Titles: Never a champion
   
Record: 79-9-6 with 62 no decisions 

Born: August 26, 1879 in North Bergen, New Jersey (USA)   

Years active: 1904-1919
 
Nickname: None



It is sad that Joe Jeannette was never given the chance to fight for the heavyweight
title. His personality and skill could have made him the first Joe Louis instead of
a boxing footnote. Jeannette the son of a blacksmith was an extremely talented 
fighter in many respects. On defense, he was elusive and had very good head movement
perhaps only his footwork could be questioned. On offense Jeannette used his physical
presence to excel in the infighting of the time and possessed very good hand speed. 
He patterned his style after his hero Sam Langford. As great as he was Jeannette
did not start to box until he was 25 years old, on a dare from friends. Growing up
Jeannette's father was a disciplinarian who had his son apprentice under him as a
blacksmith, around the turn of the century, Jeannette drove coal trucks. Jeannette
as a child however did have his share of street fights but never considered fighting 
as a profession. He took the sport up because he saw it as a easier and much more 
profitable way to make a living than blacksmithing. Within 2 years of turning pro
Jeannette was already considered one of the best black heavyweights in the nation,
and had already fought the much more experienced Jack Johnson 7 times. The results
were pretty telling as Jeannette won 1 fight, drew 1 fight, lost 1 fight and the
rest of the bouts with Johnson were called no decisions. Perhaps this is why Jack
Johnson did not fight Jeannette after he won the heavyweight title and Jeannette 
had time to hone his skills. Since none of the white heavyweights would fight 
Jeannette, he decided to fight the other great black heavyweights of his time. He 
fought his his Idol Sam Langford 15 times wining 3 while loosing 6 and drawing 2 
while the rest were no decisions. he fought his most famous rival Sam McVey five 
times going 1-1-2 including a famous bout in 1909. In that fight which I think is 
the greatest fight of all-time Joe Jeannette overcame 22 knockdowns in the first 
37 rounds to stop his long time rival. The endurance of Jeannette in this fight was 
phenomenal as kept coming back and in the 39th round he finally put McVey down
for the first time. Yet Jeannette was to go down another 18 times while McVey hit
the canvas 6 more times. Finally in the 49th round a exhausted McVey got of his 
stool and collapsed without a punch being landed. The fight had lasted 3 hours and 
12 minutes by the time the 46 knockdown fight had ended! This my friends was in my 
mind the greatest fight of all-time. Georges Carpentire one of the few world class
white fighters in the world who would face black fighters also fought Joe Jeannette. 
The smaller and still maturing Carpentier lost a one sided decision over 15 rounds 
in his hometown of Paris. Jeannette always felt hurt that Jack Johnson did not give 
him a title shot when it was obvious that he deserved one. He stated that "Jack 
forgot about his old friends after he became champion and drew the color line against 
his own people." Jeannette never did get a title shot even as he fought on into his 
40's.......he was still to good at that advanced age to take a chance against. It 
is though that he participated in over 400 bouts many of which were never documented. 
His life after boxing was a successful one as his good spirit and personality helped 
him in establishing a gym, to referee bouts and run a limousine rental company in a 
white business world.  

1904
       Bill Gorman                                                KO   
Nov 11 Morris Harris              Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
       George Cole                                                ND  6
       
1905

Mar  2 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Apr 20 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  Philadelphia, Pa               TKO  2
May  9 Jack Johnson                Philadelphia, Pa               ND  3
May 19 Jack Johnson                Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Jun  8 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Jul  6 George Cole                 Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Aug 28 George Cole                 Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Oct  7 Pat O'Rourke                North Bergen, NJ               KO  5
Oct 11 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  Wilmington, De                 KO  7
Oct 26 Jim Jeffords                Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Nov  2 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  Wilmington, De                 ND  6
Nov 25 Jack Johnson                Philadelphia, Pa               WF  2
Dec  2 Jack Johnson                Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Dec 20 Walter Johnson              New York, NY                   ND  3
Dec 25 Sam Langford                Lawrence, Ma                   TK  8

1906

Jan 16 Jack Johnson                New York, NY                   ND  3
Mar 14 Jack Johnson                Baltimore, Md                  L 15
Apr  5 Sam Langford                Chelsea, Ma                    L 15
Sep  6 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  Philadelphia, Pa               KO  4
Sep 20 Jack Johnson                Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Nov 26 Jack Johnson                Portland, Me                   D 10
Dec  9 Jack Johnson                New York, NY                   L  3

1907

Jan 11 Sam Langford                Lawrence, Ma                   D 12
Feb 10 Jim Jeffords                Portland, Me                   KO  7
Mar  7 "Young" Peter Jackson       Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Apr 15 Sam McVey                   New York, NY                   ND 10
Jun 11 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  New York, NY                   TKO  4

1908

Jan  3 Jack Johnson                New York, NY                    D  3
Jan 13 Joe Phillips                New York, NY                   KO  3
Jan 13 Griff Jones                 New York, NY                   KO  3
Jan 27 Jim Jeffords                New York, NY                   KO  2
Feb 17 George Cole                 New York, NY                   KO  4
Mar  3 Sam Langford                Boston, Ma                      D 12
Mar  9 Sam Campbell                New York, NY                   TKO 6
May  8 Jim Barry                   New York, NY                   ND  6
Sep  1 Sam Langford                New York, NY                   ND  6
Sep 15 John "Sandy" Ferguson       Boston, Ma                      W 12
Dec  7 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6

1909

Jan 23 Ben Taylor                  Paris, Fr                      KO  3
Feb  6 Charley Croxon              Paris, Fr                      TKO 2
Feb 20 Sam McVey                   Paris, Fr                       L 20
Apr 17 Sam McVey                   Paris, Fr                      TKO 49
May  1 Jack Scales                 Paris, Fr                      KO  1
May 22 John "Sandy" Ferguson       Paris, Fr                       W 20
May 27 Trooper Cooke               London, Eng                    TKO 2
May 27 Harry Shearing              London, Eng                    TKO 4
Jun 22 John "Sandy" Ferguson       Boston, Ma                      L 12
Aug 27 John "Sandy" Ferguson       New York, NY                   TKO 8
Sep 18 Al Kubiak                   Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Oct 30 Al Kubiak                   Paris, Fr                      KO  5
Nov 13 Sid Russell                 Paris, Fr                       W 15
Dec 11 Sam McVey                   Paris, Fr                       D 20

1910

May 24 Andrew Morris               Boston, Ma                     TKO 3
Jun  3 Jim Smith                   New York, NY                   ND 10
Jun 16 Jim Stewart                 New York, NY                   ND 10
Jul  1 Morris Harris               New York, NY                   ND 10
Sep  6 Sam Langford                Boston, Ma                      L 15
Sep 30 Morris Harris               New York, NY                   ND 10
Nov 10 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  New York, NY                   KO  5

1911

Jan 10 Sam Langford                Boston, Ma                      L 12
Feb  8 Jim Barry                   Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Mar 16 Jim Barry                   New York, NY                   ND 10
Apr 20 Al Kubiak                   New York, NY                   KO  9
Jul 25 Al Kubiak                   New York, NY                   KO  3
Aug  1 Tony Ross                   New York, NY                   ND 10
Aug 23 Dummy Maxson                New York, NY                   KO  1
Aug 29 "Porky" Dan Flynn           New York, NY                   ND 10
Sep  5 Sam Langford                New York, NY                   ND 10
Nov 30 Bill Watkins                Albany, NY                     KO  1
Dec  7 Joseph "Jewey" Smith        New York, NY                   KO  3
Dec 11 "Young" Jack Johnson        Memphis, Tn                    KO  4
Dec 15 Nat Dewey                   Chattanooga, Tn                 W  8
Dec 18 Al Mitchell                 Memphis, Tn                    KO  4
Dec 21 "Topeka" Jack Johnson       New Orleans, La                KO  3
Dec 26 Jack "Twin" Sullivan        Buffalo, NY                    ND 10

1912

Jan 19 Griff Jones                 Utica, NY                      KO  3
Feb 18 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa               ND  3
Feb 18 Chuck Carleton              Philadelphia, Pa               ND  3
Feb 27 Andrew Morris               New Haven, Ct                  TKO 6
Mar 13 Nat Dewey                   New York, NY                   TKO 7
Apr  1 Griff Jones                 New York, NY                   TKO 6
Apr  4 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  Lewiston, Me                   KO  3
Jun 15 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  Brooklyn, NY                   W D.Q 6
Jul 15 Jeff Madden                 New Bedford, Ma                TKO 4
Jul 15 Mickey McDonough            New Bedford, Ma                TKO 2
Jul 29 "Battling" Jim Johnson      Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Aug  9 Hank Griffin                Scranton, Pa                   KO  3
Aug 19 Jeff Madden                 New York, NY                   TKO 2
Aug 20 "Big" Bill Tate             Newark, NJ                     KO  2
Aug 20 "Battling" Jack Brooks      Newark, NJ                     KO  2
Aug 30 Griff Jones                 Rockaway, NY                   KO  3
Sep  2 Jeff Clark                  Pittsburgh, Pa                 ND  6
Sep  9 Tony Ross                   New York, NY                   W D.Q 7
Oct 30 "Battling" Jim Johnson      New York, NY                   ND 10
Nov 27 George Christian            Columbus, Oh                   KO  8
Dec  6 Chuck Carleton              New York, NY                   TKO 2

1913

Jan  1 "Battling" Jim Johnson      Brooklyn, NY                   ND 10
Jan 17 Jeff Clark                  Joplin, Mo                     ND 10
Jan 21 "Battling" Jim Johnson      Providence, RI                 W D.Q 15
Jan 24 Chuck Carleton              Easton, Pa                     KO  1
Feb 10 Jack Reed                   Hazleton, Pa                   TKO 2
Mar 17 Jack Reed                   New York, NY                   TKO 3
Apr 16 George "Kid" Cotton         Philadelphia, Pa               TKO 4
May 21 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  Brooklyn, NY                   ND 10
Jun 23 Jeff Clark                  Memphis, Tn                    ND  8
Jun 27 Al Benedict                 Joplin, Mo                     TKO 3
Jul  1 Harry Wills                 New Orleans, La                ND 10
Jul  4 Nat Dewey                   Savannah, Ga                    W 10
Jul 22 John Lester Johnson         New York, NY                   ND 10
Oct  3 Sam Langford                New York, NY                   ND 10
Dec 20 Sam Langford                Paris, Fr                       L 20

1914

Feb 21 Alf Langford                Paris, Fr                      KO  7
Mar 21 Georges Carpentier          Paris, Fr                       W 15
Apr  8 Andrew Johnson              Liverpool, Eng                 KO  4
May  2 Kid Jackson                 Paris, Fr                      KO  7
May  4 Colin Bell                  London, Eng                     W 20
Jun  9 Harry Wills                 New Orleans, La                ND 10
Jun 16 Silas Green                 Brooklyn, NY                   TKO 3
Jul  1 "Battling" Jim Johnson      New York, NY                   ND 10
Jul 15 "Battling" Jim Johnson      New York, NY                   ND 10
Aug  1 Black Bill (Claude Brooks)  Brooklyn, NY                   TKO 9
Aug  4 "Battling" Jim Johnson      New York, NY                   ND 10
Aug 11 "Big" Bill Tate             Rockaway, NY                   TKO 6
Sep 12 Jim Kruger                  Martins Ferry, Oh              KO  2
Oct  1 Sam Langford                New York, NY                   ND 10
Nov 10 "Battling" Jim Johnson      Boston, Ma                      D 12
Dec 14 "Big" Bill Tate             Brooklyn, NY                   ND 10

1915

Jan 12 John Lester Johnson         Brooklyn, NY                   ND 10
Feb  1 "Big" Bill Tate             New York, NY                   KO  2
Feb 26 Larry Williams              Montreal, Que, Can             KO  5
Mar 19 Cleve Hawkins               Montreal, Que, Can             ND 10
Apr  9 Arthur Pelkey               Montreal, Que, Can             KO  8
Apr 13 Sam Langford                Boston, Ma                      W 12
Apr 19 "Battling" Jack Brooks      New York, NY                   KO  4
Apr 27 Sam McVey                   Boston, Ma                      D 12
May 10 "Battling" Jim Johnson      Montreal, Que, Can             ND 10
May 14 "Battling" Jack Brooks      New York, NY                   KO  5
Jul  2 Bill Watkins                New York, NY                   ND 10

1916

Feb 26 Silas Green                 Montreal, Que, Can             KO  6
       George "Kid" Cotton                                        KO  2
May 12 Sam Langford                Rochester, NY                  LK  7
Aug  4 "Porky" Dan Flynn           Rochester, NY                  ND 10
Aug 17 Jim Smith                   New York, NY                   KO  5
Aug 19 Jack Driscoll               Washington Park, Mo            KO  3
Sep  5 Jack Hubbard                Watertown, NY                  KO  5
Dec  4 Tony Ross                   Arlington, Pa                  KO  3

1917

Jul  6 Tango Kid                   New York, NY                   KO  6
Jul 20 Andre Anderson              Brooklyn, NY                   ND 10
Sep 14 Sam Langford                Toledo, Oh                     ND 12
Sep 15 Gabe Gular                  Brooklyn, NY                   ND 10
Dec 19 George Christian            Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6

1918

Apr 15 Jack Thompson               Philadelphia, Pa               ND  6
Jul 19 Kid Norfolk                 Jersey City, NJ                ND  8
Aug    "Battling" Jim Johnson      Newark, NJ                     ND  8
Oct 18 Kid Norfolk                 West Hoboken, NJ               ND  8
Nov 22 Jim Coffey                  New Haven, CT                  ND 4
Dec  2 Andy Schmader               Hoboken, NJ                    ND  8
Dec  8 Andy Schmader               Jersey City, NJ                ND  8

1919

Feb 10 Tom Cowler                  Jersey City, NJ                ND  8
May  1 Clay Turner                 Jersey City, NJ                ND  8
May 23 Tom Cowler                  Buffalo, NY                    ND 10
Oct 30 Harry Wills                 Jersey City, NJ                ND  8
Nov 11 Bartley Madden              Bayonne, NJ                    W D.Q 4
       
1922

Jun  1 Harry Gibson                Orange, NJ                      D 6