Jack Dempsey openly stated he would not fight black challengers

Jeffries announced his retirement in 1905. 5 years from that is what? He did defend against Johnson didn't he? Or do you want to apply double standards?

I view him as the lineal champion until he lost. Got it now.

 

Jeffries announced his retirement on 2nd May 1905. By your definition he lost lineage on 2nd May 1910 and his fight with Johnson in July of that year was for the vacant lineal title. By your own definition, Jeffries never defended his lineal title against a black man. I've "got that", yes. Cheers

 

My definition is he has the lineal title. End of.

The Jeffries vs Johnson fight was signed before 5 years from his retirement. Got it?

 

Haha. Pathetic. Nowhere in your definition did you mention the date of signing a fight being material to it. So, by the definition you gave, Jeffries never defended his lineal title against a black contender.

 

Oh the irony and not just on one level

 

This aged well.

 

Choked on my water at this.

 

But that, one of his very last posts, totally encapsulates the man. A pompousness that had to be seen to be believed and delusions of grandeur that are completely off the charts.

Moving on now

 

True, but Dempsey can only be held accountable for whom he defended against of the best available (where Wills and Greb were glaring omissions), not the opportunities afforded to black fighters in general.

One can, however, argue that the competitiveness on the whole was weaker because of the lack of opportunity for black fighters and that this also the effects the quality of his reign.

 

I pretty much agree with this. But one must acknowledge that it was, by definition, a weaker era.

 

In actions, yes. In heart, no.

 

$30,000 persuaded him.

 

He later signed for a fight with Wills twice, the first shut down by Rickard which resulted in the infamous NY boxing fiasco, the second time Wills team voided the contract by not putting up the pre-agreed amount, the resulting lawsuit is very well documented.

As for Dempsey's legacy, don't think it makes much difference, as this was a very different time over 100 years ago, and he was ready and willing to fight Harry Wills so his adhesion to the color line was marginal at best. As for if I think he would have lost to the best black challengers after winning his title, Wills generally did worse against Dempsey's opponents including his loss to Sharkey and UD against Firpo. Wills while bigger was slower, and seemed much easier to hit than Jack. The great Langford who fought Wills numerous times strongly believed Dempsey would knock him out.
As for George Godfrey, Jack broke his ribs when he was his sparring partner.

 

I think we can agree the young Dempsey of 1916 who had been fighting less than two years would lose to most if not all names mentioned, including Fulton. Of course, by the time Dempsey beat Fulton in 18 seconds, he was a vastly improved fighter,

 

Did he really? I never heard of this. I know way later he helped the debt stricken Joe Louis and set up a charity for him.