Could Tunney have defeated a Prime Dempsey?

I'd say Tunney's fight plan (and his ability to execute it) played as big a role as anything.

Watch Dempsey's rematch with Brennan, which was right smack dab in Dempsey's prime. Brennan was arguably outboxing him for about 10 rounds, until Dempsey finally rallied and caught up with him. People do often overlook this fight, but I've always felt it laid out the gameplan that Tunney later copied for his own fights with Dempsey.

Tunney clearly won at least 7, maybe 8 rounds of both fights. A couple rounds in each fight were close and/or Dempsey rounds, but otherwise Tunney had a clear edge in most of the rounds.

 

What's the difference if he "wastes" it on Heeney or Godfrey?

 

No, Prime Dempsey would have Gene out of there by round seven.

 

Tunney has a harder time but still gets the UD... He was the better boxer at any point in their careers. Sure in 10 bouts.. Dempsey would KO him some.. but the majority of them would go to Tunney by UD

 

A prime Dempsey...July 4,1919...against a prime Tunney?....I'll go with Dempsey...

 

Tunney could beat a prime Dempsey, but i don't know that he would. And I don't know that he wouldn't, either.
Carpentier landed a very good, hard right hand against Dempsey, much like tunney did some 7 or 8 years later. It is not illogical to assume that Tunney would land that same punch against that same Dempsey. And I think this fight is a fair one to look at, with Tunney being sturdier, a harder puncher, and better tactically than Carpentier.
A couple things that Tunney brought to the table. First, a punishing jab. Look at where he lands it: not at the end of the punch, but with the arm still bent, doing damage as the arm extends. Second, Tunney was a fierce body puncher. In the early rounds of the first Dempsey fight he lands some real nice hooks to the body.
I've always been a huge Tunney fan, and I've become a big Dempsey fan. I can see this fight going so many ways, because one punch from dempsey can change a fight. But if they fought, at their peak years, I think tunney would win 6-4.

 

Would a PRIME Ali beat Berbick ? Hell yes...Would a PRIME Ray Robinson beat a Joey Archer at his best ? Darn right ...And the prime Dempsey would of caught up to Tunney and stopped him,I truly believe...Dempsey at 32, out of the ring for THREE years,
softened up by screwing Hollywood flappers, in the midst of suing his mentor Jack Kearns
and depressed because his close brother Bernie, just committed suicide , killing also his wife... This Dempsey, whose forte in his prime was his vicious quickness hand and foot, was just a SHELL of himself when he foolishly returned to fight Tunney without ONE TUNEUP fight...A recipe for disaster...Dempsey, so HIGHLY regarded in HIS time, and
today so sadly underated...An earlier and larger edition of Roberto Duran, snarl and all...

 

Prime Tunney wasn't an old, undertrained, indifferent oaf a la Willard in 1919.

Tunney provides a scientific and seamless foil to Dempsey's spastic attack and exploits the glaring gaps in Dempsey's defense. Greb trained him well.

 

Tunney could win against a prime Dempsey but I'd bet on Jack. The Dempsey Tunney fought had been out of the ring for three years (Jacks own fault), was rusty as all hell with poor timing and bad legs and still was on his feet at the end of both fights after taking hundreds of clean shots from a well prepared, well conditioned Tunney. Prime Dempsey with his legs under him could chase Tunney all night and let his hands go without fear of gassing out. It would still be a helluva fight but I think Jack finally catches up to the elusive Tunney and flattens him in a barnburner. If they fought a trilogy with both in thier primes I say Jack takes 2 out of 3 with each fight a classic.

 

Dempsey, the 1919 version that fought williard seems unbeatable he would just be too relentless,powerful, he'd be swarming tunney and smashing him with left hooks
Dempsey by KO

 

Again, Willard was a 38 year old, untrained stiff, a veritable dirigible providing the ideal foil for Dempsey's attack while remaining too slow and ponderous to take advantage of his defensive lapses. The most over-hyped result in the sport's history.

 

sum1 called tommy gibbons went 15 rounds brawling toe2toe prime jack dempsey n gene tunney was a great

 

I think Tunney has a serious styles advantage, and in a tight pick like this, thats what I'll go for.

Tunney UD.

Its close, though. Jack was the larger, meaner man, and with more spring in his step and fire to his belly, he'd be coming. And he proved that he could do damage when he caught the man.

But I'll side with the guy who was so clearly superior in terms of skill. Its the safer bet in my book.

 

These. The quick, lean 188Lb. Dempsey of 1919 - 21 wouldve eventually caught Gene and finished him. As previously pointed out, Dempsey had gone totally soft in his 3 year haitus from action. Having learned that he could make a better living just being the Champ rather than fighting like one effected him in more ways then one, IMO. The "Rage of pure Fire" was gone. Even at that rate Dempsey still managed to give Gene all he wanted, even putting together a 6 punch combo in the 2nd bout that set Tunney on his backside. The question is could Tunney maintain his effectiveness, keep his cool, and follow his game plan in the face of a rampaging, snarling, ever attacking animal in front of him? My answer is no. Dempsey takes this.

 

I agree with this and I think people overplay this Dempsey win but you have to admit Dempsey was in incredible condition that day and at the peak of his powers.

When I read the thread title I immediately thought a prime Jack smashes Tunney to bits when he catches up with him. Reflection on reading the posts in favour of Tunney I still can't see Gene standing up to the prime Dempsey's swarm and power.