Jack Dempsey and the loaded gloves, what are your thoughts on it?

It was Cleveland Williams who demonstrated it for Boxing Illustrated,it didn't work.

After the fight , Willard was in no condition to go around the ring looking on the canvas for bolts or anything else .

http://www.congriffin.com/boxing/jeswilard.html

 

Nelson untilised what he called his scissor punch, a blow to the body with the index part of the glove and thumb landing in a pinching punch.

 

Yes I agree. That ring was invaded. A guy was doing river dance in there. No way was Jess on his hands and knees looking for a rail road spike with all that going on.

Of course there was that rumour that nobody can substantiate about the missing film of a guy putting a hat over something that dropped on the canvas but I have seen open and closing of the gloves before the first knockdown, so it does not add up.

 

I think Shavers, Moore and Foreman used it to the body, jack is sending it to the head, especially whilst Willard is trying to get up.

 

If he was turning his hand over so that the pinkie is facing upwards, then that's totally what the Russians do. They're called "casting" punches or Russian hooks and hit freaking hard. Downside is that a lot of the guys using this technique break their hands if the punches connect wrong.

One of my favourites, Igor Vovchanchyn, was an MMA pioneer and used these kind of punches often to blow out huge guys.

Examples:

This content is protected

This content is protected

Today Igor's hands have steel pins in them and apparently he can't even make a fist anymore.

 

My left thumb is enlarged and calloused with arthritis at the base due to a hook landing on an eyebrow. I would always seek to land with knuckle part of the hand but, if it works for them.

 

I'm as much a boxer as my donkey is, but I have some idea of basic technique and agree with you. Had a few "street fights" and even when landing (what I think were) correct, straight punches with my knuckles, I broke my hand twice. Honestly, I probably did more damage to my hand than the guy, because I bet his face wasn't still hurting six months later. I can only imagine what would have happened if I'd landed full-tilt on my thumb

 

Even taping my hands I often hurt my thumbs. Elbows were usually the culprits.

 

Yeah the recipient of my hook had a black and bruised eye for a week or so and I've got a permanent souvenir of our encounter, it was dislocated ,but I pulled it back in place

 

Tommy Hearns damaged his hand on Benitez's elbow ,the worst I had was getting the point of an elbow between two of my knuckles ,it produced a ganglion that had to be popped later.

 

This content is protected

 

This content is protected

 

Idk what he truth of the matter is, but there is definitely a trend in boxing and sports in general. Anytime a big scary, seemingly invincible boxer loses people cannot wrap their minds around it. A millipn conspiracy theories erupt overnight. Id call it the Goliath effect.

People had excuses and couldnt figure out how max baer lost to braddock fair and square--they even made a movie about it 70 years later! They couldnt believe liston lost to clay and demanded a rematch and an explanation. To this day many people believe liston either took a dive or it was fixed. There are a million excuses for why foreman lost to ali (many provided by foreman himself). A million excuses for tysons loss to douglass. People still argue about hagler vs leanard to this day.

I think people just form an image in their head of some athletes/fighters and cant think of them any other way. Hence cognitive dissonance, they try to rationalize any anomolies to explain away anything that doesnt stick to the script. People even do it with their kids or spouse: parents with spoiled children cant stop thinking of when their "baby" was sweet and innocent and defend them no matter how many cats they torture. An abused wife or husband holds onto memories of when things were better.

Wether dempsey cheated or not, thats just the way some people are. They refuse to believe a malnourished 6 ft guy under 200 lbs could beat the dog **** out of a guy twice his size and make it look easy. Because in their mind they had already given up when they envisioned themselves facing willard. Ive met strong confident guys 6'4 240+ pounds who lift weights, train, and compete who had looks of sheer terror and awe when discussing fighters like tyson in his prime and swear up and down douglass was counted out, tyson was drunk, etc.
Perception is a crazy thing.

 

I think it's the height difference. He threw similar punches against Firpo as well. The target being so far above him meant his overhands we very nearly straight armed swings which tend to land with the pointer knuckle. It's not good technique against a normal sized opponent but the height discrepancy brought it out of him and he was fast enough to get away with it.

 

There is one curious point in this bout that I have never figured out. PRIOR to the first kd Dempsey and Willard are in close in a clinch and it appears that Jack lands a short right to Willards side. The blow could not have been powerful as they were in so close Dempsey could get no leverage. Yet looking at Willard it appears he recoils in pain.