Could anyone else do that to willard? ?

Dempsey's win over Willard was a unique event in the history of boxing.

No 190 pound fighter in the history of the sport, as ever displayed such dominance over a world class superheavyweight.

Very few fighters of any size have.

I don't think that any heavyweight in history has been better at overcoming a size disparity!

 

Willard was a fat, old, inactive, and poorly trained fighter who was never overly skilled or coordinated to begin with. To pretend what Dempsey did to him is a revelation is absolute nonsense. People keep bandying about the caveat that Dempsey weighed 187 pounds. So What??? Willard was a big bloated sitting duck. Id pick Floyd Patterson to do what Dempsey did without question. You mean to tell me that Patterson weighing 185 pounds with his crouch, peakaboo style, and leaping left hook couldnt knock Willard down and then stand over him and batter him to pieces?? Of course he could. Dont even get me started on all of the other fighters that could have done that.

 

Gary Bell could pull it off.

 

or Tye Fields.

 

Willard was a thoroughly shot fighter who years earlier won the title by also beating a thoroughly shot fighter. There are lots of heavyweights both of notoriety and not who likely could have beaten him just as emphatically on the day that Dempsey did.

 

Was Willard a thoroughly shot fighter though?

Vitally Klitschko had been out of the ring for a similar period of time when he beat Sam Peter, so I don't think we can assume him to be shot solely based on his period of inactivity.

It also has to be noted that he went on to beat a top contender in Floyd Johnson, after a further period of inactivity.

We can't say for sure how far he had slipped, because we only have the Dempsey fight to measure him by.

I think that he was probably somewhere between the Willard of the Jack Johnson fight, and the Willard of the Floyd Johnson fight.

That makes him a fighter to be reckoned with.

 

Willard had spent his time off working in a rodeo. Vitali had been training and not only that had benefited from quality training his whole life. There's your difference.

 

Maybe quite a few heavyweights could have done something similar to Willard as what Dempsey did.
But 187 pound fighters ? No, I don't think so.

 

I am sorry but I am not buying that.

Willard seems to have performed boxing exhibitions throughout his period of inactivity.

Vitally Klitschko was injured for much of his period of inactivity, and even ran for political office.

If anything you would expect Willard to have gone back less.

 

Well obviously he did something right because kilt continued on a winning streak that last a few years and some 10 fights. Willard got positively destroyed by a man who was a head shorter and probably 50 lbs lighter. Then never did anything again. I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone favoring that version of the Pottawatamee giant to beat Doc Ironfist

 

Google "circular logic".

 

Not a chance. Willard was too durable and strong for Patterson. Dempsey was much stronger than Patterson and had a much better punch.

Willard rocked Dempsey with punches in that fight that I don't think Patterson would've survived.

 

How do you know that Dempsey was stronger and with a much better punch? Patterson had a helluva hook and more speed than even Dempsey. Patterson laying Ingo COLD is one of the most chilling KO's ever recorded... and it was recorded against a young and very active (not semi-retired and old), hard-hitting champion. Dempsey couldn't finish Willard despite standing over him as he tried to rise and having the allowance of throwing UNDEFENDABLE punches at Willard.

 

The idea that Dempsey was so much stronger or harder hitting than Patterson is based on what exactly? Dempsey knocking out a steady string of bums? Dempsey wouldnt have even fought Patterson had they been contemporaries much less beat him. Patterson fought tougher opposition than Dempsey did. If you think Patterson couldnt have knocked down a stationary defenseless blimp like Willard and then stood over him and battered him you need your head examined. The difference MIGHT be that Patterson was a gentleman and wouldnt have taken unfair advantage like that. But the OP asks COULD anyone else do that to Willard. He didnt add the caveat of whether or not they had to weigh a certain amount. Thats simply the Dempsey nuthuggers on here trying to add an asterix to his qualifications like they always do. As far as Im concerned you can throw 185 pounds in as a caveat if you want or not and the answer is still that yes that "remarkable feat" of knocking out a fat retired slob who barely trained for the fight and was never very skilled or athletic to begin with could have been duplicated by a great many fighters. I think there were several contemporaries who could have done that and I think there were a ton of fighters throughout history who could have done it as well. Why not? What was so special about Willard that day? He had been inactive for three years. He had 10 rounds of real boxing in over 4 years. Despite what some on here seem to believe he had very few exhibition bouts during that period. His training staff was pathetic and his training was uninspired and lackluster. On the Louis-Marciano thread someone made the point that you never hear of a guy looking bad in training during the buildup. I beg to differ. Go read what most of the reports of Willards training camp for Dempsey have to say. Most reports have him taking a lazy approach to his training, either not caring about the outcome or ridiculously overconfident for a 37 year old semi retired fighter. When 158 pound Joe Chip is getting the better of your fighter in sparring then dont pretend that its some feat that a guy 30 pounds heavier knocked him down and then battered him into submission while being allowed to stand over him and literally strike him as rose from the canvas. Its like asking if anyone else could repeat Babe Ruth hitting softballs out of the park pitched by a 12 year old girl. Of course they could.

 

Patterson was an awesome puncher.
Dempsey was an elite puncher.
There's levels.

You can tell by how much force each fighter has to exert to get a similar output.

Dempsey was even in the clinch. Strong as a bull.
Patterson would've been screwed tussling with a man like Willard.

Amongst other things, Dempsey beat Willard with all time power and the heart kf a tiger.

Patterson wasn't built with that mental fortitude and visious hunger.

Cus modeled Tysons fight psychology after Dempsey for a reason.