[YT]wnu1ZXU8KL4[/YT] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnu1ZXU8KL4 Revisiting Dempsey vs. Lutrell. Dempsey looks incredible here. It also happens to be the clearest footage we have of any of his fights. His power and speed, at 45 years old, is pretty crazy.
Dempsey always stayed in great throughout his life. Does you know how this started? Why would Dempsey at 45 fight a wrestler?
Thanks for posting! I found a story inwhich Luttrell claims to have avenged his defeat at Dempsey's restaurant.
Pro wrestling bravado! Luttrell was the promoter and one of the main wrestlers in the Georgia area at the time. He got an excellent pay day for the fight, but post fight needed to get his 'credibility' back so he could carry making money, hence the story.
Dempsey made a comeback of sorts and fought some wrestlers, I think he was in need of money, presumably this was before his restaurant really took off then? I don't think there is anything incredible about this, on the contrary, it's rather sad. An old champion needing money. A professional fighter beating up a professional showman, I don't like it one bit. Imagine Wlad being short of money and therefor agreeing to fight Dwayne Johnsson. It's just degrading for both men, boxing is supposed to be a sport, a fair competition, this was just a spectacle.
If I remember rightly there was some sort of grudge between the two. Dempsey had been refereeing a wrestling match involving Luttrell and Luttrell had insulted him or something. Tempting to say that's all just normal wrestling showmanship and pantomime but looking at the way Dempsey went about business in this "fight" there looks to be some sort of realness. Give credit to Luttrell, we've seen professional boxing champions quit and fold up their tents taking far lesser beatings than this. No, Dempsey doesn't look incredible to me. Relative to an ordinary man, even a supposed tough guy, yes perhaps. But for a former boxer in half-decent shape and still only 45, he looks what you'd expect. Powerful and violent.
This film is the clearest version of the Dempsey/Lutrell "fight" I ever saw... Though an old man of 45 ,you can glimpse some of the vicious, rough and tough power that made Dempsey the greatest ring attraction of all-time...And what a left hook he had ! Fast as a piston....Sadly Dempsey is so underrated today by some who think "bigger" must be "better". THIS WAS A FIGHTER...
Of course get looked great against a non-boxer. That was a disgusting display of brutality against a totally unqualified opponent.
Not really. The guy wanted to fight Dempsey and was being paid for it. Maybe all mismatches are "a disgusting display of brutality". But I'd say "a disgusting display of brutality" is better describing Mayweather beating up the mother of his children, punching her in the head while the kids were watching. Just for an example.