Looked at a current copy of Boxing News, [ I don't buy it], there was an article about Jack Dempsey. A very lurid story about how Dempsey had a bolt in his hand in the Willard fight, and that Dempsey dropped it in his corner after the first round, the author of this crap, said that Kearns showed a film to a journalist that clearly shows Dempsey doing so. The author, Gavin Evans, then went on to say Kearns died soon after the fight. The fight was in 1919 and Kearns died in 1963 ,I stopped reading after that. Boxing News used to be a decent paper when I was young and Harry Mullan was its editor,I only buy the RIng now. Any one familiar with this prat Evans?
I suggest calling them out on their horrible mistakes. I'm getting sick of hearing boxing misinformation too. Yesterday some guy was talking about Ali's speed and mentioned that he fought Mike Tyson. I almost flipped, but I kept composure and tried to explain to him how far off he was. He really was caught off guard by this and tried to explain he, "heard it somewhere" and I said, "No, you didn't. Tyson never met Ali in a ring, look at Boxrec.com...". He meekly looked at the library computer, scanned boxrec, said, "Huh, I swore they fought".
I see what you say ,but there is a difference between a man in the street saying something inaccurate, and a guy who ostensibly, is a boxing Journalist ,and makes his living from writing bull****.
Yes. He wrote a book on Lennox Lewis. He also wrote a book on the Heavyweight Champions called "Kings Of The Ring" (subject and title stolen from an earlier book by Gilbert Odd). He has his favourites, and writes with an "agenda". He loves Lennox. He hates Dempsey. He probably posts on this board.
i heard about this film, kearns showed it to a famous guy who used to be the doctor for big fights, to see if the fighter was ok to contiune, he wrote in his book about a film kearns showed him of this bolt, there was speculation kearns drew it in each frame, but jack was supposed to kick it out of the ring, you cant dupe films like that in the 60s, my guess is its fake cuz this doctor (whose name i forget) asked kearn's son about it after jack died in 63' and his son had no idea about any such film. who knows? wish i remember this doctors name though.
I read somewhere that the film existed, but apparently Jess Willard and his brother had painstakingly concocted it. Obviously, an iron bolt caught on those old films, and being kicked out of the ring would be seen by the crowd for sure. Then again, the whole thing about Willard, or any film ever existing might be bull****. A myth. It's like I also read that the Dempsey-Firpo footage had been spliced to cover up that Dempsey had been out of the ring for 18 seconds. But the footage shows that the referee and Firpo are in exactly the same positions when the footage goes to a closer (or further, I cant remember) shot, and that Dempsey was probably out of the ring for a lot less than even the 8 or 9 seconds the legend has it. He was straight back in. There seem to have been efforts to destroy the "Dempsey legend" starting a long time back. Foul play efforts too.
very true. people didnt like jack, kearns came up with the plaster paris story which was then disproved then he goes on about a bolt, willard hated jack at 80+ years old, concerning the firpo fight, in the beginning jack rushes out and slips and fallsby firpo's legs, it is then edited and jack is on his feet, id like to know what happened there cuz it looks like people want to cover it up, regardless jack is an atg boxing great and he still ended up winning the willard fight, that writer cant take that away from him... what kind of writers write stories that are unfounded and based on rumours?:-(
did some research, the fight doctor whose book i was looking from and referring to was Ferdie Pacheco. the book is called 'Fight Doctor'. i dont think it was a very good book, think it didnt get great reviews.
In his book on Lennox Lewis, this Gavin Evans actually gives credence to a story that Gerrie Coetzee threw the fight against Frank Bruno. without any evidence, just a vague story about "Gerrie told his brother" or something like that. His agenda at that point in the book was to attack Bruno, who had bad blood with Lewis back in the day. Evans also tends to criticise fighters who dont seem to fit into his own political ideals. Hence, Dempsey is a "racist", and Bruno is a sell-out. For some reason, he views Lennox Lewis as some noble knight, and the greatest thing since sliced bread.
i know a few people who claim dempsey was racist but the fact is he was not, again how can an writer expect to be seen as credible if you have so much bias in your writing???
I have had leters printed arguing with evans veiwpoint in the past. boxing news is a great paper but each season about this time of year they let evans write something on boxing history that is delibratly provocative. I disagreed with his latest article also and have replyed. the article rubishes dempseys whole reputation, stating that harry wills beat beter guys and was certain to beat him etc. he also said wills beat firpo and meehan more convincingly than jack did. he fancied greb to beat jack since he also beat jacks opponets more convincingly etc..