Were Dempsey's hands loaded in the Willard fight

One of the articles about Willard - Dempsey said that cool water was poured on Dempsey's taped hands because the hot weather made his taped hands uncomfortably hot while he waited to have his gloves put on. When the wet tape dried it may have made the tape a bit harder, but not hard enough to make much of a difference.

Willard like a lot of people in 1919 did not take Dempsey seriously and Big Jess walked into the propeller.

 

There are credible accounts, including from the man who actually wrapped Dempsey's hands, that the wraps were wetted with water beforehand. That would create an advantage and increase the amount of damage inflicted. Nat Fleisher of The Ring watched the hands being wrapped and supports this account, saying water was poured on the wraps "and that hardened them."

Panama Lewis couldn't have done it better. Dempsey had a clear and illegal advantage.

 

A sensible observer would have serious doubts about anybody taking out a reigning heavyweight champion in one round.

It dosn't happen very often in the real physical universe, and when it does it usuay turns on said lineal campion making a key mistake in the first round.

In fact, when in your lifetime has there been any bout at world level, where you would have been prepared to put money on a frst round knockout?

 

I weren't alive for it but Liston - Patterson 2 must have had close to even odds for a 1st round ko?

 

Looking at the Johansen series, most people would probably have expected Floyd to have learned something form the first fight. Even an older Frazier managed to do better against Foreman in their second encounter, but in the former case it seems that Floyd realy did make the same mistakes twice.

The bottom line is that people make very bold and extreme picks in fantasy fights where their predictions can never be tested, but if it is a fight that is going to happen tomorrow their picks are a lot more conservative.

 

What a 185 pound Dempsey did to Willard July 4, 1919 was pure dynamite, but just 0ne year before,Dempsey flattened the 6ft4" Fred Fulton in one minute of the 1st round,
and Jim Flynn, 1st round, Gunboat Smith 2nd rd. Battling Levinsky 2nd rd. All within the time Dempsey first hooked up with Jack Kearns....And his gambling manager Jack Kearns
bet a large amount of money Dempsey would ko Jess Willard in the FIRST round...So
there was a lot at stake in the Dempsey camp for a one round knockout in the 105%
degrees Toledo sun...Whatever attributes Jack Dempsey had from about this time
made him a "mankiller" in the eyes of the thousands of boxing people who watched
Dempsey during this time...At this stage young Dempsey combined litheness, two handed power, and a true love for combat...A pretty fair combination, I believe...

 

First off there are pictures of Dempsey sitting in his corner before the fight begins with his hands taped and ungloved. No sign of anything going on with his taped hands. He had no plaster of Paris in or on his wrappings and that is totally clear. If they were loaded don't you think his hands would have been long gloved before entering the ring and if not do you think any photographer would be allowed near him? Fleischer did say that he witnessed dempseys hands being wrapped and there was nothing unusual about it. Dempsey hit like a hammer..there is no controversy here.

 

No, although I think even up to when he was on his deathbed Willard swore Dempsey had something in his left glove. A compliment IMO.

 

Tyson would certainly put down Willard in the 1st round and keep him there. Tyson is naturally much bigger than Dempsey, stronger, faster, better accuracy and threw combinations, I seriously wouldn't be at all suprised if Tyson were to kill Willard. The thought of Tyson in a era where you can beat them when they're down, with tiny gloves and no mouthguards is ****ing scary.

 

Tyson - McNeeley?

 

Any time you wan't to predict a first round knockout of any fighter above the level of a fringe contender, just let me know.

I won't be holding my breath.

 

A 38 year old, inactive 'champ' with no defense up against perhaps the most devastating heavyweight in history? With tiny gloves? No mouthguards? Allowed to hit him when he's down? Yeah I'd take Tyson to do it in the space of 1 round

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TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMBERRRRR!

 

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