Beau Jack: A Look Back At a Champion When Boxing Reigned Supreme!
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By Ian “The Boxing Historian” Murphy
If you were to ask even an astute boxing fan which fighter headlined Madison Square Garden the most times, you’d probably get replies like “Joe Louis” or “Ray Robinson”. All good guesses, but the correct answer would be 1940s Lightweight dynamo Beau Jack. Jack was a two-time Lightweight Champion whose swarming style made him one of the most exciting fighters to ever step in the ring. A big fan favorite, Jack headlined “The Mecca of Boxing” an incredible twenty-one times. He is also considered by many to be a top ten to fifteen ranked Lightweight in the history of boxing. This is no small feat, as that weight class is among boxing’s deepest and most competitive divisions.
Beau Jack (born Sidney Walker) was born in Georgia in 1921. He spent much of his youth in poverty and shined shoes to make ends meet. At the age of 15, Jack entered “Battle Royals” to make extra money. This was an event in the Jim Crow South where 5 or more Black youths all fought simultaneously while blindfolded. After winning one of these at the Augusta National Golf Club, Jack took up shining shoes there for the members. Famous golfer Bobby Jones befriended him and helped him move up north to properly train as a fighter. He officially turned pro at 18 in 1939. Within three years, and after more than 40 fights, Beau Jack won the Lightweight title by 3d round KO over Tippy Larkin.
Following his championship victory, Jack twice fought the notorious former Welterweight champion Fritzie Zivic, who was known for his toughness and not-so-clean style in the ring. He won both fights by decision. He also defeated a faded Henry Armstrong. Following his victory against Hammerin’ Hank, Jack lost his belt to future rival Bob Montgomery in May,1943 and then regained it that December, becoming a two time champion. Jack lost his title again to Montgomery in 1944. Their last fight (also in 1944) was not for the belt, but instead 100% of the proceeds were for charity. Beau Jack won, and this match had the distinction of netting over $36,000,000 in donations (via war bonds) towards the war effort. Both for his exciting matches and his tremendous contribution to his country, Jack was named Ring Magazine “Fighter of the Year” for 1944.
After his signature year of 1944, Beau Jack competed at a high level for a few more years, but his results were mixed. The level of competition during this era in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions were perhaps at their highest in the history of boxing, with only the 1920s coming close. That was the era of the great Benny Leonard and of his top opponent, Lew Tendler. To be a stronger era than that, it truly says something. Jack had his last crack at the belt in 1948 versus the immortal Ike Williams, but lost via KO in 6 rounds. Jack was only 27, but he was a veteran of nearly 100 fights and was beginning to slide. He fought on, putting on great fights for years to come, but he was not quite the tornado-like dynamo he was earlier in his career.
During the latter part of his career, Jack competed against such boxing greats as Kid Gavilan (L UD), and fought Ike Williams three more times, losing two and drawing once. Originally retiring in 1951, he came back for a few more fights, but Beau was clearly not the same fighter. His last fight was his fourth fight with Williams in 1955, losing by referee stoppage. After his final retirement, Jack tried his hand at operating a BBQ stand in Georgia and refereeing wrestling matches. After his ring earnings dried up, he moved to Miami and went back to shining shoes, operating a shoe shining concession at the famous Fontainebleau Hotel. While there, Jack hobnobbed with the day’s biggest stars. They included Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, JR., Eddie Cantor, Milton Berle, Jerry Lewis, and Sid Caesar. Jack also helped run the world famous Fifth Street Gym in Miami.
If you look at Beau Jack’s record, you may be underwhelmed at first, especially if you are used to everyone and their mother sporting an undefeated record with a 95% KO rate. If you dig just a little bit, you’ll notice that more than half of Jack’s 25 career losses came in the latter part of his career and usually when he did lose, it was to truly great competition. During a stretch of just over 18 months (Dec 1942 to Aug 1944), Beau Jack fought Tippy Larkin, Fritzie Zivic twice, Bob Montgomery four times, Sammy Angott, Al “Bummy” Davis, and Henry Armstrong. Every single one of those guys (with the exception of Larkin and Davis) are in the boxing Hall of Fame. Very few fighters in the history of the sport can say they fought that caliber of opposition in that short a time period. Jack beat them all. On top of that, he fought Ike Williams FOUR TIMES in the twilight of his career, losing those bouts, but still putting on a good show.. At his best, Beau Jack is a handful for any lightweight in history.
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