I am not inviting you to speculate who would have won the fight. Frankly it would be better if you did not, unless it is essential to your argument. So let's say that it had happened? Does it result in another blood bath, like Johnson Jeffries? Does it all pass off with very little trouble, emboldening promoters to make more mixed race matches for titles? Does it perhaps become the biggest gate in history, regardless of the answers to the previous two questions? Could Harry Wills even have been a Joe Louis figure, regardless of the outcome? Have some fun with it!
I reckon it would have been accepted just fine by most, yes there would have been plenty who would wish the colour line to be drawn, but that was fact of the times anyway, Lil Arthur strengthened that opinion in lot of folks eyes. During Dempseys reign there was a dearth of title defences, so if Dempsey vs Wills bout happened in accessible venue rather than someplace like Shelby, then I think the gate would have been big, as there was a unmet demand for title fights and coloured folk would have a added interest too. Biggest gate in history is a big ask, but i'm sure with some clever marketing it could have been in that ballpark. I do think Wills win, lose or draw would have eased things re racial issues in boxing, and possibly further in society. Whatever folk feel about the match up, it was a pity the match was not made, if Brennan and Miske were deserving of a title chance then Mr Harry Wills certainly was
There were probably just as many violent, paranoid white supremacists in the 1920s as there were in 1910, so you never know. But I suspect that the fact that Johnson winning the title didn’t lead to their racist nightmares coming to fruition probably would have dulled some of their violent impulses this time around. I think it probably would have gone ok, and there would have been more interracial bouts afterwards. A shame the fight didn’t come off.
Think it would have been great for both men’s legacies. Win lose or draw. In the case of Dempsey had he won he’s a top ten HW. Wills win lose or draw would have had a better legacy. Most people even boxing fans don’t know who he is. As far as “the fall out” from the fight goes who knows? I don’t know much of Wills but don’t think he was as braggadocios as Johnson. Which def prob rubbed people the wrong way at the time. Dempsey was so beloved who knows what happens if he losses to? Either way I don’t think it would have been as bad as the Jeffries v Johnson bout.
I don't believe a Dempsey-Wills fight would have been as racially charged as the Johnson-Jeffries fight was. There may have been some rioting afterward, but not on the scale of 1910. I believe the personalities of Dempsey and Wills would have a lot to do with it. To my knowledge there was no longstanding animosity between the two and Wills even said that he did not blame Dempsey for the fight not happening. I agree that it is a shame that the fight never happened. It would have been good for boxing and a plus for both men's legacies regardless of the outcome. We may have seen men like George Godfrey and Larry Gaines getting title fights.
My thoughts are aligned with Ray Arcel in that I think it is a one sided fight, Wills style was made for Dempsey. Wills was big and strong, but slow with limited advantages when not in the ring with considerably smaller opponents. The first time they were supposed to fight was in 1922. Wills first two fights that year were against Dempsey’s sparring partner, Bill Tate, ending in a draw and a loss for Wills. He then defeats two of the better names in Langford and Norfolk, but again, he had a 50 pound weight advantage and seven inch height advantage. Fans were not happy with the early stoppage of the Norfolk fight. For the remainder of the year he fought a string of over matched opponents no one remembers. Things don’t get any better for Harry in 1925, the next go around for a fight negotiation. He fights just twice, and wins both contests against some easy pickings. In 1926, he was quite fortunate he didn’t get the Dempsey fight. He suffers a brutal beating at the hands of Sharkey before he is DQ’d for low blows. Following year he is KO’d by a journeyman. I do think it would have been a huge gate and would have made a lot of money for both men. Probably would have been Dempsey’s first million dollar payday.
Yeah, at least there would not be excuses on Jacks end if he lost like during the whole JJ problem of there being no good "white" fighters around which pissed everyone off to no end how he feasted on the weak comp of the times clowning with no hero in sight lol. Dempsey would likely stop Wills every time it could have happened.
Wills was not controversial like Johnson. I imagine there would have been some local troubles had he defeated Dempsey but nothing like what followed Johnsons fights.
