David Tua -vs- Jack Dempsey

I think it's obvious Tua has a better chin. Lewis and Ibeabuchi landed some awesome punches on him, yet he was never really bothered by them. His chin would rank up there with McCall and Chuvalo if he fought better opposition. Dempsey, however, was knocked down and hurt by mediocre punchers. It's not even close.

In fights like these the only things which really matter are chin and power, I think. Both of them go to Tua.

 

Lets compare:

Speed: Dempsey
Physical Stature: (4inches height, 4inches++ reach)
Power: Tua but close
Accuracy: Dempsey
Movement: Dempsey
Head Movement: Dempsey
Chin: Tua
Stamina/Workrate: Dempsey
Muscular Size/strength: Equalish (If Tua was as ripped as Dempsey he would be 190-200)
Range of Punches: Dempsey
Defense/Guard: Tua has a better guard, Dempsey the better head movement

If Dempsey knew Tua he may look to uncharacteristicall box of the backfoot. But if he comes forward and put Tuaman on the backfoot ala Ibeauchi he can also win. Tua can KO Dempsey at any moment but he could with many others and lost too.

PS if Dempsey was transported to the 90s and given modern nutrition, bigger meals, steroid fed beed, supplements, weight training regimes, modern boxing techniques (jab/gueard), he'd weigh a solid 210 and I don't think anyone would favour Tua

 

Actually he was stunned by Lewis and went into a shell

 

In this period the audience betting on a fight could be much larger than the audience atending a fight. Bookmakers might offer ofdds on a fight involving a former title challenger like Flyn nationwide while the atendance would be merely local.

I verry much doubt that betting was even given that Flyn was a former contender and Dempsey was a hobo. You might however have made a sizable sum by corectly predicting that Dempsey would go down in the first.

 

And his nuts crawled up his arse hole,he fought to survive after sampling a decent right hander.That would not be Dempsey's M.O.

 

We are talking about fight in Salt Lake City, what nationwide betting are you talking about? As you have read yourself, the fight was barely even reported anywhere, except in 3 states. Flynn had been a contender so long time ago, and hasn't beaten anyone of notice for even longer time, but I expect his experience making the betting about even against local fans who believed in their fighter. Dempsey wasn't a nobody at the time, he has got some praise previously in local press.
Betting a large sum on Dempsey being stopped in the 1st round would look suspicious to anyone, but there wasn't any evidence of suspicious betting reported on this bout.

 

Tuaman KO rd 1.

 

David Tua.

 

Did Dempsey catch Flynn cold in the rematch? Or did he dive?

 

Tua KO's him, between 7 and 13ish.

I don't buy into the Dempsey hype.

 

Dempsey would stop Tua about the eight or ninth round. Tua is too slow and Dempsey would be relentless in chopping down the big tree, Much like Jess Williard. Dempsey's too fast, too smart, to be caught by the lumbering Tua. Also in the late rounds Tua's lack of conditioning will come into play.

 

That it wasn't reported in other states - see the link on previous page, an article from IBRO journal, major national newspapers didn't report the fight, which they usually did for important matches (Flynn wasn't very important at that point for them). A fighter who is losing consistently, and winning only occasionally against bums, is not going to get much financial support and bettors behind him.

You obviously have no idea about Dempsey at the time, how he was viewed locally. For example

Salt Lake Telegram the day before the fight: "Jack Dempsey, Salt Lake's pugilistic idol ..."

The Ogden Standard, Oct. 11, 1916: "when Jack Dempsey, the local light-heavyweight champion, and one of the most talked of youngsters in the boxing game today, meets Fighting Dick Gilbert of Louisville, Ky., in a 10-round bout.

Local boxing fans who have watched Dempsey in his rapid rise to the top since he fought his first bout here as an amateur a little over two years ago, are of the opinion that in a couple of years he will be heavyweight champion of the world."

Salt Lake Telegram, Sept. 29, 1916: "Jack has the goods and, if he takes care of himself differently than all former Salt Lake championship possibilities have, he will be heard from this winter."

I could dig up more press coverage like that prior to the fight with Flynn, now, how many hobos do you see praised that way in the press? It had been some time since his name moved from "another white hope fighting a preliminary" to a "main event name fighter".

 

You risk being acused of buying into the Tua hype.

I mean apart from a left hook and a sturdy chin what dose he actualy have?