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| | ESPN.com: Johnson boxed, lived on own terms |
 | | He had his own jazz band, owned a Chicago nightclub, acted on stage, drove flashy yellow sports cars, reputedly walked his pet leopard while sipping champagne, flaunted gold teeth that went with his gold-handled walking stick and boasted of his conquests of whites -- both in and out of the ring. |
 | | Born March 31, 1878, John Arthur Johnson would spend much of his childhood working on the boats and sculleries of his native Galveston. |
 | | He grew to be 6 feet, 1 1/4 inches and a giant of a young man who hung out with older fighters in Chicago, New York and Boston. |
| espn.go.com /sportscentury/features/00014275.html (1172 words) |
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