Editing Sam Langford (section)

=== World Heavyweight Championship ===
Ironically, the colour bar that had marred the world heavyweight title by [[blackballing]] boxers of colour remained in force even under Jack Johnson. Once he was the World's Heavyweight Champion, Johnson did not fight a black opponent for the first five years of his reign. In addition to Langford, he denied matches to black heavyweights Joe Jeanette and to the young [[Harry Wills]] (who was Colored Heavyweight Champion during the last year of Johnson's reign as World Heavyweight Champion).

Blacks were not given a shot at the title allegedly because Johnson felt that he could make more money fighting white boxers. In August 1913, as Johnson neared the end of his troubled reign as World Heavyweight Champion, there were rumours that he had agreed to fight Langford in Paris for the title, but it came to naught. Johnson claimed that Langford was unable to raise $30,000 (equivalent to approximately ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|30000|1914|r=0}}}} in today's funds{{inflation-fn|US}}) for his guarantee.

Because black boxers with the exception of Johnson had been barred from fighting for the heavyweight championship because of [[racism]], Johnson's refusal to fight African-Americans offended the African-American community, since the opportunity to fight top white boxers was rare. Jeanette criticized Johnson, saying, "Jack forgot about his old friends after he became champion and drew the colour line against his own people."<ref>{{cite web|last=Rosero|first=Jessica|title=Native sons and daughters North Hudson native and 20th century boxing sensation Joe Jeanette|url=http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/2407742/article-Native-sons-and-daughters-North-Hudson-native-and-20th-century-boxing-sensation-Joe-Jeanette|publisher=Hudson Reporter|accessdate=May 20, 2012|archive-date=April 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409015903/http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/2407742/article-Native-sons-and-daughters-North-Hudson-native-and-20th-century-boxing-sensation-Joe-Jeanette|url-status=dead}}</ref>

When Johnson finally did agree to take on a black opponent in late 1913, it was not Sam Langford, the current Colored Heavyweight Champion, that he gave the title shot to. Instead, Johnson chose Battling Jim Johnson, a mediocrity who, in 1910, had lost to Langford and had a draw and loss via knockout to [[Sam McVey]], another former Colored Champion. Battling Jim fought fellow former Colored Champion [[Joe Jeanette]] four times between July 19, 1912, and January 21, 1912, and lost all four fights. The only fighter of note he did beat in that period was future Colored Champion [[Bill Tate (boxer)|Big Bill Tate]], whom he knocked out in the second round of a scheduled 10-round bout. It was Tate's third pro fight.

[[File:Sam Langford 1922.jpeg|thumb|Langford in 1922]]

The fight, scheduled for 10 rounds, was held on December 19, 1913, in Paris. It was the first time in history that two blacks had fought for the World Heavyweight Championship. While the Johnson v. Johnson fight had been billed as a World Heavyweight title match, in many ways, it resembled an exhibition. A [[Sports journalism|sportswriter]] from the ''[[Indianapolis Star]]'' reported that the fight crowd became unruly when it was apparent that neither boxer was putting up a fight."<ref>[[World Colored Heavyweight Championship]]</ref> The champ barely engaged [[Battling Jim Johnson|Battling Jim]], and it turned out he had broken his arm during the third round, a distinct disadvantage that Battling Jim failed to capitalize on. The fight was a draw, and Jack Johnson kept his championship.

Battling Jim's next fight, four months later, also was a title match. On March 27, 1914, in [[New York City]], Sam Langford won a [[newspaper decision]] in a ten-rounder with Johnson. According to the ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'', the coloured champ "won by a wide margin" because Johnson "failed to show anything remotely resembling championship ability."

Battling Jim fought Langford ten more times (including two more coloured title matches). Two of the fights were draws, including their last fight on September 22, 1918, which was also Battling Jim's last pro bout. He faced Joe Jeanette five more times and did not win a single contest. Two of their fights were draws and their last fight on August 20, 1918, Battling Jim's penultimate pro fight, was a no-decision.
 
Of the other former and future Colored Heavyweight Champions that Battling Jim battled, he won only one fight, against [[Harry Wills]], because he broke his wrist blocking a punch in a non-title match and Johnson won by a technical knockout. Battling Jim lost his other two fights with Wills and lost all of the five fights he had with ex-champ Sam McVey in the post-Jack Johnson title shot period.

Battling Jim, who died during [[1918 flu pandemic|Spanish influenza epidemic]] of 1918, ended with a career record of 30 wins against 31 losses and six draws<ref>{{cite web|title=Battling Jim Johnson|url=http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=11646&cat=boxer|publisher=BoxingRec|accessdate=May 22, 2012}}</ref> when his newspaper decisions are factored in. Looking at his dismal performance with the top black heavyweights of his era and his inability to best a one-armed Jack Johnson, Battling Jim Johnson cannot be considered a top contender of his era or a worthy opponent when Jack awarded him the sole title shot given to a black heavyweight from 1908 to 1937. Fittingly, he was scheduled to fight Langford before he died.

In 1915, Jack Johnson lost his title to [[Jess Willard]], the last in a long line of [[The Great White Hope|Great White Hopes]]. Because of the animosity he had generated combined with the virulent racism of the period, it would be 22 years before another African American, [[Joe Louis]], was given a shot at the Heavyweight title.

When it was in his power to give an African American a title shot, Jack Johnson refused to grant that privilege to Sam Langford, the fighter who after former champ [[James J. Jeffries|Jim Jeffries]] (a man Langford said he would not face when Jeff was in the prime of his career), had to be considered the No. 1 contender in the heavyweight division. Johnson beat Jeffries but ducked Langford, likely as he feared losing his title. Many people consider the failure of Langford to secure a shot at the Heavyweight title one of the greatest injustices of American sports.