Let's face it, Jack Dempsey was an icon....still somewhat is. But if you take away that icon status and judge simply by their resumes does Harry Wills have a case for ranking above Dempsey all time? In my opinion Wills has the much stronger resume. Of course there are different factors that go into rating a fighter. But if we go strictly on resume......what say you?
Yeah I'd say Wills. Both have wins over an old Gunboat Smith, Luis Firpo and Fred Fulton. But I prefer Langford, McVey, Jeannette, Norfolk, Weinert, Tate and Clark over thhe guys Dempsey fought, especially given how many times he beat them.
Here's a 25 page thread on the topic i'd say from right around the time the forum was its peak. https://www.boxingforum24.com/threa...it-is-time-for-a-generation-to-accept.131130/
Stop piggybacking your old thread onto my new modern thread that has evolved!! Great stuff in that thread and I agree with you completely. Wills should rank higher in an honest world. That's not to take away from Dempsey, but the facts speak for themselves. How anyone thinks they would do h2h is irrelevant to the actual resumes.
I have Wills at #13 and Dempsey #14 HW all time. Wills has the better win resume, whilst Dempsey has the title.
H2H I have Wills higher. If not for Dempsey ducking him I wouldn't though. Wills resume is operating under the Luis Ortiz principle that there's no proof he isn't this or that rather then the proof.
Perhaps, Mac. I've watched the careers of 2 x fighters unfold in Ultra HD and still predicted the outcome incorrectly when they've fought. There's no footage of Wills during his prime and the quality of footage of either is sub-optimal, particularly that of past prime Wills. I wouldn't be confident in making a pick either way. What we do know, is the detail of their respective records: Dempsey Record - 53-6-8 Best wins - Jack Sharkey, Fred Fulton, Billy Miske x 3, Tommy Gibbons, Jess Willard, Luis Firpo, Gunboat Smith x 2, Battling Levinksy, Bill Brennan x 2, Carl Morris x 2 (inc. 1 x DQ), Fireman Jim Flynn (1-1), Georges Carpentier and Willie Meehan (1-2-2). Losses anywhere close to prime years - Fireman Jim Flynn aged 21 (1-1), Willie Meehan aged 21 & 23 (1-2-2) and Gene Tunney x 2 aged 31 & 32. Wills Record - 70-9-3. Was 66-5-3. Went 36-0-2 between losing to Battling Jim Johnson aged 27 and DQ loss to Bill Tate aged 32. Best wins - Sam Langford (13-2) Sam way past prime by the end of their series, Sam McVea (3-2), Joe Jeanette, Fred Fulton, Jeff Clark x 7, Luis Firpo, Willie Meehan, Gunboat Smith, Kid Norfolk, Charlie Weinert, past prime Denver Ed Martin and Battling Jim Johnson (2-1). Losses anywhere close to prime years - Sam Langford (13-2), Sam McVea avenged x 3 (3-2) and Battling Jim Johnson (2-1). If I was ranking purely on depth of win resume, Wills would be in my top 10. He won series against every fighter to beat him during his prime. I consider him the more proven of the two, though, obviously, don't feel there's much separating them, given I have Wills #13 and Dempsey #14.
Dempsey no question he literally changed the sport. Wills had a good resume but Dempsey was indeed an icon.