Dempsey - Willard

It's all conjecture but i don't think he did. he can be seen entering the ring in hand wraps that were checked by Williard's corner at centre ring, and if he did have a hold of something that inflicted all the damage he wouldn't have been able to pull and maul at Williard the way he did, and then ditch the implement on the ring apron with thousands watching.

The majority of the evidence that supports the loaded gloves theory came from jack Kearns after his bitter fall out with Dempsey.

 

The whole idea was nonsense.Dempsey entered thge ring with the bandages on .
I believe Nat Fleischer was in Dempseys dressing room before the fight.Jack Kearns had a falling out with Dempsey, and tried to hurt Jack..Kearns was a con artist, who for example was quoted as saying, when he managed Joey Maxim,that "Maxim hit harder
than Jack Dempsey did". A silly remark to make Maxim a better drawing card..

 

Dempsey seemed shocked and hurt by Kearns assertion. Burt, wasn't there a suggestion in the film following the fight of a shadowy image possibly falling from Jack's hand? I can't remember if this was something one can see or not, its been a long time.

 

Dempsey didnt use loaded gloves and the damage done to willard was greatly exaggerated. I have a couple of different articles from people in Willards camp that date back to 1919 detailing what happened after Willard left the ring and the extent of his injuries. He got a good beating but all of that stuff about broken jaws, eye sockets, and ribs, was just the press over reacting to swelling and blood.

 

T, utter rubbish that a piece of iron or something fell out of Dempsey's hand. This was not Joey Maxim facing Jess Willard, but Jack Dempsey
at his tigerish prime in 1919 who was flattening large men quickly before this fight.the dumb idea that Jack would carry an object in his gloves
which incidentally was put on in front of Willard's handlers and thousands of fans is ludicrous..Even Harry Houdini, couldn't pull that trick off...

 

Many credible accounts suggest he did, it's plausible.

 

Yes just as plausible than the notion that Neil Armstrong did not land on
the moon..It was special effects. Please let's get real. dempsey did have someting under his gloves ! Five fingers...

 

I have heard that as well regarding Willards injuries being not as severe. Reminds me of Briggs, when he first went in they said he had bleeding on the brain...then it was the broken eye sockets..now they are saying that's not true...who knows.

 

Yes. Plus, Dempsey rolled over other quality heavyweights at the time. If his gloves were loaded for the Willard bout, then that means that his gloves were also loaded for his other big fights. Dempsey could really punch, and I think Jess Willard just couldn't fathom a small man being able to bang like that.

But a lot of this myth of gloves being loaded came straight from Kearns after he got upset with Dempsey. I don't think there's any foul play here, other than the lying mouth of Jack Kearns.

 

The beating descriptions may be a bit over the top but it was a frightening beating ... that being said , the conversation rarely heard is how different the fight may have played out if Dempsey was not able to stand over Willard and pound him after every knockdown .. it easily could have been a far different bout ...

 

Dempsey blew out loads of contenders before decimating Willard.

Harry Carpenter claimed that Willard had a small piece of metal that he claimed Dempsey held in his fist for the fight. Harry spoke to Tyson about it in an interview.

 

Monte Cox has an article criticizing the loaded gloves/hidden object theories

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Cox also believe's the extent of Willard's injuries have been greatly exaggerated (quoted below).


The first thing one discovers when putting this theory under the microscope is that the extent of Willard’s reported injuries have been greatly exaggerated. The report quoted by Pacheco and a few others, is based off a medical report by a man who was not a licensed physician! A reputable physician did not examine Willard after the fight.
Arly Allen who is writing a book on Jess Willard supplied the following Kansas newspaper reports:
A statement was issued after the fight by Jim Byrne "official physician to a local athletic club in Toledo" that Willard had a dislocated jaw, a fractured cheek bone and several "mashed" ribs and that it would be "at least six weeks before Willard is back to normal condition and can move comfortably." This was reported in the Kansas City Times July 8, 1919, p. 10 "Willard's Jaw Dislocated.”
Pacheco and other reporters based the extent of Willard’s injuries off of this widely distributed report by Byrne who was not a physician. However it soon turned out that Jim Byrne was not a doctor, but was rather a "rubber" in a bathhouse in Battle Creek, Michigan. According to the reporter in an article, "Willard's Jaw is All Right," Kansas City Star, July 8, 1919, p.11, Byrne "doesn't know a nickel's worth about the human anatomy."
Other reports also make it clear that Willard was not as severely injured as has been claimed. An interview by a reporter from Kansas City on July 5, 1919, "Jess Refuses to Alibi," Kansas City Star, July 6, 1919, p. 14, the day after the fight, showed that "aside from the swelling on the right side of his face, which is under cold applications, he was none the worse apparently for his encounter with Dempsey."
In an interview on July 7, the Kansas City Times announced that Jess and his wife were leaving Toledo and driving their car back to Lawrence, Kansas that day. His condition seemed to be fine. "The swelling over his left eye had entirely disappeared and the only mark he bore was a slight discoloration over the eye and a cut lip." ("Willard starts for Home," Kansas City Times, July 8, 1919, p.10).
Another reporter interviewed Jess in Chicago on his way home. "Hello, Jess" said the reporter, "How do you feel ?" "Hello," said Willard, "I'm feeling great. Would you like to spar a few rounds ?" (Kansas City Star, July 10, 1919, p. 10). Later, according to a reporter for the Topeka Daily Capital, July 16, 1919, p. 8, who interviewed Jess when he got back to Lawrence, "The ex-champion didn't have any black eye, nor any signs that he was injured in any way."


If one's jaw was broken in 13 places it would be practically impossible to speak and give a post fight interview. But Willard clearly did. The July 5, 1919 NY Times quotes Willard as saying, "Dempsey is a remarkable hitter. It was the first time that I had ever been knocked off my feet. I have sent many birds home in the same bruised condition that I am in, and now I know how they felt. I sincerely wish Dempsey all the luck possible and hope that he garnishes all the riches that comes with the championship. I have had my fling with the title. I was champion for four years and I assure you that they'll never have to give a benefit for me. I have invested the money I have made." Willard not only gives a lengthy interview but refers to his condition as only "bruised" and says he had put others in the same conditon he was in.
Joe Chip, who rode with Willard in a car back to their camp after the fight, backs up the fact that the extent of Willard’s injuries is not so severe as has been reported. Chip said, July 5, 1919 Youngstown Telegram, "Willard was not beaten up so badly. His right jaw was pretty well bunged up but not broken. His right eye was closed and his stomach was red, but this was nothing. He lost no teeth and so far I did not see anything about his condition to warrant the services of an ambulance -even though he was whipped to a frazzle."
A couple days later Chip reaffirmed his statement, July 7, 1919 Youngstown Telegram, "The report that several teeth had been knocked out is untrue. Jess was cut in the lip, also under the right eye. Dempseys body punches did no harm."
Historian Steve Compton who submitted the Youngstown, Ohio reports commented, "The only people who ever said anything about Willards injuries knew nothing about the fight. Chip wasnt a friend of Willards and other than being an employee for the duration of the fight he had no other ties to Willard. I have never seen a contemporary account by anyone from the Willard camp as to the severity of his injuries which have become commonly quoted today. Joe Chip was a sparring partner for Willard, and other than that had no relationship whatsoever to Big Jess. The statements were all made within days of the fight." All of these reports seem to contradict the common modern descriptions of Willard having lost 6-8 teeth, suffered multiple jaw fractures, a fractured eye socket, a broken nose, and broken ribs.

 

i'm not a dempsey fan but i don't believe he had anything other than his fists in those gloves

 

Based on the horrible film quality, I don't know how right I am.

But it seemed to me that the big left hook that started things was flush to the face. As in, Jack buried his left fist in Jess' face. Not hit his temple or chin, but replaced the big mans features with horse hair.

Those shots are rare in boxing, but when they happen, damage is always done.