[1921 article] Levinsky claimed Carpentier hit harder than Dempsey

Carp could bang! Carp was considered the greatest European fighter ever for many decades.

 

" he's the hardest socker ive ever met or ever hope to meet" tunney on dempsey 1926 .....he fought carpentier as well

 

Sam Langford who to this day is considered one of the all time greats:

“Jack Dempsey is the greatest fighter I have ever seen”

 

Jack Sharkey regarding Dempsey’s punching power:

“When Dempsey hit you on your shoulder he broke your shoulder. If he hit you to the body it felt as if his fist was coming out your back. If he hit your hip he dislocated your hip.”

 

No need to worry about me. You should worry about your own mentality or lack thereof.

 

If Levinsky really thought that it might be because he was not in good shape and was in decline for the Carpentier fight so felt the punches more.
Carpentier was a good light heavyweight puncher who could knock over Euro level heavies too, but he certainly couldn't match Dempsey for power.

 

Sounds like Carp was a good win for Dempsey then.

 

Financialy wise yes, quality wise no.

 

If you believe that quote, then he was an outstanding challenger, and it would have been a disgrace had he been denied a shot.

 

I don't believe he was an outstanding challenger ,who had he beaten to qualify as such?
He hadn't fought a good heavyweight since 1914, over 7 years earlier and he only won that fight on a disputed dsq.

Let's objectively look at Carpentier's best wins.
Jeff Smith a pre prime middleweight 22 years old, 8 years previously.
Willie Lewis a fat middleweight and 38 years old ,he had lost his last 5 fights and won just 1 of his last 7.
Ted Kid Lewis an overstuffed welter weight who scaled157lbs to Carpentier's 175.Carpentier hit him while the referee was breaking them.This is Carpentier's only successful defence
GunBoat Smith . A highly dubious dsq win,and his only good one over a heavyweight of any class
Battling Levinsky.Past his best and many thought he went into the tank for this one.Harry Greb had beaten Levinsky 5 times out ot 5.
I submit these are not wins that qualify a man for a shot at the heavyweight title. And unlike say Bob Foster ,Carpentier does not have a history of dominance over the light heavyweights of his era.He won the title from an average fighter held it for 2 years successfully defending it once against a fighter who scaled 157lbs,and whose best work was done at welterweight, and lost it to one of the worst 175 champions Battling Siki who beat no one of note before facing Carpentier and no one of note afterwards.
Bottom Line the best fighters he fought;
Klaus
Papke
Gibbons
Tunney
Loughran
Dempsey
All beat him
Now, have I been fair and truthful here or not?

 

N.B. I'd like to point out my intention is not to demean Dempsey in any way for taking up Carpentier's challenge.Dempsey got $300,00 for these 4 rounds ,he would have to have been a complete fool to turn his back on such easy money.

 

Then you'd have to conclude that that statement isn't true then.

 

I'd appreciate an answer to my question two posts on this thread ago.Thanks.