Dempsey's punching ability compared to the 90s heavyweights

mhua

 

One day you may hopefully realize how silly it sounds presuming to understand punching mechanics better than Jack freakin Dempsey.

Not only that but your actual breakdown for the visual cues you look for to see proper punching technique is very distorted and needs major refinement.

 

I'm primarily referring to the follow up punches he hits Willard with against the ropes. His punching form is incredibly sloppy here, arms hanging down by his sides winging hugely telegraphed windmill punches to Willard's grill. All while splaying his legs out as though he's about to go for a wrestling sprawl. This is what I'm seeing in the gif I posted. What's your interpretation?

I'm not contradicting anything. Foreman succeeded in spite of his technique, not because of it. He was a huge, brutishly strong man relative to his opponents who was able to bludgeon them with sheer force.

Dempsey in contrast was a smallish, light, wiry man who relied on speed and savagery to get to his opponents. He needed great technique to make up for his physical deficiencies. As my gif showed, he often didn't have it.

Doesn't mean you can just throw everything you know out the window. What would be the point of that? You're more likely to let your opponent off the hook if you lose your calm and start to fight recklessly. Compare Golovkin to Wilder and tell me who's the more efficient finisher.

Of course Ali was fast. This is easy to see on film.

 

I have nearly a hundred years more boxing to draw my opinion from. Dempsey was a pioneer, but like all pioneers he didn't get it all right first time round.

I ask you the same thing I asked DagoWop, what do you see in that gif that I'm getting so wrong?

 

No, that's a punch you singled out. I never specifically claimed I was referring only to that punch and I'd appreciate if you could quote where I said that.

I'm struggling to comprehend how you can be so dumb.

Foreman succeeded in spite of his technique. Do you not get this fundamental point?

We can see enough to form our opinion. You've formed yours, haven't you?

I highlighted that as it was the most obvious moment of Dempsey's poor form in one of his biggest and most highly regarded fights on film.

Yes, let's pretend all of Wilder's opponents are equal to Golovkin's.

Jesus.

Except it doesn't prove what you want it to prove. It was used to ridicule the notion that Dempsey wasn't a hard puncher, only it's easy to measure an opponent's speed on film. It's next to impossible to measure how hard he's hitting. Therefore debates on the latter are perfectly valid.

 

Dempsey had very good power for his size, but what's more impressive about his power, is that he needed very little room to generate it. That's impressive. However, compared to some of bigger SHW's, I'd say his power is behind the best there.

 

Willard getting his body and head pounded in. And Dempseys form with his weight shift and leverage.

 

which days did he have it and which days didnt he have it?

was it sunday and friday that he didnt?

 

What leverage can you get from that posture? And why don't other fighters fight square on like that if it gives such a tremendous mechanical advantage?

Yeah, don't try too hard.

 

Tons. Someone like Dempsey can sit down Indian style and still produce great leverage with just the shoulder snap.

If a fighter has to use excessive body movement to generate power, they are most likely a weaker puncher, or an arm puncher. If they can stand straight up, throw a short hook that rattles the opponents entire body, they are using leverage and shoulder snap.

You're takin about Dempsey beating up a dazed opponent whil standing behind him. Why would he need to employ a boxing stance? He isn't boxing, he's finishing. And yes, if you want to generate maximum power, getting into a stance that typically leaves you open can do that.

 

You do realize that shoulder snap is far more effective at transmitting power when it channels force that's been generated by the lower body and core, right?

 

I'm not referring to the shot that he hits Willard with when he's trying to get off the canvas. I'm talking about the follow up shots when he has him against the ropes.

I understand what you mean by shoulder snap or power generation in a confined space. Lots of historically great punchers had it. But if that's the case with Dempsey why does he feel the need to wind back his arm so much before throwing? Isn't that a case of excessive body movement?

 

Yes my son, do you?

 

When Willard is against the ropes, you can see the leverage in Dempseys punches as the weights shifts from his back foot to the front. Also, he isn't winding those punches back. They are shooting forward from the position of his fists. He starts to wind punches when Willard is off the ropes, and starts stumbling away.