Why the polarised views on Dempsey?

When exactly did Dempsey fight the looser of a title eliminator?

As far as I can see, when Wills won a title eliminator, he simply didn't fight either participant.

"If a fighter draws the colour line, you can bet your bottom dollar that there is some colourd fighter out there that he is deathly afraid of"

John L Sullivan

 

Harry Wills dominated his 1920s opponents like Liverpool FC dominated everyone they faced from 1986-1990, Liverpool weren't aloud to challenge for European/World honours because of their fans, Wills wasn't allowed to because of Dempsey's fans

 

Some contemporary views on Wills Firpo:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAAIBAJ&pg=6547,2448894&dq=harry+wills&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAAIBAJ&pg=3181,2790358&dq=harry+wills&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...NAAAAIBAJ&pg=964,6861710&dq=harry+wills&hl=en

 

Contemporary views in Wills Sharkey:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAAIBAJ&pg=3842,6084888&dq=harry+wills&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAAIBAJ&pg=2695,1476237&dq=harry+wills&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6644,316995&dq=harry+wills&hl=en

 

Not exactly.

 

The debacle wil Bill Tate badly damaged Wills standing and claim for a title shot:

"Failure of Harry Wills, colored heavyweight, to win the decision over Bill Tate at Portland last Friday night has ruined his chances to secure a match with Jack Dempsey, titleholder"

Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922) - Chicago, Ill.
Date: Jan 8, 1922

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=4661,3530019&dq=harry+wills+bill+tate&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=1910,4012564&dq=harry+wills+bill+tate&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=2496,3452946&dq=harry+wills+bill+tate&hl=en

 

It is curious that everybody here makes an issue of Dempsey failing to fight Wills but nobody criticises him for failing to fight Tate.

Many at the time saw Tate as an equaly good/bad challenger:

"Wills and Tate Are Hot on the Trail of Jack Dempsey of a Fling at His Crown

COLORED PUGS AFTER CHAMP;

Wills and Tate Want Bouls With Dempsey; Manner of Negro Scrappers Vividly Described; Each Thinks He Has Chance Against Jack.

Those two black clouds on the horizon of the boxing world, Harry Wills and Bill Tate, assumed more horrendous appearance this afternoon and cast shadows in the path of one Jack Dempsey, the well-known man-eater."

Los Angeles Times :Jan 1, 1922

 

Ironicaly, Harry Greb's win over Tommy Gibbons damaged his claim to fight Dempsey in the eyes of some:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=5341,2661330&dq=harry+wills+harry+greb&hl=en

 

When offered a fight with Greb, Dempsey actualy seems to have tried to shift the focus to Wills:

"DEMPSEY REFUSES GREB BOUT OFFER; Tells Promoter Fitzsimmons the Only Fight He Wants Is With Harry Wills.

Jack Dempsey sat down hard today on Floyd Fitzsimmons's proposals for immediate signing of papers for a bout between the champion and Harry Greb at Michigan City, Ind., next September, when he announced that one fight he wanted was with Harry Wills and that he would do nothing in any other direction until he hears from the New York commission on the Wills matter."

New York Times

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=3740,5681655&dq=harry+wills+harry+greb&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=3576,1405181&dq=harry+wills+harry+greb&hl=en

The irony here is that Dempsey seems to have been negotiating in good faith with Wills, while trying to throw the focus off a fight with Greb!

 

Do you think that Bill Tate might have been a bit underated as a fighter?

I am not so sure.

I can see why Wills loss might have hurt his standing for a while, but it seems a bit rich for Dempsey to talk about Will losing a DQ fight and then further Decision fight (which it seems he was not really prepared properly for) but not mention that Tate had already been KOd by Wills.

In hindsight Wills definitely deserved the shot. And to be honest, i think he should have been given a shot (as obviously did most contemporararies given that the fight was signed), still i find it interesting and a little reassuring that Wills was mentioned in one of those articles as being the second highest paid fighter behind Dempsey, in the world.

 

Also, one more strange thing about Dempsey's comments. He calls Tate the real coloured champion but doesnt mention his losses to Langford, Jack Thompson and George Godfrey, all of which would move them down the coloured title pecking list i would have thought.