Hot take The Dempsey Roll is absolutely pointless

Head movement rarely is a bad thing. The Dempsey roll was a form of head movement, and it appears to have helped him either elude blows or at least diminish their impact. So I say definitely effective.

 

What's the alternative? Not moving your head as a target?

 

Did you know that Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe first tried the stage name "Dempsey Roll Morton?" But Dempsey kicked him in the nuts and made him change it? Well, technically, Dempsey punched him in the sternum and the pain radiated into the nuts and LaMothe said it felt like he was kicked there. But regardless, I've made my point about that, I think.

 

Take your time champ

 

The way ippo used it, I agree. Used it strictly for offense, often abandoning defense. That's why he got beat up and retired before becoming champ.

 

You fundamentally do not understand what you are talking about.

 

Dempsey should have mastered the Tootsee Roll:

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Thought the Dempsey roll was shifting weight when throwing alternating hooks in such a way that stance shifts and you are always off center, the head movement is sort of just a byproduct of this

 

Talking about the 'Dempsey Roll' is a bit weird.

It's taking the way Dempsey applied head movement as a defense to compliment his offensive style and turning it into some video game style special move. That's not the way Dempsey taught his style of fighting.

The philosophy behind Dempsey's style is sound. I've always felt that Chavez Sr was a modern, fine-tuned version of what Dempsey did stylistically.

That said, I think it's nice that the author of Ippo brought so many historical boxers to a new generation. It's just important to understand that he did it in a way that is very dramatized and suitable for his audience.

 

Constant head movement made Dempsey hard to hit.
It let him close distance aggressively against taller fighters.
The rolling motion built momentum into hooks from both hands.

His opponents often froze because the attack came in waves rather than single punches.

 

Sawamura right hand > Dempsey roll.

Also if you actually try using an ippo version of Dempsey roll you'll quickly find it is such a massive waste of energy no fighter with any sense would ever use it. That's why it's fiction. Closest I can think of is Tyson in very short bursts.

 

Seeing Tyson do the Ippo Dempsey Roll (defensively) in real life is insane. Only did it for a few seconds at a time but the insane oblique strength, abdominal strength and stamina you need to do that in an actual boxing match and then win the fight is absurd.

 

I train fighters to this day. And you do not understand what you are talking about.
Let's start here. Explain to me, in detail, what you think the Dempsey roll actually is. And then let's take a look at all the videos you can find online of guys teaching head movement...in absolutely predictable patterns.
Your comments indicate that you don't know what the terms 'bobbing and weaving" and "rolling" mean.

 

Do you think showing footage of Dempsey's head movement would be helpful for a young boxer learning foundamentals?