Jack Dempsey and Harry Wills, the timeline

He's Corsican.

 

This was your opening line:

Wills was the standout for only three years??? What a load of horse****. He was the leading contender at least as early as his victory over Fred Fulton and he got that fight with Fred Fulton because he was considered a top contender.
Since I was the one who said he was the leading contender for 3 years it was a logical assumption that you were referring to me. BTW. I am not a Dempsey apologist I have stated my position regarding Dempsey and a Wills match.

 

He's dead.:verysad

 

Those trees he planted along French roadways are still killing dozens a year.

Dempsey himself said he would fight the winner of Wills-Fulton in 1920... so much so that he sat ringside for the match. He also said he hoped for a hard fought draw so he could fight them both. Seems like Wills was pretty legit. And after he put a hole through Fulton's chest, Dempsey's rabble seemed to quiet.

 

I wrote a lengthy response then inadvertedly wiped it.:fire

1920
Jack Thompson no contest, both purses withheld.
Jack Thompson w15.
Andy Johnson 2-4-0 wko1 .
Langford w15. Langford was 37 years old and had lost to Bill Tate ,drawn with 1-0-0 George Godfrey lost to Lee Anderson
12-7-7 and lost to Jack Thompson16-7-7 that year.
He was past his sell by date.
Ray Bennet wtko 1-0-0.bennett's purse with held
According to the Bridgeport Telegram 'Bennett's showing was so poor that no word adequate to describe it can be found in any language or dialect.' After the bout it was announced that Bennett would be forever banned from fighting in New England and that he would not be payed, while boxing commissioners expressed their doubts whether the man in the ring, who had gone down at the slightest provocation, had been Bennett at all. As the Telegram did not explicitly report that Wills was declared the winner, there is a chance that the result was a No Contest.


Fred Fulton wko3 .Fulton had been kod by Dempsey in23seconds earlier.
Sam McVey A fake fight both banned from boxing inPhiladelphia ever again.
The referee stopped the bout, claiming the two were stalling. Both boxers then were barred from boxing again in Philadelphia


Jeff Clark wtko 4rds. Clark was 34 and washed up.He had won just 3 of his last 12 fights and would lose his next 4.
That's 1920

 

1921`
Bill Tate w ko2 .Dempsey's sparring partner.
Jeff Clark wtko Clark still 34, and still washed up.
Jack Thompson w nws. 18-7-5.
Andy Johnson wko1 2-5-0.
Battling Jim McCrean wko7 8-5-1.
Ray Bennet wko1. Bennett now 1-1-0.
Bill Tate wtko6 . 15-13-0.
GunBoat Smith w ko1 Smith was totally shot and having his last fight,["I just went down for the boat ride"].
Denver Ed Martin wko1. Ditto Martin, last fight and 40 years old.
Jack Thompson the old playmate ,fell to the floor claiming a foul.
The referee stopped the fight without rendering a decision after Thompson fell to the floor claiming a foul had been committed. Date: Thursday, December 1, 1921 Paper: Denver Post (Denver, CO) Page: 22
l Bill Tate w12 foul. Tate now 15-14- -0
That's 1921

 

1922
Bill Tate L dsq.
Bill Tate Draw.
Sam Langford w10. Langford one month off 39 years old and fighting by Braille.
Jeff Clark wtko2 .Clark now 36 and totally washed up having won 5 of last 18 fights and 3 fights away from retirement.Clark was described as being kod by a punch no one saw.
Buddy Jackson. w .1-1-0 mis match.
Tut Jackson w ko3 An investigation was held after this one.
Clem Johnson w tko1. 2 10-11-2.
That's 1922!

 

1923
Homer Smith wko2 . 29-11-0.
Jack Thompson wtko4 Old Jack,[ now 20-10-5 ,]yet again!
That Year Went Quick!

1924
Bartley Madden w15. respectable win.
Luis Firpo w12 .Wills won going away but failed to excite the fans.Firpo was flabby and 8.5lbs heavier than when he had fought Dempsey a year earlier Dempsey had stopped him in2 rds dropping him multiple times but being floored a couple of times himself.

1925
Charley Weinert wko2 35-7-1. good win over a clever boxer
Floyd Johnson wko1. Johnson was banned after this fight.

Dempsey lost his title on27th September 1926..
Will was dsq'd against Jack Sharkey on the 12th of October 1926


NOW WHICH YEARS DOES WILLS RESUME INDICATE HE WAS THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDER?