Should Gene Tunney be ranked above Jack Dempsey at heavyweight ?

I rate Frazier over Foreman on the grounds that I believe he would have beaten more of history's other great heavyweights when at his peak. Head to head, it may well be that George always had his number stylistically, but I tend to base all time rankings much more on the former criteria.

The same reasoning is what I'd apply to Dempsey and Tunney. Jack's resume is deeper than Gene's at heavyweight, and I think he would have beaten more of the other greats at his peak. While I also expect that the Dempsey of Toledo would have stopped Tunney, I'm willing to allow that Gene may always have had his number on a head to head basis. Beyond that, I'm convinced Tunney was actually still improving when he dissected Heeney, and may have gotten even better entering the 1930s, but we'll never know. As their peak careers actually stand though, I do rate Dempsey higher.

 

Both of them are over-the-hill and should retire!

 

Well, personally I take the fights what they were announced for. The Tunney-Greb fighs weren´t announced for beeing hw fights and so can´t be taken into account when looking at the hw standing of either of them. Dempsey just did more at hw and should be ranked higher. Not by too much though. I have Dempsey a solid Top15 while Tunney just misses the Top20 - more or less it´s Wlad who kicked him out.

 

Were is all this "Deep" I keep hearing about Dempsey's resume??


Old, out of shape Willard?
Lightheavyweight Carpentier who just jump into heavyweight?? And in reality didnt earn his title shot.

Club swinger Luis Firpo??

Once Dempsey face a real boxer, he got school, and badly.

The long count was Dempsey's most lucky break, because now people can
"think" he might have beating Tunney in his prime.

I not sure if Dempsey could beat Tunney in his prime. It would be a hard task for him imo.

 

Tunney had 3 fights as a HW, Dempsey had a Career.....

 

I rate Dempsey higher but I must admit because of Tunneys short career at Heavy I underate Tunney...Tunney would have beaten a lot of the Heavyweights before and after him and was very advanced skill wise...He was the first of the real movers after Corbett but Gene had faster hands and feet Than most of the Heavys before and after him,then Walcott for feet and Patterson for quick hands and Ali for both...But Gene was advanced with those skills and talents but Dempsey because of inactivity was not in his prime fighting condition when he met Gene but Gene would have been trouble at any stage

 

No. Dempsey has a better resume, and I rate him higher H2H.

 

According to an ESB poll:
-Dempsey is shot and should retire
-Tunney is over rated and fights only bums

 

Despite what people say about Willard and Firpo, at least they could be called modern sized Heavyweights.

Willard, 6'6", 230-250 pounds.

Firpo, 6,2", 230 pounds.

Both these guys were punchers.

Tunney never fought or beat a decent sized Heavy.

 

Tunney had at least 14 fights at heavyweight.

 

I am surprised more isn't made of his win over Jeff Smith.

The guy was a natuaral middleweight but he was a name fighter of the era.

Chuck Wigins is an interesting character.

Charlie Weinert split a series with Luis Firpo.