There was a well-known Canadian boxer in the 1910s named Sam Langford whose career resembles the story's trajectory (Incredibly, he was denied a chance to fight Jack Johnson for the world heavyweight championship because it was felt that no one wanted to watch a match between two Black men!).
That's who I based it on! I saw his picture in TIME magazine and just borrowed some of the facts, because, well, that's what we do as writers, isn't it? Did you ever read the play, or see the movie THE GREAT WHITE HOPE? I read it in high school, around grade 11 or 12. Amazing!
There was a well-known Canadian boxer in the 1910s named Sam Langford whose career resembles the story's trajectory (Incredibly, he was denied a chance to fight Jack Johnson for the world heavyweight championship because it was felt that no one wanted to watch a match between two Black men!).
That's who I based it on! I saw his picture in TIME magazine and just borrowed some of the facts, because, well, that's what we do as writers, isn't it? Did you ever read the play, or see the movie THE GREAT WHITE HOPE? I read it in high school, around grade 11 or 12. Amazing!
What a coincidence. I haven't read "The Great White Hope" but I have read about Johnson in fictional form in Joe Lansdale's novella "The Big Blow".
I haven't read that, but if you ever find the play, or the movie -- it's the one that made James Earl Jones a star -- it's definitely worth it.