Okay, who wins this fight if they had met in their primes? I find it a tough one to pick but I lean towards Johnson as I think he'd be a little too smart, I also think his physical strength would see him through. Any thoughts?
I would lean toward Dempsey but think Johnson would be cagey enough to avoid the KO and make it close. Not sure Jack met anyone as dynamic at closing the gap as Dempsey. Maybe Langford but Sam was the equivalent of a modern junior middle. Also, Jack would meet his match and then some at the inside game. Epic, epic match... and my mind could be swayed in multiple directions.
I've often tortured myself trying to pick a winner in this match up and to be honest I still can't decide. I think the longer it goes the better for Johnson but early could be very dangerous for him. If Johnson tries to clinch early he will find Dempsey very difficult to control. Dempsey could whip in short punches as good as anyone and his fast bob and weave could pose problems as well. Both fighters were about the same height but Dempsey had the longer reach. Both were strong tho Johnson may be a bit stronger and both were fast. The one difference may be in power which favors Dempsey but Johnson was the craftier fighter. I don't know...tough one to call. I'd like to see what some of the more knowledgeable poster's have to say on this one.
I'd go with Johnson's straighter punches and defence see him land first more regularly than not. The only opportunity to punch is on the way into a clinch, which is a very small window of opportunity. Once your elbows are grabbed you can't punch. If you think Dempsey wins though fair enough, but Johnson is in his element inside with holding and hitting with uppercuts and short hooks.
I think Johnson takes this...I feel he would control pace and distance, whether inside or outside. Not to say Dempsey's skillset doesn't make this a very difficult fight. I just think that Johnson has the style and attributes to control this fight the majority of the time.
Dempsey's best chance probably lies within the first ten rounds, not because I subscribe to the theory that he was a firework but rather Johnson's physical presence would grate. Wrestling with him for 20 rounds was like swimming a lake of treacle. The good news for Dempsey is he was blessed with the speed and length to breach that gap. As Johnson's tries to swat down the straight stuff Jack would swoop in at sharp angles. He was very hard to read as a come-forward boxer. Anyone whose read Championship Fighting will know how adamant Dempsey was on "No preliminary movement!", and we may confirm in the footage that he uncoiled with minimal wind-up. If the hook doesn't land squarely Johnson has the additional problem of trying to control a rabid inside fighter. Dempsey dug into the ribs, used uppercuts, and he may force Johnson to (disastrously) open up as they battle for dominion. The wild card which makes this one terribly hard to predict is Johnson often held back. He was almost certainly a harder puncher than we assume. Several times he grew tired in bouts to insert the full stop. Perhaps, taking this into account, Johnson should be the narrow favourite. That means no surprise if Dempsey flattens him.
Dempsey was always punching in the clinch. He was a master of short, bone jarring hooks. Not sure that even Johnson would contain that activity.
I think that Johnson was considered the better fighter in their day. I don't think Dempsey was considered better until well after they retired although I don't have the quotes to back this up, just something I remember from reading about them before the internet was a thing. Anyway I'd pick Johnson although if Dempsey finds his chin it would get interesting.
It's certainly something to be factored in. It might come down to Dempsey's hooks v Johnson's uppercuts?
I think if it came down to something like this...on whose offense was the best...it would favor Dempsey. But the guess here is that Johnson will keep the pace at a simmer...not a boil. With his footwork making himself an unavailable target, and his clinching.
Dempsey always dominated all of his black opponents, right? Oh, wait. What happened when he fought a black man, you say? And how many more blacks did he fight after that? Hmm. There is no way in hell this fight would ever happen because no one would allow it to happen, because they would not want to see Dempsey get embarrassed. Not saying he would, but even the risk of it would cause them to avoid it like the plague. Heck, they wouldn't even allow him to fight Wills, who was not as good as Johnson.
This, I think Jack Johnson's skillset is too strong.Dempsey's going to make his mark here and there, but this is Johnson fight.