Jack Johnson vs Jack Dempsey in 1921? Any chance it happened?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Mendoza, Jul 10, 2014.


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  1. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    In 1921, immediately following his record-breaking million-dollar gate fight against Georges Carpentier, heavyweight champion of the world Jack Dempsey quietly drove up to Saskatoon, Canada and, in an illegal prizefight staged by high-roller gamblers, met and knocked out Jack Johnson, the former heavyweight champion who had been released from prison in July of that year.

    Years later Lew Eskin, former Boxing Illustrated Editor, wrote an article about it in Dec 1985 Fight beat magazine. He asked Dempsey about it who was evasive. The only thing Jack would say is he boxed a series of exhibitions during that time. He asked Dempsey if he could publish the story about the fight with Johnson. but Dempsey said, "Not Now" which Eskin took to mean not in his lifetime. The bout with Jack Johnson was allegedly an under the table affair for rich gamblers. Dempsey won via 7th round KO.

    I have read a news paper report of the event ( will look for it and try to post it later ), but I tend to doubt it happened. Has anyone researched this?
     
    Mendoza, Jul 10, 2014
    Mendoza, Jul 10, 2014
    #1
  2. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    Lou Eskin was a bullshitter just like you, a **** journalist and a **** referee,he should have stuck to his first love wrestling .

    If the fight had happened Adam Pollack would know about it.
    Johnson was in Canada in 1924 not 1921.
    When Johnson came out of prison he went to Chicago then on to NY, the 43 years old Johnson had tried to arrange a fight with Harry Wills in New Jersey , but their commission vetoed it.
    In answer to a projected fight between Johnson and Dempsey,
    Kearns, Dempsey's manager made a public statement in which he said "there is no sum of money large enough to persuade Dempsey to dignify the Negro with a fight".
    Dempsey had made an absolute fortune against Carpentier what could he hope to gain monetarily by fighting Johnson in a back room?

    Johnson was barred from fighting in NY because at 43 he was 6 years over their then age limit of 37. Johnson next moved from NY to Philadelphia appearing nightly onstage with others that included Ethel Waters ,and Fletcher Henderson with his Orchestra ,his movements for 1921 are well chronicled.
     
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2014
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2014
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  3. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    :lol:


    No, it didn't happen I don't think.
     
    McGrain, Jul 10, 2014
    McGrain, Jul 10, 2014
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  4. klompton2

    klompton2 Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    This has already been proven false. It was an article originally written in the Chicago newspapers essentially discussing a fantasy fight or "what if" scenario. It was republished by Eskin in its edited form as an April Fools joke to make it seem as though the fight may have actually taken place in secret.
     
    klompton2, Jul 10, 2014
    klompton2, Jul 10, 2014
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  5. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    I find it hilarious for you to spell out who the BS people are! Like I said I do not think it happened. However Dempsey Manager Doc Kearns, and Dempsey's illegitimate son Jack Hay said it did. So now your going to have to make up your mind which statement of Kearns was correct, and when he said both of them.

    As I mentioned there are two news reports. The alleged fight was a private event, so Johnson would not have been barred.
     
    Mendoza, Jul 10, 2014
    Mendoza, Jul 10, 2014
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  6. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    This I did not know. What about the NY round by round report?
     
    Mendoza, Jul 10, 2014
    Mendoza, Jul 10, 2014
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  7. SolomonDeedes

    SolomonDeedes Active Member Full Member

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    SolomonDeedes, Jul 10, 2014
    SolomonDeedes, Jul 10, 2014
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  8. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    Along with you other" qualities "such as mendaciousness , bigotry, illiteracy ,etc we can now include gullibility.:yep
     
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2014
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2014
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  9. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    McGrain, Jul 10, 2014
    McGrain, Jul 10, 2014
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  10. burt bienstock

    burt bienstock Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    What a bunch of malarkey of that article of a private exhibition in 1921 in Canada
    in which the prime 26 year old Jack Dempsey kod Jack Johnson in the 7th round...
    Jack Johnson in 1921 was 43 years old, hadn't had a legit boxing match since he
    was kod by Jess Willard in 1915, when he retired. Jack Kearns was a snake oil
    salesman who would lie in his teeth to keep in the limelight...B.S. for sure...
     
    burt bienstock, Jul 10, 2014
    burt bienstock, Jul 10, 2014
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  11. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Seamus, Jul 10, 2014
    Seamus, Jul 10, 2014
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  12. JLP 6

    JLP 6 Fighter/Puncher Full Member

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    That was kinda funny the way it read out. Not sure why it was so personal though. Mendoza's response to spelling it out was funny as well.
     
    JLP 6, Jul 10, 2014
    JLP 6, Jul 10, 2014
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  13. JWSoats

    JWSoats Active Member Full Member

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    The editor's note at the bottom of the article says it all - written by Ray Pierson as one of a series of articles of imaginary fights between current champions and those from ten or more years ago, prime vs prime. So this was the writer's concept of prime Johnson vs prime Dempsey, not a 43 year-old Johnson against a 26 year-old Dempsey.
     
    JWSoats, Jul 10, 2014
    JWSoats, Jul 10, 2014
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  14. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Dempsey lived until 1983.
    Johnson lived until 1946, I think.

    They mentioned each other plenty of times when discussing the heavyweights. I think one or both of them might have mentioned that they had fought.
     
    Unforgiven, Jul 11, 2014
    Unforgiven, Jul 11, 2014
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  15. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Like Clinton-Lewinsky?
     
    Unforgiven, Jul 11, 2014
    Unforgiven, Jul 11, 2014
    #15
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