Following Jack Johnson’s 1910 victory over Jim Jeffries, racial violence erupted across the United States. The possibility of another Black heavyweight challenging a white champion encountered resistance from promoters, regulators, and others concerned about another interracial title fight.
Wills paid heavily for that environment.
A Dempsey-Wills fight nearly materialized in 1922 when promoter Tex Rickard selected a date and had tickets printed for a proposed bout in New Jersey. The promotion collapsed when the financing needed to meet Dempsey’s guarantee failed.
Another attempt ran into opposition in New York, where athletic commission…
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