If Dempsey had come along a few years sooner?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Fergy, Aug 23, 2017.


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  1. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    If Dempsey had been born earlier /turned professional earlier, so he's actually the top contender for Johnson in 1915. Does Johnson take the challenge of Dempsey.. Does Johnson feel confident facing this young turk blasting his way through the division?.. How does Jack feel about fighting Johnson?
    Would he alter his game plan against the long time champ? And if /when the fight goes ahead, how does this fascinating meeting of legend s play out? 45 round s in Havana, same setting as Johnson and Willard.
     
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
    #1
  2. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    I suspect that Johnson's financial situation would have forced him to take the fight eventually, and that he might not have been fully wise to how dangerous Jack Dempsey was.

    So a combination of these two factors sees the fading Johnson beaten into submission under the Havana sun.
     
    janitor, Aug 23, 2017
    janitor, Aug 23, 2017
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  3. Ronnie Raygun

    Ronnie Raygun Active Member banned Full Member

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    Dempsey would have ducked Johnson.
     
    Ronnie Raygun, Aug 23, 2017
    Ronnie Raygun, Aug 23, 2017
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  4. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Highly unlikely when Johnson held the title.
     
    janitor, Aug 23, 2017
    janitor, Aug 23, 2017
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  5. Ronnie Raygun

    Ronnie Raygun Active Member banned Full Member

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    Dempsey didnt fight black fighters if he did have the balls to fight johnson jack would have used dempsey for ping pong practice
     
    Ronnie Raygun, Aug 23, 2017
    Ronnie Raygun, Aug 23, 2017
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  6. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    Sorry Ronnie but can't see Johnson bouncing Dempsey all over the place. It wouldn't be a Willard massacre but Johnson gets stopped.. Very confident in that statement.
     
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
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  7. Ronnie Raygun

    Ronnie Raygun Active Member banned Full Member

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    Johnson wasent Willard a big oaf with no defense Jack would have mugged Dempsey for his lunch money.
     
    Ronnie Raygun, Aug 23, 2017
    Ronnie Raygun, Aug 23, 2017
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  8. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    If Johnson held the title, then Dempsey would have nothing to lose in fighting him.

    It would be the only way that he could possibly get the title for himself, and even if he lost, it would be the biggest possible pay day for him.

    Ducking somebody, is something that you do if you hold the title, and they might be able to take it from you.
     
    janitor, Aug 23, 2017
    janitor, Aug 23, 2017
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  9. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    No he wasn't Willard, for sure. He was a great fighter ahead of his time, one of the greatest of the twentieth century. But if that fight against a young Dempsey had taken place in 1915, then Johnson would have been too old and out of shape for a fight like that. Dempsey would have wanted that title so much and whoever stood in his way would have been hurt.
     
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
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  10. Ronnie Raygun

    Ronnie Raygun Active Member banned Full Member

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    Prime Johnson vs Prime Dempsey
     
    Ronnie Raygun, Aug 23, 2017
    Ronnie Raygun, Aug 23, 2017
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  11. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    Who mentioned prime Dempsey V Johnson? We're talking about 1915 Johnson.
     
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
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  12. BCS8

    BCS8 VIP Member

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    I think Dempsey could do it. He was particularly fast and accurate I don't think JJ faced somebody like him. That said, at such a high level there's no open-and-shut case.
     
    BCS8, Aug 23, 2017
    BCS8, Aug 23, 2017
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  13. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    It would have been interesting to see these two great s together , even though jj was past his best. As furious as Dempsey was thought, I don't see a early ko. He would have taken some beating even then, but Dempsey wouldn't be denied. Maybe even slight shades of the first Ali v Frazier fight with the older man doing his best to win but the younger aggressive swarmer in his face constantly.
     
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
    Fergy, Aug 23, 2017
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  14. Longhhorn71

    Longhhorn71 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Johnson ducked a bunch of great black fighters as champion. I just want to evaluate "The Galveston Giant' vs "The Manassas Mauler" as fighters, ... in this equation.
     
    Longhhorn71, Aug 23, 2017
    Longhhorn71, Aug 23, 2017
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  15. Perry

    Perry Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Actually very untrue. Dempsey had no issues whatsoever fighting any man no matter their race. One of Dempseys first bouts in NY in 1916 (First bout Ray Arcel watched Dempsey in action) he faced Johnson Lester Johnson, a black hwt.
     
    Perry, Aug 23, 2017
    Perry, Aug 23, 2017
    #15
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