Jack London character is based on Hawaiian leper Kaluaikoolau, who in 1893 revolted and resisted capture from forces of the Provisional Government of Hawaii in the Kalalau Valley. An amateur boxer and avid boxing fan, London reported on the 1910 Johnson–Jeffries fight, in which the black boxer Jack Johnson vanquished Jim Jeffries, known as the "Great White Hope". In 1908, London had reported on an earlier fight of Johnson's, contrasting the black boxer's coolness and intellectual style, with the apelike appearance and fighting style of his Canadian opponent, Tommy Burns, 'what . . . [won] on Saturday was bigness, coolness, quickness, cleverness,
Harry Harris (boxer) count of nine, and he was down again in the thirteenth. Harris used his reach to his advantage throughout the bout, landing solid blows and effectively blocking those of Hart to take the points decision. Harris appeared to have an advantage from the start, and Hart clinched frequently to avoid his blows. Hart was an accomplished boxer in his own right, another hero of the Chicago Jewish Ghetto crowd, and faced many of the same opponents as Harris including the champion Torpedo Billy Murphy. On September 1, 1899, Harris, at 112 pounds, fought a draw with the great bantamweight Jimmy