My Definition of The Great White Hope

On December 26, 1908, Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns and became the first African-American heavyweight champion, or how it was called back then, the first colored champion.

Alas, the notion of the “Great White Hope was born.”

Indeed people were clamoring for the defeat of the newly black champion. They claimed for a great white hope to eliminate this newfound threat.

And the rest became history.

It isn’t an easy task to define "The Great White Hope." In fact, I don’t think there is an exact definition.

Currently, there are a lot of great white fighters like Waldimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Lucian Bute, and Carl Froch, among others.

So why is the notion of “The Great White Hope” still lingering among the boxing community?

Furthermore, I haven’t seen any of the fighters I mentioned above tied to the notion of a great white hope.

However, there is one fighter that has been referred as “The Great White Hope”: Kelly Pavlik.

Now, I’m certain that Pavlik doesn’t remotely care whether he's a great white hope. However, there have been various articles published labeling him as "The Great White Hope."

Nevertheless, his nationality (American) makes him stand out and be considered a great white hope.

I honestly don’t know any white American fighters that are champions and serious contenders except for Kelly Pavlik. So perhaps is that the meaning of the great white hope?

Additionally, the idea of the Great White Hope originated in America, where James J. Jeffries became the first boxer to take the mantle of “The Great White Hope.”

Not too long ago, Gerry Cooney was labeled “The Great White Hope”, although he never embraced it and distanced himself from being labeled as such. Isn't Rocky suppose to be an unofficial "Great White Hope"?

So is “The Great White Hope” a white American fighter? More than likely.

Is it something else? Perhaps.

Is the great white hope a dead notion only used to fuel race issues? Definitely: Sex and racism sell.

What do you guys think?

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