Dempsey's punching ability compared to the 90s heavyweights

The punches landed. It's kind of irrelevant what they look like. They landed and they hurt. Most the great aggressive punchers had a lot of moments where they threw wild-looking haymakers : Tyson, Marciano, Foreman of course. They all threw looping punches. They don't lose points for smashing heads in with caveman-style punches.

 

Yeah, I never doubted that.

 

Awsome...thanks for sharing!!

 

Foreman and Vitali's punches landed as well, but no one would accuse them of possessing picture perfect punching technique. Difference is they were huge mofos so it didn't really matter if they lacked a bit of crispness. Dempsey's a blown up LHW so every punch he throws has to be done with savage intensity and perfect punching form to compete on that same level. The intensity bit he might have down, but not the form. Nowhere near.

Your comment that he threw 'proper punches' implies that fighters in the 90s didn't, which is BS. Not only did they, in many instances, possess better technique than Dempsey, but they also had over thirty or forty pounds of muscle on him and a ton of steroids pumping around their veins.

 

Yup....'fraid that's the best I've got....sorry it doesn't meet with your approval...I promise I'll try harder the next time around!! Oh that's right...it's all a matter of opinion, son!!!

 

No problem!!!

 

A spurious, circular argument, that.

 

Right. These discussions only make sense if we pretend that the much bigger athletes of recent years don't know how to throw proper punches. Or if we pretend that the undersized heavies of the past were magical immortals, I guess. One or the other.

 

Bruce seldom won against a name opponent.

 

Anyone who would call Dempsey crude has no idea what they are talking about. One of hwt boxing all time skilled fighters.

 

Sometimes Autocorrect knows better.

 

The modernists live in an odd dreamland.

 

He saw as much of Dempsey as any man living,I sat next to Reg several times at ringside he was very knowledgeable on boxing, boxed as a youngster and was brought up in the game.His Father and Uncle,"The Gutteridge Twins" were famous cornermen and seconded many leading fighters including Carnera when he was in the UK. Reg was a very nice guy always happy to chat and he had loads of interesting anecdotes including one concerning his false leg and Sonny Liston , he was also a good friend of Muhammad Ali's .I doubt there has been a more informed boxing journalist . His autobiography "Uppercuts And Dazes" is a good read, as is his book" The Big Punchers".

 

On the contrary, my comment was entirely in response to your comment singling out Dempsey as a "crude" puncher.

I have absolutely no doubt that top fighters of the 1990s (or any other era) generally threw proper punches. I never remotely implied otherwise.

 

Forgive my eyes and brain for making me think otherwise.

An odd dreamland where a 180lber magically punches harder than 240lbs juiced up juggernauts. Yeah ok.

That's fair enough. But then where does Dempsey's advantage lie?