Dempsey vs Marciano

Look, Dempsey appears to have been far more gifted but there is no doubt Marciano fought and defeated better men. Based on accomplishment it's tough to go against Rocky. Coulda, woulda shoulda favors Dempsey … even faded Charles, Walcott and Moore top Willard, Carpentier, Firpo and company ..

 

Prime Dempsey wins easy.

 

William Muldoon saw them all from Sullivan who he trained for Kilran thru Tunney and he wrote that he liked Dempsey over Corbett, Fitz and Jeffries. He was very pro Dempsey.

 

Referee Billy Roche saw them all from Sullivan to Louis, and apparently thought very little of Dempsey, as this is how he ranked the heavyweight champions (in 1943):

1. Sullivan
2. Johnson
3. Fitz
4. Corbett
5. Jeffries
6. Tunney
7. Dempsey
8. Louis

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...wYaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9iIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5410,1335625

 

Have hard time accepting anyone who puts Louis last

 

Me too!

I guess Roche is a perfect example of what Entaowed was talking about a few posts back: old-timers who love the fighters they grew up with so much, that they have a hard time recognizing the talent of those who came after them.

 

Dempsey was bigger?

 

Yes. He almost ranks them all I'm chronological order. Definitely beholden to the fighters of his youth.

 

I would be inclined to favour Marciano's opposition, but that doesn't tell the whole story.

Dempsey beat a much greater range of styles, and sizes, of fighters.

I would be much more comfortable picking Dempsey over a modern super heavy for example.

 

It's a head to head match up.

 

Where did you learn about the regard the hall of famers you mentioned held for Dempsey?

 

Helluva fantasy match. This belongs with Louis-Liston, Ali-Tyson, Holmes-Foreman and Bowe-Lewis as the best heavyweight fantasy scraps ever discussed. I got Dempsey, because he doesn't wear socks.

 

Schmeling and Louis were friends, Max still picked Dempsey to beat him,as did Johnson.

 

N, from many interviews and opinions of those fighters who had such a high regard for Jack Dempsey...In Max Schmeling's case I read a terrific autobiography that Schmeling wrote in German and translated to English in which he picks the best fighters of his times, but singles out Jack Dempsey as a class above all the heavyweights he had seen in his long life...Schmeling incidentally as a young boxer sparred with Jack Dempsey in Berlin when Dempsey while champion was on tour...I suspect Der Mox as he was known knew his onions about heavyweight boxers...Try your local library for the Max Schmeling autobiography...I read this book borrowed from a library...