Brennan was a good fighter. Dempsey beat a good fighter there. But it's just another case of very very strange happenings during the Dempsey reign. Look at 1919. Was there ever a champion that had two contenders duking it out the year before that many times and takes on the loser? I mean has a HW champion even taken on the loser of a trilogy in these circumstances? It's ****ing freaky.
Do the pro dempsey camp even admit that he had a poor pre title run and a poor title run? I hope they can at least admit that. Even if they want to go with the romantic writing of the day and some hyperbole from others as the basis for his greatness.. I hope they can at least see his resume, is well, not that stellar.
He didn't have a 'poor pre-title run'. Compared to who ? I mean, he KO'd Fred Fulton, who you could call the legit #1 or #2 contender, in a few seconds. He was busy and knocking fighters out, even if most were second- and third-raters, and some were better than that. It's not a 'poor run'.
What would you call it.. and average run? Regardless, even if we use that term.. average run and poor tittle run /= the adjectives.. best ever... or even one of the best ever.. wouldn't you agree?
It was a good run. If a heavyweight came along today and went 19-1-1 (17 KOs) in a twelve month period, with a 1st round KO over a top 2 contender, and some other KOs against top 20 guys, and a series of 'keep busy' KOs over second-raters IT WOULD BE PRETTY ****ING AMAZING ! In my humble opinion. :good
Yeah, I was just thinking a decent prospect like Ramage should at least have been about equal to a couple of the faded notables on Dempsey's record.
I edited my post... but still.. I disagree on using the adjective Good run.. and instead would use the term average run.. But still even using the term good.. you would agree his title run was pretty **** poor. So we have a "good" pre title run and a "poor" title run.. how does those equal terms like.. best ever.. or one of the best ever.. or even.. top 10 hw of all time?
To be fair to Dempsey, I think (not sure) the bout with Gibbons was signed and in the process before the 4th Greb bout. Willard was not seen as a dominant champ LUFC, he avoided his top contenders in Wills, Fulton and Langford, not fighting anyone of note since his win over Johnson 3 years ago. He was also inactive for those 3 years and 37
I think that is more in retrospective view though.. I don't believe the people at the time thought he was a garbage champion.