Jack Dempsey vs Joe Frazier

This is too hard and why did you make the poll have an expiration date, Pete? You forced me to go coin flip on you. I didn't wanna have to do that but you forced me to it. I hope you're happy, man.

 

I just watched Dempsey vs Willard and it was ****ing horrific. I mean the guy was there waiting for Willards knee to rise about an inch off the ground before battering him from behind! It took him numerous flush shots on a defenceless fighter with 6 oz gloves to finish him and for all of his supposed power I cant see him getting Frazier out of there early.

His punches are long and telegraphed and although he has very good power I think that Frazier gets inside his punches and wears him down to a stoppage using his greater strength and body attack.

Frazier KO 11

 

Not a complete anaylsis ...

First of Willard had an iron chin ..He was also 6' 6" and Dempsey was reaching to hit him ..

You want to watch Dempsey's body work watch Carpentier, Brennan or Gibbons bouts and you will see plenty. You often have to play the film in slo-motion to compensate for the footage ... then you will see terrific , brutal body work.

 

Frazier by slaughter within 4.

 

The Frazier of 70/71 was one tough, relentless, fit guy. I truly think he does a number on Dempsey. 4th/5th round ko/stoppage for smokin' joe IMO

 

Yes the originial punch is as you described a lovely short right hand. But the follow up shots although brutal are wild; it may well be the fact that he is punching upwards at Willard but if he is trying to finish Frazier then he may have trouble with his bobbing and weaving.

If he stays patient and waits for the perfect opening as he did here then yeah he could knock out Frazier. But you have to take into account the weight of the gloves and the lack of a mandatory count. The rules under which the bout would be fought are crucial in this case.

Something tells me that if Frazier nails him then he will want to answer back and if he doesn't finish the fight early then I can't see him surviving when Joe starts to smoke.

 

Well you can certainly say he was wild in the Firpo fight; and you can also see that he is wide open if you stay cool under fire. I'm sure you can come up with examples to the contrary but in both fights he hurt his man with right hands then opens up a two handed barrage.

Now in his prime Joe Frazier was very difficult to hit with a right hand, and the punch he was open for was the uppercut, if you miss him then he will close you down and land with his trademark attack.

Jack was capable of boxing and knowing when to throw what but at heart he is a brawler and if Muhammad Ali ( a man with footwork far superior to Dempseys ) can be bullied and manouvered on to the ropes then Jack Dempsey will also end up either slugging it out in centre ring or along the ropes. A war of attrition through the middle and later rounds suits Frazier IMO and unless Jack takes him out in the first 3 it will come to that.

Hence my pick. Feel free to pick apart my post. :good

 

I concede that Dempsey had the ability to keep his punches short and compact but he could also fight wild and leave himself open.

What i'm trying to say is that the leverage Dempsey puts into his punches leaves him at a disadvantage inside where Joe could land the shorter, cleaner punches.

Do you not feel that Dempseys effectiveness as a knockout puncher would be compromised somewhat when fighting inside against a bigger man like Frazier. He was connecting on Willard and Firpo right at the sweet spot in his punching arc and his longer reach may also play against him when fighting a shorter guy. Agree or disagree?

 

So true. Dempsey wouldn't try to box and Frazier could take a punch. No way Dempsey got a bang like Foreman. Frazier's body-head-combos would wear Dempsey down immediately. So Frazier takes Dempsey on the inside, no doubt. Dempsey's boxing skills were limited and Frazier's left hook would land sooner or later. Dempsey's attempts to box Frazier would fail as well. It's a win-win situation for Frazier.

 

I'm sitting here reading the opinions & quite honestly I can see either argument's merits. Very tough call, I refuse to vote. I'll just check the posts of others. This would've been a great fight though, of that I'm certain.