Dempsey, Wills and Langford

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by McGrain, Jul 6, 2007.

  1. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    What order to you rank these guys in, all time at HW?

    I currently have them

    1) Dempsey
    2) Wills
    3) Langford

    But there's a case for having the reverse I would say.

    Why do you rate them the way you do?
     
  2. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    P4P? or head to head ?
    P4P Langford
    Dempsey
    Wills
    Head to Head,Dempsey beats both Wills by late stoppage say 9rds.Langford by close dec.Langford beats Wills 2 out of 3 .
     
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  3. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    At Heavy it is a no-brainer

    Dempsey

    Wills

    Langford

    Pound for pound, again a no brainer

    Langford

    Dempsey

    Wills
     
  4. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Who do you think fought the better competition?
     
  5. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Langford met the best, Wills the most intense, Dempsey the most diverse...;)
     
  6. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Wills met the best competition overall.

    There is some comfusion about Dempsey's failure to fight Wills - but Wills certainly wasn't responsible for that failure. In the light of these two facts, how is it a no brainer to decide upon whether or not Dempsey should rank above Wills at Heavy?
     
  7. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Dempsey was prepared to fight Wills (he would of made a fortune), the problem was the authorites remembered the race riots and deaths that occured post Johnson/Jeffries and made sure the fight did not happen, IMO.
     
  8. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Yes, I think it's unfair to force the full blame onto Dempsey, but he must accept a portion, I think.

    And this doesn't answer the questiona about their respective competition?
     
  9. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Well it does, because any half decent black fighter who was a threat to the title, Dempsey would not be able to fight even if he wanted to.

    Wills did meet an ancient Gunboat Smith, but basically stuck to fighting black fighters during Dempsey's reign, until he lost to Jack Sharkey.

    Langford had novelty value to us Brits (we were still sore the Yankee's won the civil war), and Sammy flattened a couple of our horizontal Heavies, but still he mainly fought black fighters.
     
  10. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    Dempsey
    Langford
    Wills doesnt belong with these 2. I believe him to be overated.
    A big man who didnt do anything special in my book.
     
  11. Boilermaker

    Boilermaker Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I really dont see how Wills has much of an argument to rank ahead of Langford at all. Prime wills met past prime Langford. By the end of 1917, Langford had knocked him out twice, although he had admittedly lost 2 decisions. It wasnt until 1918 when Langford had deteriorated further that Wills managed his 2 knock outs. Then as the continued to fight and langford deteriorated more, Langford still competed well and was not knocked out. Given the two knockouts a past prime langford delivered, i am fairly certain that prime langford is far too much for Wills
    .
     
  12. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    This is how I see it as well.
     
  13. Rspen46

    Rspen46 Member Full Member

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    Dempsey
    Wills
    Langford

    Paulino Uzcudun beats Wills with his bull rush style and pounding away at the body and head, Dempsey much better more easily and more quickly beats Wills, yes it was later in Wills career, but he was still ranked #1 won't matter he loses anytime to Dempsey, I wish jack had fought them all and proved it to history, and wish he had not let himself go so much at the end and left boxing for awhile before fighting Tunney, as I think he beats him if he had been in shape and fighting all that time up until he actually fougth Tunney, then a match against Schmeling would have been great to see, all those fights for Dempsey, Langford, Wills, Mcvey, Jeannette, Uzcudun, Schmeling, and maybe even have fougth Greb would have made his legend so huge, he would have to have been the #1 HW of All time.
     
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  14. Golden_Feather99

    Golden_Feather99 Active Member Full Member

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    Bruh, are you stuck in 2007 or something?
     
  15. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    I'm going to be a bit controversial and say

    Dempsey
    Wills
    Langford