Peter Jackson, no, not that Peter Jackson but “The Black Prince” Jackson, became one of the greatest boxers in history. He earned that title at a time when the sweet science was as popular as the NFL today and black people were treated like dirt.
Heavyweight boxer Peter "the black prince" Jackson 1889. (Julius Jääskeläinen)
Jackson was born a free man on the island of Saint Croix in 1861, which was then part of the Dutch West Indies. He left his Caribbean home to work as a sailor and gained notoriety as a fighter when he quelled a ship mutiny with nothing more than his fists.
From The Caribbean To Australia
One of the orginal master of Boxing. (findagrave)
His maritime travels took him Down Under where he learned from one of the pioneers of Australian boxing, Jack "The Black Diamond" Dowridge. Under Dowridge’s tutelage, Jackson honed his skills and set the framework for his infamous footwork and incredible technical proficiency. It wasn’t long before none of Australia’s boxers could match Jackson’s speed, power, and grace. In an attempt to drum up some competition, he offered to fight “right-hand barred,” which meant he’d only use one hand!
Coming To America
Jackson was also known as "Peter the Great."
Way back in the day, boxing did not function on a preset number of rounds. Boxers would simply beat the living hell out of each other until someone went down. The institution of gloves remained a long way off, which meant fighters took bare-knuckle haymakers, sometimes for hours. The longest bout in history lasted 111 rounds and ended in a draw. In 1886, Jackson took the Australian title when he put down Tom Lees after 30 rounds of bare-knuckled barbarity. After taking the title, no other Australian fighters could match Jackson, so he went to America to further prove himself.
A Hated Master Of His Craft
Jackson's speed, power, and intelligence set him apart. (twitter)
Of course, in the late 19th-century race relations were abhorrent, to say the least. In 1888, when Jackson knocked out George Godfrey in 19 rounds to win the World Colored Heavyweight Championship in San Francisco, the actual World Title seemed an inevitability. However, then-champion John L. Sullivan refused to fight him saying, "I will not fight a Negro. I never have and I never will."
An All-Time Fighter
Jackson onced challenged anyone to last 4 rounds with him. He wiped the floor with Dublin's local champion in 3.
Boxing historian Tracy Callis called Jackson, “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 more scientific than Jack Johnson, was faster and smoother than Joe Louis but hit just as hard, and possessed footwork similar to Muhammad Ali." That terrifying combination and not the color of his skin was assuredly why Sullivan ducked The Black Prince. Thankfully, not all men were cowards like Sullivan.
Taking On All-Comers
Slavin was a racist and fought for the affections of the same woman but still admitted to Jackson's greatness. (CyberBoxingZone)
After traveling to Britain and beating the brains out of anyone brave enough to step in the ring with him, Jackson returned to the US. In ‘91 Jackson fought Jim Corbett in one of the most brutal battles in the history of boxing. The bout went 61 rounds and ended in a draw. Corbett, who went on to knockout Sullivan in 21 rounds a year later called Jackson, “One of the most intelligent pugilists that ever stepped into the ring.”
Jackson was never able to secure the World Championship due to his race but made quick work of many champs who gave him a go. In 1892, he knocked out Frank Slavin to win the Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship. After the fight Slavin described Jackson as "unbeatable . . . the greatest of all masters."
Properly Enshrined
Jackson eventually died of tuberculosis in Australia, where he was a citizen.
After beating Slavin, The Black Prince mostly retired from the fight game. He toured the United States and portrayed Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe's “Uncle Tom's Cabin.” Occasionally, he would put on an exhibition as he did with future World Heavyweight Champion Bob Fitzsimmons in ‘86. Corbett characterized the match as a professor teaching a young pupil. Fitzsimmons himself later told author Nat Fleischer that Jackson was the greatest fighter he ever faced and would never take him on in an official fight. In 1990 The Black Prince was rightfully inducted in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
