[1] In spite of this, Jack Johnson, the first black world heavyweight champion, gave him a title shot.

Battling Jim fought former colored champ Joe Jeanette four times between 19 July 1912 and 21 January 1912 and lost all four fights.

The only fighter of note he did beat in that period was future colored champ Big Bill Tate, whom he K.O.-ed in the second round of a scheduled 10-round bout.

In November 1913, the International Boxing Union had declared the world heavyweight title held by Jack Johnson to be vacant.

The organizers of the fight explained the fiasco by asserting that Jack Johnson's left arm was broken in the third round.

The general opinion is that his arm was injured in a wrestling match early in the week, and that a blow tonight caused the fracture of the bone.

According to the New York Times, the colored heavyweight champ "won by a wide margin" because Johnson "failed to show anything remotely resembling championship ability."

Battling Jim ended with a career record of 30 wins against 31 losses and six draws[2] when his newspaper decisions are factored in.