Dempsey's vaunted run to the Title

Yeah, but you can't pass off the 'stats' as meaningful facts if you concede they are incomplete.
Someone who 'lost 4 of his last 5 fights' might have actually won another 4 fights since his last loss on that record, for all we know. Or he might have lost another 4, for example.
So he might be 5-4 in his last 9 .. or he might be 1-8 in his last nine, or even more extreme differences.

A fighter who is 0-1 on boxrec might have been 3-3 or 22-3, or 0-14, or 16-16-5 with 12 NDs ....

Once we accept that records are incomplete, or may well be, and that thousands of fights went unreported or undiscovered from that period, it renders your whole statistical argument meaningless.

 

Yeah, a bit like Tyson.

 

Much of the credit Dempsey receives for his pre-title blitz rests on the fact he wrecked many tough fighters.

His first bout of 1918 was against Homer Smith who, if nothing else, was gritty. Dempsey did him in one round, 75 seconds to be exact. This may not seem like much today, but it was performances like this that began to forge his reputation as a destroyer.

Bill Brennan had yet to be floored when he met Jack. Tom Cowler, Jack Dillon; to be sure Bill had faced some stiff punchers, but that didn't stop him getting bounced off the canvas six times.

The rugged Battling Levinsky had been floored a good few times, though never stopped. In three rounds Dempsey had him on his back.

First round knockouts over Dan 'Porky' Flynn, Jim Flynn, Carl Morris and Arthur Pelkey aren't particularly impressive on their own, but as a collection they show how effective Dempsey was at chopping men down.

The Fulton win is just starting to get its due.

For a years work it was tremendous and should be remembered as one of the best displays of concussive efficiency in the annuls of heavyweight history.

 

Greb was great.

Dempsey KO'd Brennan twice, and KO'd Miske once. He KO'd Levinsky.
Greb didn't.

I don't see any reason to say Greb beat better versions of Brennan or Miske, or even necessarily Gibbons.

 

Okay then. I feel my life clock ticking so, since I've said my bit, I'll leave it now.

 

No fighter in history and certainly on ESB has been as scrutinized and analyzed as
Jack Dempsey. The millions of people of his harsher times were not stupid nor naive
when they were enthralled by the young Dempsey who hit his stride when he met Jack Kearns in 1917...Dempsey captured the imagination of those long ago days because he was a wrecking machine of a fighter whose take no prisoner style so impressed the fans that he became the greatest drawing card of his times and after, for a very simple reason. He was THAT GOOD. Or all those millions of Americans of his day were on
Kool-Aid as a Sam Langford, Damon Runyon, Mickey Walker,Gene Tunney,Max Schmeling
were a few who raved about his prowess...No fighter before or after would have a picnic in the ring with the peak Manassa Mauler ...

 

I think that there is a tendency with any great fighter of the past to take what they did acomplish for granted, and obsess about what they did not acomplish.

To realy put them into perspective you have to try to imagine them doing the same thing in todays division.

 

I think the one thing that is harshly criticised and something I'm also guilty of, is his domination of Willard. He was seen as a dominant champ at the time who was too big for his challengers. I don't think it's wrong to say he was seen as head and shoulders above his peers. I'm not saying he was a wlad klitschko, I'm saying he was perceived to be the best out there.

Was Dempsey still considered a dominant champ during his Hollywood years? I'm not sure and I'd have to look into that.

I think the praise Dempsey received during his prime was justified. I think it's shambolic that he never faced Wills nor Greb but i do think the things they said are true, it's just that people have since overtook him.

 

Yes, Dempsey was a KO fighter, and Greb wasn't.
Dempsey KO'd some fighters who Greb couldn't.
It's actually debatable as to whether Greb beat better versions of better fighters.
Dempsey was the only fighter to KO Miske, as far as I know. Maybe he got lucky, I don't know. I've heard Miske was "deathly ill" when he KO'd a washed-up Brennan in 1 round, but I don't know.

Dempsey could have fought Brennan 6 times and scored 6 KOs for all we know. Somehow I doubt Dempsey, Greb or Brennan would come out looking much better if he had done such a feat, and I doubt Dempsey would be getting much praise for doing so.

There's a lesson there I'm sure.

I prefer the Dempsey business model.
But yeah Greb has a better seat in Valhalla, and arrived there 50 years sooner.
Take your pick.