How good was Dempsey's title reign?

Willard
Miske
Carpentier
Gibbons

That's just the ones in title fights - not counting the ones outside of his title reign (Sharkey & Levinsky).

 

The bottom line of this topic is One must realize that throughout most of Dempsey’s lifetime he was considered the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. In the 1950 AP Poll he was voted the greatest fighter ever. In a 1962 Ring magazine poll of 40 boxing experts Dempsey was named the greatest heavyweight of all time.. The only reason he is not so highly rated today is that all those historians and boxing experts have passed away.. yet we have guys with zero knowledge of Dempsey who have never seen more than two of his fights in their lives make ridiculous claims like on this topic.

 

Right On ! In my eyes Jack Dempsey at his tigerish best, would beat any heavyweight man to man,for the simple reason that he combined great speed, hitting power, and a rough and tough demeanor,never equaled in a heavyweight. If I am wrong, I am in good company with a majority of writers who saw him 1919-23. Yes I am aware that he wasn't the most active champion. He gravitated to the life of La Dolca Vita,taking off for 3 years, going Hollywood, marrying a movie star, bedding many others, and dumping his mentor and manager Jack Kearns . After fighting since he was 14 or so, bouncing on railways,going from ******tonkey towns to earn a living as a bouncer,and saloon fighter, I can not blame Dempsey for taking in the good life when the money came rolling in. He followed the ruling of his manager Jack Kearns,and promoter Tex Rickard, who selected his opponents who
brought in the most money ,with the least risk. Yes he never fought my favorite fighter who ever lived, Harry Greb. Yes he never fought Harry Wills, though Dempsey and Wills signed for a bout which was cancelled. But he
would have been a big favorite over both, by the oddsmakers of that time...
And might I add Joe Louis,my favorite heavyweight, avoided many great black
punchers as Lee Q Murray, Harry Bobo, Curtis Shepperd, Jimmy Bivens, who were much more a threat to Louis than the Tony Musto's, Harry Thomas's' Al McCoy, Red Burman, Jack Roper, Johnny Paycheck who Louis destroyed. But of course Louis and his braintrust now get a pass, whilst Jack Dempsey today is constantly slandered and demeaned ! Ain't fair I say !

 

So I know nothing of Dempsey and have never seen more than two of his fights?

Id be willing to bet you hard money Ive seen more footage of Dempsey than you have ever dreamed of and read more first hand contemporary accounts than you knew existed.

 

Burt what does one have to do with other? Its not a competition to see who was better, Louis or Dempsey. In fact you are the first person I can remember on this thread to draw comparisons between their reigns. The bottom line was rating his title defenses. Louis doesnt even factor into the equation. if you want to rag on Louis' title comp then go start that thread.

 

I hadn't realized willard made it in the hof. That's nuts imo. Frankly willard and miske both are pretty weak entries. If you want to laud dempsey for beating them by saying they are hofers well, to each his own...

 

K,I have repeatedly said that Dempsey's title reign was not as rich as other great heavyweight champions.No doubt about that fact. I am reacting to some posters who don't even put Dempsey in the top 10 great heavyweights in history. This raises my ire for the reason that what was constantly told to me as I was growing up,was so full of praise of the fighting abilities of Jack Dempsey,and his place in history. I have read the opinions of great writers
and boxing people as Ray Arcel, Mickey Walker, Damon Runyon, Sam Langford,Hype Igoe,Max Schmeling, Grantland Rice, Lou Stillman and others who were somewhat in awe of the prime Jack Dempsey...And I viscerally try to defend Jack Dempsey from his modern detractors. I also try to show that though Jack Dempsey is constantly derided for not fighting two of his top
contemporaries, yes CONSTANTLY, Joe Louis ,as great as he was ,also did not fight the very best heavyweights of HIS TIME. It bears repeating that Louis
fought so many stiffs as Burman, Thomas, McCoy,Johnny Paycheck,Jack Roper, while never ONCE tackling some great black punchers of that time as Lem Franklin, Harry Bobo, Lee Q Murray, Curtis Shepperd, Jimmy Bivins, each of who would have been a vastly superior opponent for Louis, but Louis and his handlers avoided these toughies. So ,in the name of fairness, I think
Dempsey today is unfaily maligned...:hi:

 

I have Dempsey pretty low.No 3.:good

 

According to Suzie, 22 posters on this site are hitting bongs. :roll: