Dempsey vs Ruddock

Between Ruddock and Firpo, both great fighters. I'm tempted to say Ruddock is better because I've watched his vicious punching in clarity as opposed to Firpo.

But neither seems better than the other by any significant margin.

 

Prime Ruddock was pretty durable. Tyson was past his best but he still hit hard and Ruddock took it all the second time around and may have done first time too but for the disputed stoppage. The stoppage losses thereafter were against a diminished version particularly after Lewis bombed him out. And while you sat Dempsey was durable, if Gene Tunney could put him down, Tyson could do the same.

I don't see how Willard having three years lay off/ worth of ring rust magnifies Dempsey's achievement either.

In fact, I look at Dempsey's reign, mainly comprising career light heavies and even middleweights and I don't see a whole lot, really. He may have been the greatest of his time - I'll be the first to admit I don't know enough about the sport to look at how he fights and judge him on that and not his record - but he certainly didn't have a reign that left no question unanswered.