Tunney thought Dempsey beats Louis

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Melankomas, Jul 1, 2025.


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  1. Melankomas

    Melankomas Prime Jeffries would demolish a grizzly in 2 Full Member

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    Any thoughts?:


    'By the process of elimination of all other heavyweight champions except Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis, and comparing the more numerous and serious weaknesses in Louis' career as against Dempsey's, I feel justified in stating that Jack Dempsey was the greatest heavyweight of all time.

    I don't want it thought that I have anything but the highest regard for Louis. He reigned longer than any other heavyweight champion and remained at his peak longer than any other champion. The answer to whether or not Louis was the greatest ever gets down to what one thinks about Dempsey. For if Dempsey was not, surely Joe Louis was...

    ...I am of the belief that Dempsey would have caught Louis with a left hook early in the fight and started him on the road from which he could never recover, despite his great powers of recuperation. Dempsey was a tiger as a finisher. As a hitter, Louis was a kiIIer; but I think Dempsey would have beaten him to it.'

    - Gene Tunney, St. Cloud Times (Minnesota) - Tuesday 10th January 1950
     
    Melankomas, Jul 1, 2025
    Melankomas, Jul 1, 2025
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  2. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    Dempsey and Tunney were friends so its not shocking Tunney would say that.

    Dempsey does have a punchers chance but surely Louis would be favoured.
     
    dmt, Jul 1, 2025
    dmt, Jul 1, 2025
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  3. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    dmt, Jul 1, 2025
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  4. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    I think Dempsey gets to Louis early and takes him out.The longer it goes, the better Louis' chances.
     
    mcvey, Jul 1, 2025
    mcvey, Jul 1, 2025
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  5. RockyValdez

    RockyValdez Active Member Full Member

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    Since Tunney beat Dempsey thats sort of a cheeky way of saying “I can beat Louis.”
     
    RockyValdez, Jul 2, 2025
    RockyValdez, Jul 2, 2025
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  6. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    I'd say he had a decent chance.
     
    mcvey, Jul 2, 2025
    mcvey, Jul 2, 2025
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  7. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    Do you think Tyson beats Louis? Dempsey and Tyson were stylistically similar
     
    InMemoryofJakeLamotta, Jul 2, 2025
    InMemoryofJakeLamotta, Jul 2, 2025
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  8. Melankomas

    Melankomas Prime Jeffries would demolish a grizzly in 2 Full Member

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    Honestly I'd pick Louis over Dempsey and Tyson over Louis and here's why; Tyson has the chin and durability to take a lot more of Louis' punches than Dempsey does. Dempsey was as tough as they come but as the fight goes on I think Louis' fists will be delivering cheques that Jack's frame can't cash, there's a genuine chance Louis is put out early if he isn't careful though.
     
    Melankomas, Jul 2, 2025
    Melankomas, Jul 2, 2025
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  9. RockyValdez

    RockyValdez Active Member Full Member

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    He would have to get over his crippling fear of African American fighters first.
     
    RockyValdez, Jul 2, 2025
    RockyValdez, Jul 2, 2025
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  10. KasimirKid

    KasimirKid Well-Known Member Full Member

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    The logic of Tunney's thinking: Tunney > Dempsey (twice), Dempsey > Louis, ∴ Tunney > Louis

    There's not just a little bit of self-interest in Gene's ranking of Louis and Dempsey.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2025
    KasimirKid, Jul 2, 2025
    KasimirKid, Jul 2, 2025
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  11. greynotsoold

    greynotsoold Boxing Addict

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    It is his opinion. I don't necessarily agree with it.
    But I never fought on the undercard of Dempsey fight and made it my life's work to some day beat him, nor did I fight him twice,get knocked down by him and get up to win. I never fought Harry Greb, much less fought him 5 times. I've seen Joe Louis fight, on videos, and I have seen Dempsey and I think that Louis would win. I would never disrespect Tunney's opinion because there is no way that I could possibly understand boxing like he did.
     
    greynotsoold, Jul 2, 2025
    greynotsoold, Jul 2, 2025
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  12. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 Barrios is a bandit robber - Psalm 144:1 Full Member

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    It’s entirely possible, Dempsey has the power proven against bigger than Louis… lot of tenacity and finishing ability to garner a final count from the ref - if it’s in his era and he could sucker punch Louis as he rises it’d be a helluva first 3 rounds… I don’t like his chances, you don’t go to Louis and survive that’s a beaches of Gallipoli effort, Dempsey for me is good odds for anyone who isn’t pushing 6ft4-6ft7 240lbs-260lbs - give him any classically sized boxer up to the early 80s and he has a shot at mugging them but Dempsey was very much kill or he killed so you’d get your Firpo moments of desperation in there with some confusing names - I think he’d kill guys like Liston, Frazier, Patterson, Braddock , Charles and Baer in his own time.
     
    Journeyman92, Jul 2, 2025
    Journeyman92, Jul 2, 2025
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  13. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    Yeah, I can’t see where Gene went out of his way to qualify that he was talking prime Dempsey - the version that Gene himself didn’t face.

    But then Gene also thought that an average HW boxer could beat a Gorilla. Perhaps Gene talking/writing under the influence again? :D
     
    Pugguy, Jul 2, 2025
    Pugguy, Jul 2, 2025
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  14. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    Teddy had a bad falling out w Dempsey so factor that if you feel,it has any merit
     
    he grant, Jul 2, 2025
    he grant, Jul 2, 2025
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  15. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    interesting; i did not know that. do u know what their falling out was about?
     
    dmt, Jul 2, 2025
    dmt, Jul 2, 2025
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