Jack Johnson versus Victor McLaglen 1909 Bout in Canada
Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
From time to time, boxing fans and historians have discussed the heavyweight match between Jack Johnson versus Victor McLaglen in 1909 as Canada’s most significant bout in the era preceding Archie Moore’s World Light Heavyweight defense against Yvon Durelle (first meeting) at The Forum in Montreal, Canada, on December 10, 1958. .
To set the record straight, there was a fight between Johnson and McLaglen. It was an officially sanctioned exhibition, but it was neither a world title defense nor an official bout.
Johnson, who won the World Heavyweight title on December 26, 1908 by defeating Tommy Burns, made his first official appearance in the ring in Canada after becoming champion against McLaglen. Johnson was invited to appear, and he did show up in Canada. Johnson would make his first world title defense with a controversial six round newspaper draw against Philadelphia Jack O’Brien on May 19, 1909, at the National Athletic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Johnson versus McLaglen took place at the Vancouver Athletic Club in Vancouver, Canada, on March 10, 1909. As a boxer, McLaglen had a professional record of 11-6-1 between 1908 and 1920. Johnson, ‘The Galveston Giant’ fought for 34 years from 1897 to 1931, and continued fighting exhibitions as late as 1945 at age 67.
For the record, Johnson battled McLaglen for six rounds. McLaglen was a decent heavyweight, and survived the full six round exhibition. He didn’t win, but he was still standing, no small feat considering Johnson’s reputation as champion. McLaglen went on to become an outstanding Hollywood actor, the only professional boxer in history to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his role on John Ford’s 1935 film The Informer.
To reiterate, this was not an official bout. The Ring Record Book kept track of significant exhibition bouts on professional boxer fight records when documented.BoxRec does not.
Johnson versus McLaglen did occur. Jack Johnson never returned to Canada to fight anyone ever again. Though McLaglen did not have a stellar boxing career, his fearless exhibition with Johnson helped to launch his career as a Hollywood actor later on.McLaglen at 6’3” had the same height and size as Johnson, tall for the time (see photo). Heavyweight champions in Canada remain rare. Muhammad Ali fought Canadian hockey player Dave Semenko of the Edmonton Oilers in a charity exhibition in Edmonton at the Northlands Arena on June 12, 1983, his final ring appearance.
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