Assuming Dempsey defends the title and fights more frequently how do you see his career panning out? Does he lose at any point? Does he have a better chance against Tunney?
Better chance vs Tunney, yes, but he would have always had a tough time with a fleet footed mover. I think he beats Wills and ducks Godfrey who apparently gave him fits in sparring. Probably beats a couple of decent white contenders and loses a close decision to Tunney around 1926. Remember Dempsey had lost his hunger. While staying active would help, it wouldn't stop losing his motivation.
Anyone have any credible reports of Godfrey vs Dempsey sparring? I have read Godfrey was run out of camp.
Dempsey would have reigned for longer. No doubt in my mind. And even though Tunney would still have been a tough opponent for him,Jack would have beaten Gene under this hypothesis.
Isn't the thread about Dempsey's whole title reign though? Dempsey won the title in 1919. Greb and Dempsey fought in the same card in 1920 to promote a possible fight between the two. To promote this fight, the pair even had a public sparring session where Greb reportedly beat up Dempsey. The New York Times stated: “Dempsey could do but little with the speedy light heavyweight, while Greb seemed to be able to hit Dempsey almost at will.”
Greb beat up Dempsey in a public sparring session in 1920. They sparred for 3 days in a row and Dempsey never once got the upper hand on Greb despite being notorious for going all out in every sparring session and giving 100% every time he sparred and breaking the bones of his sparring partners on multiple occasions yet couldn't touch Greb. Here's what Tunney had to say on it: "Greb gave Dempsey more than a good workout. For three rounds, Greb darted in and out, peppering Dempsey with punches and eluding whatever blows Dempsey threw at him." Melankomas made a good thread about it: https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/a-description-of-the-greb-dempsey-spar.700088/
He would have ended up greater, but he woudl also have burned himself out more quickly, and just maybe he has one defense to many at some point. I suspect that Tunney always comes along at the wrong time for him.
While Dempsey was clearly ducking Willis if he look past there wasn't anyone he needed to fight and I think we see at most a few defenses. Its possible if he fights Willis thats his only only additional fight over that period. Dempsey was supposed to fight Willis in November 1923 at the beginning of his 3 year sabatical. Willis fought Firpo instead and during Dempseys absence he fought 4 times losing the final time to Jack Sharkey. In between Firpo(who Dempsey had already beaten) Willis fought Weinart and Floyd Johnson. If Dempsey had stayed active this is more or less how I see Dempseys later reign playing out minus the Sharkey loss.
No one at that time could punch like Jack, but Brennan could punch and Greb took care of him 4 times, once coming close to a stoppage. And Greb did give Jack fits in sparring. Would have been a better fight than Gibbons IMO.
Yes but you said,he loses to Greb,Dempsey was still champ in1925 whereas Greb had lost to Flowers, and was considered past prime ,therefore he isnt relevant .imo
