Of all the black trailblazers in American sports, Jack Johnson is, without question, the most criminally overlooked. And that’s a shame.
Not only was he the first black man to reign as heavyweight champion (and, oddly enough, the inventor of a wrench), but he was the first heavyweight to popularize feinting as a boxing strategy. As boxing historian Mike Silver described him:
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Feinting was still very much in vogue during Jack’s time and he used his head, legs, arms, shoulders and eyes to create openings or confuse opponents. Johnson could hypnotise you with his hand motions. They were always moving, sometimes broadly and sometimes in little circular motions, ready to feint, lead, block or counter punch.
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The advantage to feinting is misdirection: Used effectively,
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