any thoughts on this bout and on Brennan in general. Looks like he gave decent account on film. Had a solid win loss record although I wouldn’t say his competition was A level. And he couldn’t beat Greb going 0-4 but no shame there. Dempsey’s legs good in this fight lot of life and he is ripped.
Brennan outweighed Dempsey by 10 pounds or so (187-198). He took a bad beating, surviving only because he grabbed and held like an octopus. Still, he took a good shot and gave Dempsey some good punches. Dempsey looked to be in great shape although his manager said the fight lasted 12 rounds only because Dempsey was screwing around (literally) very hard during training.
Brennan was a tough guy and a good puncher . The legend goes Jack didn't really have his eye on this fight although he looks to be in terrific condition, very fresh still in the 12th and still packing serious power late .. I enjoy watching this fight. Dempsey shows conditioning and late round power in a fight where he started a bit under prepared and off his game.
I think Brennan gets a bit underated.Dempsey said no one hurt him more,even though they were good friends.
Yeah this fight kind of goes a little under the radar as far as Dempsey bouts go, I usually see the Willard bout, Carpentier, Firpo and Tunney 2. This fight Dempsey looks in terrific shape, although as two posters have noted allegedly that wasn’t the case, and it was an enjoyable watch.
Dempsey ko'd Brennan in 6 (as you all know) a couple years earlier. First time Brennan had been off his feet in 67 fights. And it was a bad beating, too. Dempsey really started living the high life once he got the belt....after years of living as a hobo, who could blame him?
From "Smokestack Lightning": "...[Harry] Greb was back in Pittsburgh two days later. His next fight was at Forbes Field, which afforded him the novelty of sleeping on a bed with Mildred instead of a railroad bench with Mason. He was looking forward to giving Brennan his fourth consecutive beating when he heard that Brennan was being lined up for a shot at the new heavyweight champion. All he had to do was give “a good showing” on August 23. Greb blew his top. “I’ll prevent that meeting,” he said. “I’ll give Brennan such a lacing that he will not be fit to fight Dempsey or anyone else for many weeks.” He also promised to put a decisive end to their one-sided tête à tête, and did. Dempsey gave Brennan a shot anyway. Greb could do no more than delay it, and it wouldn’t be the last time he bumped off a prospective opponent only to see him propped back up and given a king’s ransom. Brennan extended Dempsey almost twelve rounds before he got stopped. He did unto Dempsey what Greb routinely did unto him—busted him up. Dempsey finished with a swollen eye, a torn ear, and an admission that it was “just about the most closely contested fight I ever had.” Greb broke into a wide smile at that and told a reporter that “his idea of a life of ease and comfort would be fighting Brennan once a week for a fair purse, until he retired from the ring because of old age.”
I've since become convinced that Greb himself was right. All he'd have to do was keep from getting knocked out and he would pile up points and take a decision. The next question is, how realistic is it that he could keep from getting knocked out? Greb himself put that question to the test in NYC and Benton Harbor. There is an assumption among observers today that Greb would tire and Dempsey would get to him late. That's funny. Greb was just getting started around round 10.
Not sure it's only fatigue but fatigue from a larger man with his own speed and far superior power. It is a fascinating match up.
You're right -Dempsey was 5 inches taller, about 30 lbs heavier, almost as fast and aggressive, and hit harder. But Dempsey knew first hand that Greb's power was underestimated. He said that Greb had very good power in both hands. He just rarely set and preferred to speed all over you. If or when you get "Smokestack" there's a 5-6,000 word treatment on this subject in a chapter called "Prohibtion Blues." The fact that Dempsey went with Brennan in 1920 after Greb tore him up four consecutive times in 1919 is telling. And it was neither the first time nor the last time he'd give title shots to Greb's casualties, as you know.
