Who would you choose (prior Joe Louis) to beat prime Gene Tunney

Sam Langford. I think Langford's pressure and power would be too much. I think Langford dealt with enough slick fighters to know how to cut the ring vs Tunney.

Prime Dempsey vs Tunney is also a 50-50 fight.

I don't have enough knowledge of Wills or Godfrey to make a pick because i don't have any footage. But since Tunney never faced those 6'4 220 plus pound giants, i suspect they would have a decent shot at beating Tunney too. But i don't have any footage of them to confidently pick them.

 

Esti roman ?

 

Dempsey is my first choice....also
Schmeling and Langford are considered

 

190+ pound Braddock or Loughrans your guy. Langfords already mentioned good pick. After that theres Wills and thats about it.

Miske wasn't as good against fellow LHW sized fighters. Godfrey was better against big fighters then P4P HW types.

 

Dempsey

 

Dempsey, Langford, Wills, Peter Jackson, John Sullivan, Sam McVea

 

Dempsey, Sullivan, Wills, Fitz, Jeffries are the standouts for me.

 

Jack Johnson. Strong enough to control Tunney, quick and accurate enough to keep him off and smart enough to avoid counters. Peak Johnson was something I think...

 

Langford, Schemling if you count him would probably win imo, I would say Johnson because of how strong he was but I think style wise that fight favors Tunney. Dempsey has a pretty good chance if given x amount of fights

 

I would have to go with prime Jack Dempsey and prime Jack Johnson, as the fighters with the best opportunity to beat Gene.

 

I’d put Johnson up there as well, maybe the strongest fighter Gene would’ve fought? It’d be interesting to see him try and overcome Jack’s suffocating controlling style.

 

I'd add in Jeanette and Sharkey-at the time Jack was seen as a pick-em fight for Gene.

 

I came here to echo this sentiment, Johnson wouldn't just walk into Gene, he would tie him up, make it ugly and under early 1900s rules he would be able to use his size and clinchwork to the max. With Tunney you can't have sloppy defense, so that's why I like Johnson here. I think the footwork battle would be a huge advantage for Tunney and I'm not sure Jack would be able to land at distance, but if he was able to consistently lunge in and then clinch bully him for extended periods, Tunney would wear down and lose imo.