That's nice, cheers. I agree. Dempsey is built specifically for breaking down the exact fight-plan that Wlad would try to employ. I mean aside from an extra 20lbs his attributes are specifically built to do this job. Fast feet, superb arbitrary headmovement, fast hands, explosive power in either hand. That is exactly what I want to beat Wlad. Those are exactly the things I would have on my list to get Wlad beat. He's a rhythm-breaking fighter with the exact attributes required to close the distance quickly and explosively without getting hit with the jab. Dempsey, frankly, is built to beat Wlad.
You mean the one who ate huge right hands from Bill Brennen, got put on rubber legs by little georges carpentier, or who got knocked out of the ring by fatman firpo?
Built to beat Dempsey 1. A great jab 2. A fantastically timed powerful right hand I think guys who are built to beat Wlad need to have an incredible workrate and relentless stamina, along with a terrific beard. Dempsey has none of these attributes. Wlad could easily get Dempsey out of there. Wlad isn't one of those bacon and eggs eating farmer with a pitchfork superheavyweights dempsey was accustomed to fighting.
Really? Really and truly? I'd say great movement in and out (Tunney, Meehan) a fast jab (Tunney), correct punching in combination (Sharkey, Tunney) rather than power punching (Firpo) to take advantage of occasional over-extensions. Keeping Dempsey off with a jab is a fool's errand. He'll slip enough to do damage, almost without question. Movement and combination are far more troubling for him (As proven on footage) and Wlad has shown neither on film in a number of years. Of course, he's a huge puncher and Dempsey is smaller. I wouldn't bet on it though. Wlad uses the jab to pull the wings off and then starts dropping power shots. You hardly see him use power punching dynamically. At all.
This is like geriatrics arguing the virtues of trifocals. Sure, Dempsey would do great. Really. Great.
Not really. Dempsey never faced any good jabbers except Tunney(who messed him up with it). Most of those heavyweights during Dempsey's era had pathetic looking jabs on film. I mean reallly bad. Wlad is both a power and correct puncher, which is why he is an all time great. Not if you are 6'6 250lb of mountain muscle..that changes things. No need to move when you are 6'6 250lb and have some of the best fundamentals, timing, and power we have ever seen in a super heavyweight. Dempsey never fought anything like Wlad, it would be a huge step up for him in terms of skills, and punching ability of the roly poly farmers he faced during his era.
Wlad would time Dempsey's bullrushes and trap him into a right hand. Sure, Dempsey had neat headmovement and slick footwork at times..but Wlad is so much more physically imposing. He doesn't need to wear Dempsey down, only needs to find him a few times...and it's over. Not to mention he can easily beat Dempsey on the cards by outboxing him throughout the fight..and clinching dempsey whenever he gets in close.
Wlad has to be one of the most underrated punchers of all time. People don't realize that Wlad has the ability to knock Jack out cold with either hand. Wlad has frightening power...combined with timing, speed, and finishing ability. Oh, and he is 6'6 250lb to Dempsey's 185lb.
Yes really. It doesn't matter who he did or didn't face, there is a list of technical attributes required to ditch even the best jab, and Dempsey had literally all of them apart from a world class jab of his own. Yes, but he's also accused of being "robotic" and "one-paced". He doesn't throw his punches dynamically or in combination when he's trying to put his opponent under control, general speaking. He doesn't use multiple planes of movement, is very straight-ahead and has come to rely upon control of distance and pace almost entirely to protect his weaknesses. But he couldn't control that against everyone. Dempsey has literally everything needed to relieve him of these burdens, and Wlad doesn't have the multiplicity of dimensions to counter that. He would absolutely lose a fire-fight, in fact any kind of fight. His only chance is to totally control Dempsey like he totally controls guys like Eddie Chambers and Tony Thompson. I wouldn't bet on that happening. Even someone as turgid as Peter was able to send him up and down like a yo-yo. No, it doesn't. Especially if that "mountain of muscle" is topped off by a questionable chin. A static target is a static target. It doesn't matter what his body is like. This is a technical issue. There is if you are facing a fighter who is very likely to get close and hit you extremely hard on your questionable chin. And vice-versa. As always, totally irrelevant.
I'm in the minority but I see Wlad at 35/36 as about as good as Lennox Lewis was at that age. He'd be a tough proposition even for a prime Dempsey. But who else is there in 2012 ? Vitali, he's still better at 40 years old than Willard, and he's massive. The primest Dempsey should be too quick for him though. There's no one around. Povetkin, Huck, Chisora, Fury ... these guys are just standard heavyweights. Haye is ****. There's no one about.
Dempsey was a good but not great light heavyweight who beat average heavyweights, it's disputable whether he beat anyone as good as a top 10 HW today and whether he could do for that matter
Except Dempsey has no jab, no form against anyone with a decent jab, has no right hand counter and a poor defence for a jab. Not to mention Dempsey has no chin in this scenario either Dempsey apologists :-(
