 -Some sources report "ND 8" Oct 17 Joe Jeannette Brooklyn, NY ND *** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed *** 1915 Jack Johnson LK 1 Nov 1 Jeff Clark D 15 Undated (1913-1918) Jack Thompson LK 1918 Apr 22 Sam Langford St. Louis, Mo ND 8 -Some historians contend this bout never was held
Record courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
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