It is a fairly common practice in boxing now to dub a significant bout “The Fight of the Century.” It’s been used so much over the years that it’s lost its meaning.
But the first Fight of the Century came on July 4, 1910, in Reno, Nevada, when Jack Johnson defended the heavyweight title against former champ James J. Jeffries.
Johnson dominated the fight and stopped Jeffries in the 15th round.
It was only a big fight because of race. Johnson was Black, and white Americans were outraged that a Black man not only held the belt, but was as cocky as Johnson acted.