On Boxing Day 1908, Jack Johnson
had fought Tommy Burns for the heavyweight championship in
Sydney, Australia, the first time the title had been contested
between a black man and a white opponent. Johnson defeated
burns, to the horror of smug white society. Muhammad Ali's
own Boxing Day date was with a white fighter, too, a former
Hamburg butcher by the name of Jurgen Blin.
Blin wasn’t good enough to share a ring with Ali, and
the fight was poorly attended, despite Muhammad Ali’s
popularity throughout Europe. The German began quite well
with Ali content to clinch and lean on the ropes, but in the
seventh round, Ali decided to impose himself and dropped Blin
with some snappy punches. Blin gamely regained his feet, but
his corner had thrown in the towel.
Watch video from Muhammad ali vs Jurgen Blin fight:
