great white hope
noun /ˌɡreɪt waɪt ˈhəʊp/
/ˌɡreɪt waɪt ˈhəʊp/
(North American English)- any white boxer who was thought to have a chance of beating Jack Johnson, who was the first African American heavyweight champion. The Great White Hope was a 1970 film based on Johnson's life. The expression is still sometimes used in the sport of boxing today, but usually in a humorous way.