Lutrell was trying to make a name for himself at Dempseys expense. He figured that Dempsey was old enough that he had a chance against him. He actually said before the fight imagine the gate I could draw as the man who knocked out Jack Dempsey. He used all means fair and foul to goad Dempsey into the fight, including assaulting him. Eventually Dempsey grew so tired of his behaviour, that he took the fight to teach Lutrell a lesson.
just did a quick search. If this is the assault you were talking about, it has fake written all over it. Wrestling might not have been open sports entertainment at the time, but it was still sports entertainment, a long time before it was openly acknowledged by the WWF/ WCW. I agree with this article which was one of the few i could find in the Australian papers. It is difficult to imagine dempsey allowing him to get himself so rattled to let himself into a real fight.
As you suggest previously and I agree, it was a 'work'. The match/story was set up with the initial 'scuffle' and the fans/Dempsey got their payback with the match. Dempsey probably got a decent payday for something less than 'light sparring'; the Ol' Cowboy played his part to perfection, and as the promoter almost certainly made more than the rest of the bill combined.
There was no way this bout was faked. Dempsey was pulling no punches here....he could have killed that guy.
A pro wrestler in a fake fight? Rubbish! Next I will be saying it is the job/art of the pro wrestler to make the audience think it is very real...
He did not, but he did not fight all out. I have no doubt Lutterell was pretty tough and perfectly able to take a 45 year old Dempsey's punches at half pace, make the fight look good and have the 'perfect finish'; so the crowd goes home happy.
Not going all out?????? Look again at that double left hook right hand combo right on the button. That's going all out.
Wow. Have you followed boxing for that short of a period that you do not understand the difference between pulled punches and those intended to do serious damage. Look at Lutrells face after the fight. No fake fight ends up with one fighter that beat up.
There's no greatness in an old pro boxer beating the cr*p out of guy who never boxed a day in his life. Again, you are reading way too much into a piece of film. There is no magic there. You are fabricating it.
