1908 Ogden's #6, Frank Craig ⭐ Boxing Pioneer
An African American boxing pioneer heavyweight who fought primarily in the first decade of the 1900s, Craig competed during an era when Black boxers faced formidable racial barriers and often struggled to secure opportunities against the sport's biggest names.
Although he never captured a world championship, Craig's career is historically significant because he belonged to the generation of Black heavyweight fighters who helped establish the legitimacy of African American participation in boxing's highest ranks—paving the way for Jack Johnson's historic rise to the world heavyweight championship in 1908.
Have a Happy Friday! 🥊

1951 Topps Ringside #42, Tiger Flowers 🥊 Boxing Pioneer
Tiger Flowers was the first African-American world middleweight champion (1926). He died one year later, 1927, so boxing cards of Tiger Flowers are very scarce.
This card is part of Topps’ debut boxing release.
This set sits at a crossroads for Topps because it incorporates pre-modern card design along with post-war printing improvements. This set was released just before Topps' 1952 Baseball set, which revolutionized card collecting.

World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Jack Johnson casts a large shadow in boxing history.
He was a man ahead of his time and true pioneer of the sport.

1911 W.D. & H.O. Wills Green Star & Circle Issue 🥊 Jack Johnson
This issue is over 100 years old and among the earliest UK tobacco cards issued featuring Jack Johnson.
I bought this card raw and sent it in for grading.
This set has a total of 36 boxers and was printed by Wills for its Scissors brand cigarette cards and later for its Wills brand cigarettes. The Wills cigarette cards are more scarce and have a star and circle logo on the backs, which is where this set gets its name. These are two different sets but use the same images for the cards.
Graded examples of this card are are not wildly abundant in the U.S. like domestic issues or the later international sets.

1909 E76 American Caramel, Joe Walcott 🥊 Boxing Pioneer
Barbados Joe Walcott, known as the “Barbados Demon,” was a Boxing Pioneer and World Welterweight Champion who broke barriers as one of the first Black world champions in boxing history. Renowned for his explosive power and fearless fighting style, he often defeated larger opponents, earning respect across multiple weight classes. His success in the early 1900s helped pave the way for future generations of Black boxers to compete on the world stage.
FACT: Jersey Joe Walcott, whose birth name was Arnold Raymond Cream, adopted the professional name "Jersey Joe Walcott" to honor his home state and Barbados Joe Walcott, the boxing idol his father admired.