Heard alot, seen little on it here this thread is dedicated to whatever proof you may have, a place of speculation on the fight and just the normal stuff in classic...
Never happened! https://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=BONQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9P8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1844,3630691&hl=da
It doesn't make financial sense. The biggest money maker in this era would be: A) The Gate B) The broadcasting rights In 1921, the gate for Dempsey Carpentier was: $1,789,238 This equates to at least 23 million today but maybe more. So we're expected to believe that a group of business men offered similar money for a private bout? When they could not spend that money and push to promote it somewhere else publically?
A myth. If anyone sits down and thinks about this ,a secret fight between an exchamp and a reigning champ ,behind closed doors.the following questions beg to be answered 1.What $$$$ could this generate? 2. What would be the financial incentive for Dempsey ,the reigning champ to engage in this fight? 3. After nearly a hundred years not one shred of evidence has ever surfaced that it happened how is this possible?. 4. Not one credible person has ever come forward and said "I was there".How could you keep such an affair secret?
If it had taken place Dempsey would have run through that version of Johnson like Sherman through Georgia!
It didn't happen. It was part of a series of prime vs prime fantasy fights, that somehow got misreported as actually happening.
Ray Pearson's Mythical match-ups were in several papers, but I think I found all of them in the Sunday News of New York (though I'm not sure that was the first place they were published. Here's all the match ups, with the date and page they were in that paper, the title, and the result 1921 Dec 11 (page 44), DEMPSEY KNOCKS OUT JOHNSON IN SEVENTH ROUND (Jack Dempsey knocks out Jack Johnson in the 7th) 1921 Dec 18 (page 42), GANS'S RINGCRAFT TOO MUCH FOR BENNY LEONARD (Joe Gans outpoints Benny Leonard over 15 rounds) 1921 Dec 25 (page 42), KETCHEL KNOCKS OUT WILSON IN THIRD (Stanley Ketchel knocks out Johnny Wilson in the third round) 1922 Jan 01 (page 44), JIMMY BARRY BEATS BUFF IN FURIOUS GO (Jimmy Barry outpoints Johnny Buff over 10 rounds) 1922 Jan 08 (page 43), "TERRIBLE TERRY" McGOVERN BATTERS JOHNNY KILBANE TO CANVAS IN NINTH (Terry McGoverns knocks out Johnny Kilbane in the 9th round) 1922 Jan 15 (page 44) DEMPSEY'S BODY BLOWS BEAT FITZ (Jack Dempsey knocks out Bob Fitzsimmons in the 4th round) 1922 Jan 22 (page 42) WILY KID M’COY PUTS GIBBONS OUT IN 8TH (Kid McCoy knocks out Tommy Gibbons in the 8th round) 1922 Jan 29 (page 44) JOHNSON WINS BY A SHADE OVER JACKSON (Jack Johnson outpoints Peter Jackson over 10 rounds) 1922 Feb 05 (page 44) DEMPSEY DEFEATS JEFFRIES IN 12th (Jack Dempsey knocks out James J Jeffries in the 12th round) 1922 Feb 12 (page 43) “PHANTOM” MIKE AND TOM RYAN DRAW (Mike Gibbons and Tommy Ryan fight 10 rounds to a draw) 1922 Feb 19 (page 37) WALCOTT HAS EDGE ON JACK BRITTON (Joe Walcott wins on points in an 8 round contest against Jack Britton)
No offense, but Grant was never in Georgia. That was an ironic post as I think even a 43 year old Johnson could possibly have been a bit more difficult opponent than a knife through butter analogy would indicate. Old boxers with good skills have shown over the years that they can often be surprisingly troubling, and Johnson not only had skills but the size and strength to tie up Dempsey on the inside.
It would only make sense if both guys were old at the time, kind of like how the Tyson vs Jones fight is at least somewhat intriguing because they're both past it. Nobody would pay to see a prime Tyson vs a 50 year old jones. Dempsey was nearly 2 eras removed from Johnson who was already very old and shopworn when he lost the title to Willard. Back then being in your late 30's in sports was almost like being in your 50's.
You beat me to it. A rare slip up by McVey. Sherman would have been the better choice. And regarding the Johnson-Dempsey bout, I was there.
There would be zero benefit for Dempsey to face Johnson in any sort of bout. I cannot see Kearns or Rickard even allowing the bout to be considered, just 6 months earlier Johnson was released from prison in Leavenworth following the Mann Act conviction, they were not going to permit the goose that lay the golden egg to be tarnished. I am sure Johnson was vocalizing his wish to face Dempsey, 'Lil Arthur' was always out to make a dollar, and to tell a tale or two should it suit him to do so.
That would be Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. Some people in the South aren’t fond of Atlanta (it’s more of a metropolis than a Southern city) and like to stay Sherman had the right idea but just didn’t finish the job.
