Dempsey's pre-title run, quality of opposition

Dempsey, I suppose.
I'm not sure the names and categories you suggest are accurate though, but it will do.

 

Feel free to correct how you feel it should look. It was a bit off the cuff. If Dempsey's pre-title run was more impressive, I find it hard to justify placing Liston above him in ATG rankings.

 

Mc I know he didn't fight Langford/Wills/Greb on the way up, but did he avoid them or just not cross paths with them?? Is there any evidence of specific avoidance? Cheers

 

Well, I'm not entirely sure, that's why I started the thread. It could be dead-even. Comparisons are difficult.

I don't see Valdes as a top-tier fighter on Liston's ledger, he was past his best and coming off a bad run (losses to Alonzo Johnson and Charley Powell in his last three). Dempsey clearly beat several men of that caliber.
Whitehurst has a mediocre record.

 

Langford challenged Dempsey in 1916, Jack said no, he would have been KO'd at that point in his career anyway. He only really became a world class fighter in later 1917 after hooking up with Kearns.

Even though his qulaity of opposition is not very good, KO'ing the #1 contender in 18 seconds is pretty impressive. Even the best fighter of the era, Harry Greb turned down a fight with Fulton saying: "It's not that I'm afraid of Fulton, or that I don't think I can beat him,'but he's tall and has a fine jab and might bust me up pretty good before I could get to him. I have too many main events left in me to take the chance." Quoted by Harry Keck, one of Greb's friends. And the way he demolished the champ who was huge compared to him is impressive. Only a guy like Louis has a shot at doing to Willard what Dempsey did IMO.

 

Johnson was more skilled than Dempsey, plus he was heavier & stronger in the clinches i would bet.

 

Dempsey was perfect for Johnson. He is going to walk at him and keep getting tied up and pushed off. Little Jack isnt winning this one.

 

Also the much heavier Johnson was a muscular man, who i confidently pick to easily out-muscle the lighter, soft-bodied Dempsey as they grapple, wearing him out & stopping a gassed Mauler late.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5GKxp6cibQ[/ame]

 

K, that's funny.Describing Jack Dempsey as" SOFT-bodied "is truly humorous.!
Dempsey was described as powerful with whip-cord muscles. After koing big men Jack would bend down,and pick them up from the floor ala Firpo.He was called "amazingly "strong by Nat Fleischer. The "hardest" man the heavyweight division has produced,methinks.:good

 

Dempsey did have a soft body & legs though, only his arms were muscular, whereas Johnson was muscular all over & demonstrated his functional strength all the time.

Also...

Dempsey against Williard: 187lbs.

Johnson against Jeffries: 208lbs.

Advantage: 21lbs of muscle.

 

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dempsey looks pretty soft here fora a 180 lbs guy...love handles :nut

 

b, to put this in the proper perspective : Jack Dempsey truly kod granite jawed Jess willard in the first round,flooring Big Jess 7 times. today the fight would have been stopped in the first round.
It took the murderous punching Joe Louis THIRTEEN rounds to finally stop Abe Simon in 1941.No way Abe Simon lasts 13 rds.against Jack Dempsey, who was at his best a force of nature .Take care b...

 

Has anyone else ever noticed that so many gypsies in Enlgand copy the hairstyle of Jack Dempsey???

Just thought it was interesting, as they're infamously old school/backwards and infamously into boxing very much

 

Johnson was probably the stronger man, but even he would have problems containing Dempsey's explosiveness in the early rounds. If he can survive the early onslaught, it's Johnson's fight to win, but I don't he ever quite saw a fighter like Dempsey, not that he couldn't handle one.