Brunch Boxing Remembers: Joe Jeanette
- Matthew Brown
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
02/08/2026
Joe Jeanette was one of the toughest heavyweights of the early twentieth century, a relentless inside fighter whose endurance became legend. From 1904 to 1919 he faced nearly every top contender available to him and built a record of 106 wins, 20 losses, 12 draws, and 2 no contests, with 68 knockouts. Only two men ever stopped him inside the distance, once early in his career and once near the end.
He was born on August 26, 1879, in West Hoboken, New Jersey, now part of Union City, to Mena and Benjamin F. Jeanette. His father worked for a local blacksmith, and Joe first labored as his apprentice before driving a coal truck for Jaels and Bellis. At 25 he began boxing on a dare, making his debut in 1904 against Arthur Dickinson in Jersey City. Standing 5 feet 10 inches and weighing about 190 pounds, he was short and stocky for a heavyweight. His earliest lessons in fighting came from street brawls, not formal gyms.
Within two years he was recognized as one of the best Black heavyweights in the United States. He studied and mimicked the style of Sam Langford, sharpening defensive skills that made him elusive at close range. Jeanette thrived in the inside punching style common to the era. He was dangerous in tight quarters, a man few were eager to meet. Because of the racial barrier, Black fighters were forced to face one another repeatedly. Opportunities against white contenders were scarce, and title chances were almost nonexistent.
Jeanette fought Sam Langford 15 times, though some sources say 14, and later called him the toughest of them all. He also shared the ring with Jack Johnson ten times, seven of those bouts coming in his first two years as a professional. According to the documentary Unforgivable Blackness, Jeanette lost twice to Johnson, won once on a foul after two rounds, fought to two draws, and had five no decisions. Johnson himself admitted that Jeanette was the toughest man he ever fought.
After Johnson won the world heavyweight title on December 26, 1908, he never granted Jeanette another bout despite repeated challenges. Johnson’s refusal to face Black challengers angered many in the African American community. Jeanette spoke out, saying Jack forgot about his old friends after he became champion and drew the color line against his own people. Despite his skill and record against opponents of all races, Jeanette was never allowed to fight for the recognized world heavyweight championship during his 15 year career.
His most famous night came on April 17, 1909, in Paris, France, in a return bout with Sam McVey. The fight lasted three and a half hours and stretched to 49 rounds, the longest boxing match of the twentieth century. McVey started fast and knocked Jeanette down 27 times. In the sixteenth round a right uppercut nearly ended it. But by the nineteenth McVey began to fade. Jeanette took control and dropped McVey 19 times. After the forty ninth round McVey could not rise from his stool, and Jeanette won by technical knockout. The victory earned him recognition as World Colored Heavyweight Champion at a time when Johnson held the main title.
Jeanette also fought Battling Jim Johnson ten times, Sam McVey five times, and Harry Wills three times. These rivalries were epic and repetitive because the white boxing establishment refused to give Black heavyweights a fair path to the crown. In total he documented 166 professional fights, though he believed the true number was closer to 400. Across a career that spanned 1904 to 1922, he proved himself the equal of Johnson, Langford, and McVey.
He retired in 1919 at age 40. In 1922 he appeared in the film Square Joe, adding a new chapter to his public life. Decades later his legacy received long overdue recognition. A street in Union City bears his name, and on April 17, 2009, a historical marker was placed at the site of his former home and gym, the first such marker in the city.
Joe Jeanette died in 1958 at 78 years old. A Hall of Famer and a champion in all but official title, he stood as proof of what greatness looked like when denied its rightful stage. His career was shaped by the color bar, but his toughness, skill, and indomitable spirit ensured that history would not forget him.
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