1919 Jack Dempsey vs 1967 Muhammad Ali

I am actually comparing results not fighters.

 

I guess it kinda depends on how you view Dempseys decline in regards to the Tunney fights. Tunney absolutely dominated Dempsey in a performance which a prime Ali could easily replicate if not exceed. If we are to assume that Dempsey was still somewhere near his prime for those fights then there's no way he's beating Ali. On the other hand, if Dempsey really was a shell of himself at that point and they're not representative of what a Toledo Dempsey could do to Tunney, then we're talking about a tough fight here.

A young Dempsey had a good boxing brain and showed smooth defensive footwork and elusiveness when necessary. The fight I think could play out two ways.

On the one hand, Dempsey could lure Ali into being the aggressor and give away rounds doing it. Ali would be trying to establish his dominance at distance with jabs and straight rights while Dempsey fights off the backfoot trying to bait Ali into overextending himself and getting countered. Dempsey could punch viciously and quickly with both hands and with Ali hopping around the ring like a jackrabbit with his chin hanging in the air this could amount to being an early night for Jack. But with Alis toughness and recovery abilities he may be able to pull himself back together and score a points decision. 50/50.

On the other hand, if Dempsey tries to pursue an offensive fight with Ali, he'd be outmatched badly. Dempsey never knew how to cut off the ring and trap a man consistently, and Ali would exploit this greatly. Dempsey would have immense trouble trying to cut the distance with Ali constantly moving backwards and the fight would boil down to a snoozer with a few moments here and there unless Dempsey loses steam from his constant upper-body movement and Ali takes over forcing a late stoppage. Even under these circumstances, the danger of Dempseys punch must be acknowledged. 90/10 in favor of Ali.

 

So, you're saying that the ferocious Jack Dempsey would do no better against Ali than the inept and timid Brian London did!

 

A steamrolling is a steamrolling no matter the surface.

 

You're talking about the Ali that barely, and maybe illegally, escaped getting knocked out by Henry Cooper. Steamrolling doesn't fit this scenario.

 

OK. If you are going to move the goal posts and go with the Ali 4 years earlier than the OP suggested (the Clay that Cooper stunned), then I am going to dial back the Dempsey version TWO YEARS to 1917 and use the one that a middling Jim Flynn on a huge losing string KO'd in ONE ROUND.

Or, to be more generous, I will dial Dempsey forward ONE YEAR to the guy who was troubled by the boxing genius of Brennan.

Now that we are playing by your rules, which would you prefer?

 

Ali ko illegally thats a first !!!!

 

"Stunned" by Cooper??? "Stunned" you say? You do have a way with words.

 

Ali would beat the hell out of Dempsey . Fight wouldn't be close. If it went past 4 rds would be shocking to me. Again, very little film to make a real informed opinion on Dempsey, and the dependency on sports writers from his era. Sports writers who never saw J.Louis Marciano or Ali. The rampant racism in that era, his refusal to fight the best black fighters of his time. Too many question marks, at least in my opinion.

 

Are you really comparing Ali to London?

 

I think Ali made that comparison in August of '66.

 

Probably Ali's toughest pre-Frazier fight.
He wins on points in a 15 round war.

 

Meant Dempsey to London. My bad!

 

I am comparing the result not the fighters. Two fighters of drastically different abilities can meet the same result against a common opponent due to a number of factors.

 

Willard would have been a great nemisis for Riddick Bowe