David Tua -vs- Jack Dempsey

Two things wrong with this assesment

1) EVERYBODY landed good shots on Dempsey. Willard did, the abysmal Firpo did no reason to suggest Tua wouldn't be able to especially over 8-9 rounds as you suggest and certainly when you take into account Dempsey would be coming right at Tua.

2) Tua has never been KO'd and has taken dreadful punishment from significantly bigger men than Dempsey, there's no reason to think that the 60lbs smaller Dempsey would be able to pull the trick when Rahman, Lewis, Ibeabuchi etc. couldn't.

 

Tua was slow of foot not of hand, his short lefts were quite fast and given the short distance and lack of looping quite hard to see coming/avoid. Most everyone who beat Tua did it by staying on the outisde and exploiting Tua's slow movement. Dempsey would not do this he'll rush Tua like he did everyone else. It will end up at some point a slugfest and like I saw whenever there's a slugfest the man with the superior physical gifts will win and Tua with his harder punch and much better chin will come out on top. IMO.

 

is dempsey's legacy 90% quotes and likely shitloads of hyperbole?

 

Have you even seen a Dempsey fight your comments are pretty stupid

 

Tua was a puncher but for me not in the same class as Dempsey all around, I seen Tua get KO'd in 1 round by Savon in the amateurs and stood at bay once touced by Lennox so not so sure he could take what he could give, Dempsey could

 

You can hear Tua talk about how he can ''feel every punch'' and saying how much it hurts that's why i think he didn't go for it with Lennox as soon as he got touched by him he didnt want it again, Dempsey didnt mind slugging it out and taking punishment which would give Dempsey the advantage because he will be fighting a potentially gun shy fighter and he will be firing all he has...

 

Tua is a much better fighter on paper than he is in practice, and he gets verry over rated in head to head match ups.

If you want to give Dempsey Louis et al a good fight from a contender who never made it to the top in that era, why not put them in with Ray Mercer?

At least he fought Lewis with a view to winning, and darn near pulled it off.

 

Yes but regardless if he did have faster hands, he wouldn't hurt Tua.

Source for this? Cos it just sounds like you made that part up about Tua as there hasn;t been much documented interviews with Tua regarding the Lewis fight, no offence. There is a gulf of difference in size muscle and I would add argue boxing skill between Dempsey and Louis, Tua would Dempsey out of there in under 3 rounds if Dempsey decided to slug it out.

 

Dempsey didnt really "rush" everyone....some of you guys seem to have this vision that dempsey came at guys like peter mcneeley in the tyson fight.

honestly the only time he really rushed someone recklessly was Firpo.

 

you mean Louis or Lewis??????

 

Sorry man, Lennox Lewis.

 

Dempsey took his "punishment" from light heavies like Tunney, Gibbons and Carpentier... not exactly Ibeabuchi or Lewis in terms of power.

 

I agree he did look for openings and did sometimes stay on the outside for extended periods of time but his modus operendi was undoubtably to bob and weave close enough to land his hooks doing it in an aggressive manner hence why I said rushing. Bottom line is that Dempsey would be coming at Tua and he'd def hurt him especially with those ripping body shots. I'd still favour Tua however.

 

dempsey came in at angles though......


are we assuming that both men have a training camp for this camp...know who they are fighting? I like to imagine a strange universe were Dempsey gets to see footage of Tua fighting (lets say we even make the footage black and white somewhat low quality). and he gets to use what sparring partners he had in his era....

Tua and his team of course gets to see the same footage we have of Dempsey today and gets mordern (or late 90s sparring partners, since are assuming prime tua).


So Dempsey knows more or less who he is fighting....and Tua does as well....

 

Sounds reasonable enough, although realistically what drastic changes would you believe Dempsey would make? His nature and his style of fighting is rather crude, sure it can be polished up, but how much so in the space of one training camp? Dempsey knew Firpo was a big powerful guy but it didn't deter him from going straight for the kill. Dempsey is Dempsey.

Although in thinking about this matchup a few things have come to mind. Firstly how will Tua cope someone who bobs and weaves and stays low when during his entire career he was used to fighting taller men who stood up straight, hence I think why he used the left hook so much. Secondly Dempsey proved mostly vunerable to straight punches, notably the jab and straight right, niether of which Tua really utilises this should also be considered. Lastly how much could Dempsey hurt Tua? He had a vicious body assualt and MagnaNassaki confirmed what I had heard about Tua being rather weak to the body on the flipside Tua had a crab like defense used mainly to protect his body. The more I think about it the less clear it gets.