[RING, Dec. 1962] 40 Experts Pick Greatest Heavyweight (Dempsey wins)

Dempsey was a legend to a lot of the old timers, he was the 1st dynamic puncher in modern times and mean as a rattle snake. Also remember a lot of the film came after the fights because there was no live TV. Johnson's victory over Jeffries was also big news. Joe Louis was the most complete modern heavyweight exciting combo power puncher but Ali surpassed Dempsey as a media star with non boxing fans. Louis was a famous wartime hero who KO'd German Max S in 1 round rematch Big News and a hero to guys like Frank Sinatra,Rocky Marciano, many Jewish, Black & Italian Americans during the war

 

Shows you how much they valued history even back then

Jack Dempsey was considered better than Joe Louis who now is considered way greater than Dempsey and hasn't fought since


Also interesting how Jack Dempsey isn't rated higher these days anymore

And how Rocky Marciano stock has gone way up despite not fighting since then

 

1. Jack Dempsey (13)
2. Joe Louis (10)
3. Jack Johnson (9)
4. Gene Tunney (3)
5. Jim Jeffries (2)
6. Sam Langford (2)
7. Rocky Marciano (1)
Strange

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Louis remained second, and Dempsey dropped from first to 12th place in 60 years (Rummys survey).

 

I just wish we had ONE GOOD THREAD, well-moderated, for an academic and scholarly discussion on the fighters' twigs and berries and how virile they were and how capable of producing offspring. So it doesn't become a bunch of juvenile nonsense and stays on topic. With sources. And links to pictures and films. Like that one of Broner.

 

I find it more than interesting they had Langford over Marciano....

 

All picks are subjective ,and let's face it ,we all have our favourites,and are generally partial to our own era.Louis was Champ when I was born but Ali was the mighty presence from my teens to my 30's.
Johnson would find it hard going against the work rate and skills of modern heavies,his block , counter,clinch ,and uppercut would not be enough against those that followed,how much he could adapt to the faster, more modern style is a moot point.
Dempsey had the power to drop anyone,but the bigger men that he floored and destroyed ,did not have the tool set of the heavies that came after him.Would he walk through even just very good big men such as.Witherspoon,Tucker,Page,Thomas?
Could he give away 50lbs to modern heavies who could not only box but hit very hard as well? Brennan gave him hell,how would old Bill fare against those I mentioned ? Maybe Jack's speed would make the difference,but crude Firpo floored him and had him in trouble.
Louis? Much is made of his supposedly shaky chin,but Joe was always coming forward,looking to take his man out,and his recuperative powers were fine.Schmeling, a very good and accurate hitter,needed a shed load of right hands to get Louis out of there.
To my mind Louis is the most complete of the heavies, he had a great jab, a fast and dangerous left hook,and a killer right cross,plus he could punch in fast combination, he was accurate ,didn't waste punches,had a good judgement of distance , excellent balance . and he could box that isn't to say he beats everyone,for example, I'd pick Dempsey to get him out of there fairly quickly.
Marciano has too many shortcomings for me,average hand speed at best,average defence, poor balance,cut prone,etc,but boy oh boy, he never stopped coming,Moore said he just wore you out with his incessant bull dogging,and he was exceptionally strong for his size.Several fighters,Moore,Lastarza, Cockell,Charles,said they were hit harder by others ,but never so consistently often and he carried his power throughout a fight.As finely conditioned as any heavyweight ever,Marciano exhibited a frightening will to win ,a desire to overcome all obstacles. The remnants of Joe Louis .marked Rocky up badly with just his jab, how would Rocky cope with more modern sized heavies,with top jabs? eg Ali,Holmes,Wlad?
How would he fare against these power punching giants,like AJ, Wlad, and Dubois?
At the end of the day,you can only be the best of your era and as intruiging as it is to match up different eras,that should be enough.

 

You state the issues and dilemmas of these sort of ranks well. I have the same misgivings about the fighters you mention. But, at the end of the day, they can only be asked to fight who was available.