Why was Dempsey so vulnerable to being hit with a right hand?

Dempsey dropped Godfrey many times during their sparring sessions...Dempsey
"loved" fighting the big boys as did Joe Louis, who had trouble mostly with the
smaller guys like Bob Pastor and Billy Conn...Today Dempsey foolishly is held in low regard by revisionists on ESB, but in his prime 1919-23 ,he was regarded by the Boxing fraternity as King of the hill, for a good reason...HE WAS...cheers...
P.S. I have found that the truer evaluation of a boxer versus a contemporary is much
more on target than decades later...No doubt..Dempsey was the greatest heavyweight of his prime, as Louis was of his prime...For sure...would it have been nice to have seen Dempsey fight the above guys ? Yes, but boxing was and is a business, pure and simple.

 

Mc, Dempsey would have been a BIG FAVORITE in a Dempsey/ Wills bout .
Big favorite from all the writings of those days I have read...This fact cannot be denied...In boxing underdogs can win and do win, but Dempsey would have been a big favourite against a tall ,straight up less mobile Harry Wills, as later events occured such as Paolino Uzcudun koing Wills, and Jack Sharkey beating Wills...

 

Jack takes out Joe in two rounds.

 

This is a pretty good assessment. Dempsey's defensive shortcomings never really cost him at the championship level. Perhaps some could argue he should have been counted out against Firpo but he wasn't. He certainly relished fighting in a high risk/high reward mode. You can't hide your chin at all times when coming forward and loading up. And in the end, his record speaks for itself.

 

Mc. I concede to you that Joe Louis in his time[ and mine] was cosidered
more unbeatable [excluding Der Mox #1 ] than Dempsey at HIS best...But that is debatable...Everything i have read since the early 1940s tells me that Dempsey WOULD have been a big favourite over Wills..Even a man you are quite familiar with Sam Langford opined after the Dempsey / Wills signing " when they fight, my money is on Dempsey for he is the greatest heavyweight i have ever seen " ! Old Sam knew his stuff ! Nothing is certain but death and taxes, but the odds favor Dempsey over Wills, were they to have met...

 

Every fighter has flaws. Not entirely sold on Dempsey being vulnerable to right hand shots. I think it has more to do with his low crouch and bobbing style which has a tendency to make fighters drop their guard a bit.

One of the reasons why Tyson was one of the greatest ever IMO is because he kept both his hands on his cheeks in his crouch to set up the body hooks. Only when Mike got older, slower and unfocused is when he started to get hit more. The evidence is clear in the fights against Botha, Lewis and to some degree Holyfield.

 

That's a different issue. Greb wouldn't have tested his chin. Wills certainly could have. I think Mendoza's point, and one I would agree with, was that every champ has had deficiencies, weaknesses. Dempsey's never quite caught up to him during his tepid, cautious title reign. Almost, but never quite.

 

did greb actually ever face anyone who qualified as a high level puncher at the time? Fripo? Fulton? anyone?

 

There is absolutely no doubt that Dempsey would have been the betting fav going into a bout with Wills. Arcel although he thought highly of Wills did not believe he would last many rounds with Dempsey. Langford who fought Wills more than anyone also stated Dempsey would beat Wills. Sam also stated that Dempsey was the greatest hwt he had ever seen.

 

Dempseys inactivity rusted him severely against Gene Tunney but second to Ali and Walcott Gene had some of the best foot and hand speed combo ever and Dempsey recovered. Jack usually had his chin tucked in his shoulder but Jack was aggressive and game to exchange because he had a solid set of whiskers....Dempsey had a good run leading to the title and IMO he beats Wills...Jack had zero fear and ducked no one, he should get the same amnesty as Holmes and he would be treated fairly, he missed far less people than Holmes in his era yet he gets buried on ESB ...Jack was solid goods and one of the best heavyweights...hard as nails....the best of his time and the preceding decades, no one could match him until the Louis ERA

In Fact I like him to beat Sharkey, Scmeling,Carnera,Braddock and he beats Sullivan,Corbett, Fitz Johnson and Jeffires over the 10-15 round limit..


Louis is a SUPERFIGHT

Greb would have been murdered, even though he is one of the greatest 168lbers ever, Dempsey was lethal

 

Greb befuddled and dominated Dempsey in sparring, so much so he was disinvited for future engagements. Demspey proceded to feast on Greb's sloppy seconds for the rest of his career rather than face the man who so clearly had his number.

But don't let the facts get in the way of your sweet fairy tale.