On this day 98 years ago Dempsey fought Carpentier it was the first million dollar gate

Dempsey followed other champions by facing the light hwt champion. Other examples were Louis vs Lewis and Frazier vs Foster.

The quality of the film of this bout is not the best so it’s difficult getting excited about the action. The two knockdowns would have been great to see via more modern filming. The first appears to be a left hook right cross combination while the second appears to be Dempsey’s favorite combination. Right to the heart and left hook to the jaw.

 

Very important.....boxers could actually get paid good money for getting their brains beat out

 

One guy carrying a completely unqualified challenger sold as high entertainment to a naive and gullible public. An important event, a worthless and pointless fight.

 

It’s important in that it showed what can be done through the genius of promotion.

 

Foster never beat a decent hwt yet Frazier gave him a shot. Carpentier was a world famous athlete and multi champion in Europe. Absolutely nothing historically wrong about a light hwt champion, highly regarded, fighting for the hwt championship.

 

And it was the first fight broadcast on a nationwide hook-up......

 

For such a big money event, the filming was terrible. Following Gibbons re-defines cutting off the ring.

 

Carpentier was a fraud as a heavyweight contender. This was a great event, not a great fight and was the result of Rickard's genius and not Dempsey's. Carpentier's heavyweight cache could only be based on his Euro belt victory over the oft and early KO victim Billy Wells EIGHT YEARS EARLIER. The guy wouldn't even sit in the same stadium as Greb he was so frightened of the middleweight. His "victory" against Smith was hollow as can be... total Home Cooking.

Study up, bub. And I suggest sources beyond Burt Sugar's regurgitations.

 

Never read anything by Sugar.

Again you know nothing. Typical worm. Carpentier was known world wide...Europe and the US prior to getting his title shot. He was light hwt champion of the world and multi title holder in Europe.

Who did Foster beat as a hwt to fight Frazier?

Truth is, and you ignore truth, that Carp got his title shot as lt hwt champion just like others before and after him. Nothing unusual nor nothing to look down upon.

 

Carpentier wasn't an outstanding challenger, but a legit one. And it especially makes sense because he was such a big star. The problem isn't who Dempsey defended against, but who je didn't.

I wonder if Carpentier could have achieved a lot more if WWI didn't interrupt his career. He beat Gunboat Smith, and may well have deserved a win over Joe Jeanette. I think he showed more potential early on than he ultimately achieved.

 

Carpentier had done nothing to warrant a shot at the heavyweight title and his title win over Levinsky is viewed with a great deal of suspicion.Carpentier was so much lighter than Dempsey,Rickard and Deschamps had him train behind closed doors so as not to kill the gate. Rickard went into Dempsey's dressing
"Listen Jack.This Carpentier is a nice feller,but he can't fight.I could lick him myself.So I want you to be careful and don't kill him.I mean that Jack,if you kill him all this will be ruined.Boxing will be dead".
Jack Dempsey
Carpentier's weight was given as 172lbs, but he actually weighed a fraction under 168lbs.
It was a bally- hooed mismatch,a triumph of hype over reality.

 

You know nothing of the sport. Again giving Carp a title shot is in line historically with other hwt champions giving lt hwt champions title shots.

Who did Foster beat as a hwt to warrant a title shot vs Frazier?

 

Dempsey wasn't the only one who defend against someone as small as Carpentier. Conn was just as light, Frazier defended against Foster who wasn't much bigger, Corbett fought Fitzsimmons and he actually lost.

The biggest blame on Dempsey resume is that he defended against Carpentier but not Greb, who was much better challenger. You can't blame him given the context though, who wouldn't prefer easier fight for more money?

 

I'm not blaming him, I'm saying the Carpentier defense was a mismatch, and it was. Conn had earned his shot by beating good heavyweights like Barlund,Savold,Pastor,Knox and McCoy.
Carpentier hadn't beaten good heavyweight since Gunboat Smith on a controversial foul 7 years before!