Fulton, Willard and Morris were all bigger than Lyle. Firpo was roughly the same size as Lyle, though he was inferior of course.
Then why didn't he mess his pants against Fulton or Willard? At least they were big men with credentials! Why didn't they at least manage some sort of resistance against him?
Good points. I agree about your point on styles. However, I would say none of the big guys Dempsey ever beat were a fraction of the fighter Lyle was (not to say Lyle was a great fighter). I would still pick Lyle.
I don’t see where Jack was brave enough to fight anyone who resembled Lyle. Make of that what you will.
Four slow twitch slobs, three of whom couldn't box their way out of a paper bag even by that day's standards. Boxing evolved past being glorified tough man competitions since that time, in part due to Dempsey's contribution. But don't compare those guys to the competition around in the 1970's. Thats beyond dishonest.
Willard was as big as Vitally Klitschko, and had killed a man in the ring. If that doesn't scare you as a 190lb fighter, then probably nothing will!
Vitali Klitschko was an immaculately conditioned, athletically talented combat athlete who had been competing in various disciplines since the age of 7. He had lost but a few rounds in his professional career while compiling one of the greatest stoppage ratios in history, all during an era that recruited athletes of all race and creed, athletes enjoying the fruits of scientific training and preparation. The Willard that Dempsey faced was a 37 year old rodeo/circus rider who had retired from boxing more times that he had fought in the previous 4 years. He was, by his own era's estimation, a lumbering, unskilled plodder who started very late, disliked the sport and had only size to his advantage. He refused to spar with anyone but his old poolplaying friends. He is, by this era's estimation, a slow-twitch, fairly immobile guy who tried all fight to set up his two cumbersome Sunday punches, an telegraphed uppercut and a right hand directly off the set of a John Wayne movie. These two things are not the same.
I think Willard DID scare him. I believe Jack used fear to his advantage. His "killer instinct" came from that dark place where fear resides. This is what Jack, himself, said. So, if he feared you, look out, because he was coming at you as the Manassa Mauler!
The death probably weighed on him then and caused him to be not much in the ring. But yes, it is scary.