Wlad v Dempsey

One wonders why Dempsey, if so erudite on boxing and so skilled in the ring, would avoid his two best and most obvious challengers over the course of his lengthy abduction of the heavyweight crown.

 

An outdoor arena at 100 degrees. Rules of Dempsey's era. 4 ounce gloves. The ref is some hired western gun-hand. Only half the crowd can read and most are drunk. Several card cheats have been murdered in the days preceding the fight. Wlad grew up on a turnip farm and learned to box in the circus. Because he eats mostly root vegetables, works out only with window weights, and steroids and HGH have not been invented, he is a lean 6-3 210 lbs. Dempsey batters him around the ring for a round and KO's him. Dempsey and Kearns throw $ 100,000 of gate take in a sack and head to Holywood for a weekend with some floozies.
Actually the fight would probably never come off. No one would pay see an over tentative bum who hangs on to avoid getting KO’d early, or just gets KO’d early.

 

I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing by offering an opinion here as this has turned into a heated debate but what the hell...If we ignore the records, opponents or lack of quality opponents, depth of the division at the time etc..and focus on the style of each fighter and how said style would benefit/hurt each fighter, I lean toward Dempsey here. Note I said lean toward but not pick outright. If Dempsey can bob and weave his way inside while slipping Vlads jab enough times all the while avoiding the right hand then I think he pulls it off, by KO in 3 or 4 no less. Dempsey would come out fast hoping to end things early. Would Vlad become flustered if he couldn't set his own pace and keep Jack at bay? Especially if he caught a flush hook or two early? It's a legit question I think. On the other hand if Vlad keeps Dempsey on the outside landing his jab and setting up the big right he could wear Jack out and eventually end it? I think he could but would he? I say Dempsey 60-40 but certainly wouldn't be shocked if Vlad won. Now I'm gonna hide.

 

Your knowledge of Wlad being on steroids stems from...? Envy of his physical prowess? And exactly where did you learn that steroids make the difference of 3 inches in one's height?

Wlad grew up in Army bases in the Soviet Union and the future Kazahkstan, including a stint near Chernobyl. I am doubting these were the most refined places. Having lived that existence, I can attest it ain't the easiest. Mining towns, no. Silver spoon, damn no.

And regarding Wlad's losses, he never got cold ****ed by a fat midget fireman on an epic losing streak or schooled in art of boxing by an even fatter midget over a combined dozen rounds...

 

Cold pened.

 

You should have slashes instead of dashes.

 

Vlad on the retreat from the first bell and is nailed to the canvas some time in round 2. That's what happens when you put a Vlad Klitschko in with an ATG :good

 

Wlad by one sided knockout. Wlads superheavyweight. Size combined with His great left jab incredible punching power And elite boxing skills No way he loses to any hundred and 85 pound man

 

Wlad has a glass chin. Glass chins don't beat prime Dempsey nor do they beat any prime ATG.

 

Wlad has three stoppages on his record. One was from fatigue, not his glass chin. The other two are from guys who were big punches in a division where an average sized HW outweighed Dempsey by 40 pounds (as did both of these men).

The three smallest fighters Wlad fought were Haye, Chambers, and Byrd. All three of those fights were mismatches and all three of those fighters were bigger than Dempsey. Dempsey was knocked down multiple times by middleweight Johnny Sudenberg, knocked out by an aging Jim Flynn who was in his 18th year as a pro and fighting about 30 pounds above his best weight, and was dropped by light hitting, blown up LHW Gene Tunney with a single blow and the 6'2" 216 lb Luis Firpo (who was considered a giant). He was also rocked to his heels by 172 lb Georges Carpentier and Bill Brennan. Something tells me that a guy who weighs 245 lbs, stands 6'6" can box and punch, uses a style that historically gave Dempsey problems, and always comes into the ring in shape is going to scare the **** out of Dempsey. We are talking about a guy who avoided Harry Wills for years because at 6'2" 210 lbs Wills was the biggest, most talented, and most athletic boxer on the horizon. Wills would have looked like a midget compared to Wlad.

Its ludicrous to think Dempsey would have a chance with Wlad. They wouldnt even allow the fight to take place. Dempsey would be giving up 5 inches in height, SIXTY pounds in weight (and thats actual, lean mass, not the flab that Willard showed up with at 37 with no fights in two years and **** poor training), at least 4 inches in reach. Its laughable.

 

There you go....weight, size... This is boxing...a skill and speed sport not pro wrestling. Wlad can't take a punch on the chin, can't take punishment, and has very questionable will to win. If you an take him into deep waters...he drowns. A major attribute of all time greatness is the possession of these attributes. In fact a fighter cannot be considered an ATG unless he possesses these attributes. Dempsey, like Ali, Louis, Marciano not only were great fighters technically but fit the criteria for all time greatness in terms of toughness, will to win, not looking to quit when things get rough. Watch his bouts with Purrity, Sanders and Brewster and after you stop laughing think what a true ATG would do to that weak chin and questionable fighting spirit.

 

Yes, and there is the myth that Klitchko is a glass jawed loser who couldnt beat Butterbean if they were matched...

And the myth that Dempsey was so great that he could have overcome Wlad's unique combination of size, skill, conditioning, and power but refused to fight the two best challengers of his era... Riiiiiggghhht.

Watch Dempsey struggle with Brennan and Firpo, get DOMINATED by Tunney, and rocked by Carpentier and tell me he beats Wlad. LOL.

 

Wlad was comically koed...totally destroyed by three nobodies. Purrity, one of the three, was a bum. Not only destroyed but look into his eyes....he wanted the fight stopped. No heart, no will to win at all costs and no chin. For shame that you would ever consider such a fighter along with men who exhibited true ATG fortitude. these are the qualities that a fighter must show to be rated with those that came before them.

Last time I checked Dempsey koed both Brennan and Firpo. Guess what? At no time did he look like he wanted to quit. Tough fights and Dempsey welcomed these tough fights. Unlike Wlad who does everything in his power to avoid a battle...holding like no other hwt in history when his opponent get close and when in a real fight...he folds like a cheap lawn chair.

 

Thank you. A good bob and weave puncher with speed, a chin and determination beats Wlad. But regarding size, which can be important:

If they lived in the same era, the size difference would not be as great. Excess nutrition $ better health have created an average height increase of a couple of inches in the last 90 years. Training & nutrition is more of a science now as well. If Wlad lived then, he would be shorter/lighter. If Dempsey lived now, he would be taller & heavier. Wlad would still have a size advantage on paper, but so what, that would help play into Dempsey's style. The argument that modern SHW's win vs older boxers based on size doesn't make any sense because they would not be as big under the conditions of the past.

 

The two fighters under 190lbs who would have the best chance of beating Wlad are Jack Dempsey and Sam Langford!