Jack Dempsey's Punching Ability Compared to todays heavyweights

Cards on the table: Dempsey is my favorite fighter, hands down. Tyson and Duran always tug at my loyalties, but it always comes back to Jack.

That said, I can't fathom why it's remotely controversial to posit that acknowledged power-punchers among the 240lb+ crowd hit harder that Dempsey did.

If we put Jack's best weight at 190 and compare him to, say, Anthony Joshua at 250, that's a 31.6% weight difference. Now take Roberto Duran, whom surely we can all agree was a hellacious puncher at 135 (and at 147, if you ask Ray Leonard). A 31.6% bigger man would be 177.6 lbs. Think of all the acknowledged big hitters at 175, or 168, or even 160.

How would Duran's punching power at 135 compare to the best of these bigger men? Equal? Why? Because he hit like a speeding anvil at lightweight? Above average, because of speed and technique? Average, because of speed and technique, but only average because the above-average men at 175 also have speed and technique plus weight? Or below average because at 31% heavier even lesser speed and technique can still produce much bigger power?

No doubt Jack could punch above his weight, just as Duran could, but enough to still be elite when stacked beside the elite 31% heavier?

I don't see the point of comparing an elite 190 puncher to mediocre 240lb punchers and concluding that the 190 king would be elite among *ALL* 240s. All that is established by comparing Jack to stumbling ogres is that he is better than the worst of them and, at best, a bit above average. I don't see it as an insult to a 190lb Dempsey to see his power as average in the field of current 230-250lb fighters, but some seem to take it that way, and as a result see in Jack a level of power that cannot be squared with physics and comparison of likes.

 

I'm pretty confident he hit hard enough to hurt any heavyweight ever. The problem is that so many things more than power have to be right in order to hurt an opponent, almost no matter what your power is.

 

The big men just don't have the velocity. Even their size cant make up for it.

 

I'd be interested in seeing your response to my Roberto Duran example, if you have the time and interest.

 

Wlad and Lennox crack like mf'ers.

 

I think you are right with the Roberto Duran example but I think the boxers who weight in the 170-190 pounds are still more than capable of great acceleration plus their mass. Once you get so big like the 240+ guys their size limits their acceleration is quite a bit lower. Which equates to a lower power output. At least from what I've seen of todays guys.

Or it could be the way my trainer use to described it. One is like getting hit by a bullet the other like wrecking ball.

 

That they do but they still look slow to me. Doesn't look any harder than many lighter heavies of the past or today.

 

I lean towards the idea that the bigger heavyweights punched harder than the best of the small heavyweights, but it is all speculation.

Punching power is not something that we entirely understand, and we don't know the reality of the matter.

 

Where are the small powerpunching heavyweights from the past 20 years?

 

Probably bulking 20-30 pounds too heavy.

 

I voted above average but again on a p4p list he's near the top but absent that he'd probably be top 20-30 range. Fighters like Shavers, Tyson, Foreman, Lewis are in a completely different league that 192lb Dempsey. Hate to say it, but it's true. And while l don't buy that Dempsey gloves were loaded when he fought Willard the amount of damage he inflicted is debatable. He certain caused a fair amount of damage but l also read that Willard was interviewed days afterwards and the damage was far less than legend has it.

 

Perhaps you should consult these poor misled souls, get them to lose the weight and reign over the division. And to think we only had professional, seasoned trainers on this issue for the past couple decades. No one ever thought to consult the interweb intelligentsia.

 

I know its very sad. Oh well, I guess its not the first time professionals have been wrong about something.

 

todays HWs ought to be trying to measure up to JD, not the other way

 

So Joseph Parker is slow and lacks velocity on his shots does he?

I hope you're not seriously suggesting that current LHWs punch as hard as heavyweights like Joshua and Wilder. That would make you stupid.