Interesting interview with Jack Dempsey's wife

Thanks, montrealsuper! Really interesting, especially about Jack discovering opera at 80. Jack Johnson loved opera, too.

 

That was great!!

A lot of interesting things there.

My favorite was the Ali story! Thats brilliant. Sometime around the mid 70's its obvious Ali came to realize the true skills of Jack Dempsey. I remember seeing a Cossell Ali interview, where Cossell shows Ali the first Tunney Dempsey, and it seemed to be the first time Ali had seen Dempsey in good quality film. Because he was surprised, saying "Now Howard, these men are boxing! These men are great scientists" and he was saying it like he just made the realization lol.


I heard another great story about Ali and Dempsey from a writer in an Ali documentary. The writer says that he was doing a conference or something with Jack Dempsey and Ali. This is right before the fight in Zaire. George Foreman walks in the room, and this would be one of the first times he and Ali meet in person. Ali leans to Dempsey and says "One moment Mr. Dempsey." Ali got up, walked over to Foreman who was staring at Ali and says: "What are you doing? Don't you look at me like that!" Right there, Foremans eyes went straight down. The writer describes the moment as a father scolding a child. Then Ali says "Thats right boy. Get on out of here, and dont let me see you again." Foreman walked out. Ali's expression changed as Foreman left the room, he walked back over to his chair, sat down, and says to Dempsey, "Excuse me Mr. Dempsey....but I just won round 1."

 

It's also very interesting to hear about Dempsey's back.


Those back injuries from falling out the ring really are dangerous. When Cintron fell out the ring he barely hit the table and had to be carried out. It seemed like Dempsey fell all the way out of the ring! And he got back up to knockout Firpo despite the injury. Wow!

 

ali......

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

 

Dempsey did more than hurt his back, he got a tear in his rectum, that was repaired later.

 

I've long suspected this injury diminished him far more for Tunney than he ever let on. In his 1977 autobiography, he merely mentioned in passing that it hurt him ever since, but it could go a long way towards explaining his hiatus from competition between Firpo and Tunney. (Beyond that, he was the highest paid athlete in 1925 without ever putting the title on the line. Hell, if I found myself in such a cushy situation, I might not risk the championship either.)

For Tommy Gibbons, there was a spring in his step that was never in evidence again. There was an especially glaring contrast in legwork between Dempsey and King Levinski in their exhibition. The Kingfish was exuberant in his youthful bounciness then.

 

My three favorite heavyweights of alltime in and OUT of the Ring were
Jack Dempsey
Joe Louis
Joe Frazier
They had an innate goodness about them.
I forgot to mention another true gentleman, Floyd Patterson.

 

Would Schmeling then round out your top five of first rate characters Burt, or might somebody else fit the bill?

 

He became estranged from Jack Kearns sometime in 1924 or '25, and Kearns had him under contract until September '26 I think.
His break from fighting was extended to get free from Kearns.

 

Which would complicate the efforts to arrange Dempsey-Wills considerably. (As Jack had the advantage of youth over the aging Harry, six years his senior, I believe this would have been the best chance for Dempsey to extend his reign. I don't believe he would have gotten great mileage out of such a win in terms of historic legacy due to the age of Wills, but it might have prolonged the competitive edge he lost by the time Tunney dethroned him.)

 

Nice find enjoyed it I remember the 75th party at the Quarry/Mac Foster fight I was there and I remember they showed a film of Dempsey, I think Tunney was there as well...great night, I was a young kid and it was one of my first pro fights and Dempsey was a beast but a refined beast....too bad he is so underrated...Dempsey would have presented a huge problem to any ATG, Ali included

 

I agree 100%. Dempsey is too underrated in these parts nowadays.

 

Yes,D.I have always had enourmous admiration for Billy Miske.. A great fighter of the Dempsey era. Miske was diagnosed with having a fatal disease
called Bright's Disease. He entered many fights in a weakened condition but still licked some of the top heavyweights of that time.Finally he begged his good friend Jack Dempsey for one last shot at a match with Jack, so his family would have some money for Xmas,and a cushion after he died. Well Jack gave him a match where he kod Miske in 3 rounds. He passed away soon after...What a brave man was Billy Miske, and what a story for Hollywood.
Yes D,Miske was one of my very favorite heavies. Knowing he was slated to die soon,he trained in a weakened condition, against a killer like Dempsey,
and died providing for his family...A man to admire D...

 

Its amazing that Miske still managed to kayo Brannon too.