Wills Turned Down $5000 Chance To Spar With Challenger Dempsey In 1919

[mcvey]

According to Jack Kearns ,Wills turned down $5000 to spar with Dempsey when Jack was training for Willard.


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[SuzieQ49]

At least Wills had the balls to fight a near prime Sam Langford in 1914. Dempsey wouldn't even take on a old sam langford in 1917, and ran out of the ring against 40 year old Joe Jeanette in 1919.

[Longhhorn71]

Originally Posted by SuzieQ49

At least Wills had the balls to fight a near prime Sam Langford in 1914. Dempsey wouldn't even take on a old sam langford in 1917, and ran out of the ring against 40 year old Joe Jeanette in 1919.

Interesting.....where are sources for those statements?...books or newspapers would be good enough.

[guncho]

interesting

[lufcrazy]

Is it that usual for fellow contenders to be main sparring partners? Giving away secrets and what not?

[Boilermaker]

[quote=mcvey;14252585]According to Jack Kearns ,Wills turned down $5000 to spar with Dempsey when Jack was training for Willard.


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Thanks for the artice.

It is interesting, if not much else.

[edward morbius]

Originally Posted by Longhhorn71

Interesting.....where are sources for those statements?...books or newspapers would be good enough.

On Langford and Dempsey, Dempsey did say in his 1959 autobiography that his manager was arranging a fight with Langford and that he rejected it.

He went on to say, if I remember correctly, that he could never imagine himself beating Langford, although he could see himself beating Jack Johnson.

[PowerPuncher]

'By Jack Kearns' reading the story it sounds like BS and a weak defence of why they weren't trying to make the fight

Even if true why would he take 5k to be a sparring partner anyway, he was already nigh on the number 1 contender

[burt bienstock]

Originally Posted by SuzieQ49

At least Wills had the balls to fight a near prime Sam Langford in 1914. Dempsey wouldn't even take on a old sam langford in 1917, and ran out of the ring against 40 year old Joe Jeanette in 1919.

Your so biased and disengenuous trotting that Dempsey "ran out of the ring" against the 40 year old Jeannette...B.S.
The truih is Dempsey's opponent cancelled at the last minute and the old Jeannette was suggested at the last minute as a sub. Of course jack kearns refused to trot in a new opponent at the last minute...Think of what a trend that would start, signing a fighter with the intention of canceling out at the last second and substituting a "ringer" at the last moment...
A contract is a contract, is a contract....Jack Kearns knew a helluva lot more than you do I suspect.....
LET Dempsey's soul rest in peace I say...Pick on a guy who can defend himself, hard as it may be...cheers.

[PowerPuncher]

Originally Posted by burt bienstock

Your so biased and disengenuous trotting that Dempsey "ran out of the ring" against the 40 year old Jeannette...B.S.
The truih is Dempsey's opponent cancelled at the last minute and the old Jeannette was suggested at the last minute as a sub. Of course jack kearns refused to trot in a new opponent at the last minute...Think of what a trend that would start, signing a fighter with the intention of canceling out at the last second and substituting a "ringer" at the last moment...
A contract is a contract, is a contract....Jack Kearns knew a helluva lot more than you do I suspect.....
LET Dempsey's soul rest in peace I say...Pick on a guy who can defend himself, hard as it may be...cheers.

Which all sort of makes it quite unlikely that Kearns asked the superior Wills to try and publically take Dempsey's head off before Dempsey's most important career fight, without him or Dempsey making a cent out of it

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by burt bienstock

Your so biased and disengenuous trotting that Dempsey "ran out of the ring" against the 40 year old Jeannette...B.S.
The truih is Dempsey's opponent cancelled at the last minute and the old Jeannette was suggested at the last minute as a sub. Of course jack kearns refused to trot in a new opponent at the last minute...Think of what a trend that would start, signing a fighter with the intention of canceling out at the last second and substituting a "ringer" at the last moment...
A contract is a contract, is a contract....Jack Kearns knew a helluva lot more than you do I suspect.....
LET Dempsey's soul rest in peace I say...Pick on a guy who can defend himself, hard as it may be...cheers.

If I remember rightly, Dempsey was fighting a benefit for nothing and Jeannette was switched as his opponent at the last minute.

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by SuzieQ49

At least Wills had the balls to fight a near prime Sam Langford in 1914. Dempsey wouldn't even take on a old sam langford in 1917, and ran out of the ring against 40 year old Joe Jeanette in 1919.

The only win for Wills win over Jeannette, was when Joe was 40. Dempsey refused to fight Langford in the beginning of 1916 when Dempsey was managed by John The Barber Reisler .Dempsey also refused Frank Moran, and Gunboat Smith as alternative opponents, after a great deal of pressure from Reisler he agreed to fight John Lester Johnson and was nearly ruined by his avaricious and unscrupulous manager.

N.B. A month after Reisler tried to make Dempsey fight Sam ,Langford ko'd Wills and , 6 days later beat Sam McVey.

Wise move on Dempsey's part.

Dempsey running out on Jeannette?
Dempsey was due to fight a benefit for free ,at the last second Jeannette was substituted for the original opponent, and Kearns rightly pulled him out.

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by PowerPuncher

Which all sort of makes it quite unlikely that Kearns asked the superior Wills to try and publically take Dempsey's head off before Dempsey's most important career fight, without him or Dempsey making a cent out of it

I can't vouch for the veracity of Kearns article though, since it was printed in 1925 ,and Wills was very much alive ,you would have thought he was running the risk of libel if it was untrue.

Just for you P.P.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5zWBRQpzFY[/ame]

[burt bienstock]

Originally Posted by mcvey

If I remember rightly, Dempsey was fighting a benefit for nothing and Jeannette was switched as his opponent at the last minute.

mc, I believe you are correct that Dempsey was boxing a benefit and his opponent cancelled out leaving by coincidence Joe Jeannette waiting in the wings...
Pray tell me what fighter in history is maligned on ESB as much as Jack Dempsey by "hollier than thou" posters going way beyond normal criticisms
bordering on paranoia ?...Almost every fighter in history has been flawed
in their lives, but escape the SOCIAL nitpicking that a decent man Jack Dempsey faces by A FEW on ESB. Only on the ESB site by a few disgruntled posters, who get their rocks off lambasting one of the true toughest fighters ever, who gave no quarter and ASKED for no quarter...Cheers mc...

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by PowerPuncher

'By Jack Kearns' reading the story it sounds like BS and a weak defence of why they weren't trying to make the fight

Even if true why would he take 5k to be a sparring partner anyway, he was already nigh on the number 1 contender

I know he is 38 here, but Wills does look slow and ponderous against Paulino here in this decent print of their fight. The ko punch looks pretty innocuous but Wills seems to have gone back badly.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBOUmkoI44w&feature=related[/ame]