Did Dempsey or Tunney ever fight Black Heavyweights?

Dempsey fought 1. Tunney non.

Louis also didnt face the top black contenders of his day(Early part of rein, not post WWII.)

 

Dempsey fought 4. Tunney fought ZERO. In fact there was a highly rated hall of fame black heavyweight around during tunneys time, George Godfrey. Godfrey challenged gene numerous times from 1925-1928 even offering to fight him for free. Tunney and his manager actually refused Publicly. Tunneys camp finally came out and said "we will fight wills, but not godfrey. never godfrey.(wills coincidently was 37 at the time tunneys camp said this). Godfrey was 6'3 225lb with high KO percentage. Kevin Smith Author of unforgivable blackness, holds a very high opinion on godfrey.

 

Tunney never fought a black oponent or even used a black sparring partner acording to Max Schmeling!!!!!!!!1

 

Louis at least fought 3 of the best blacks of his era Walcott Charles and Bivins. Not to mention oustanding fighter john henry lewis, and louis even knocked out a young roscoe toles who went on to become one of the better black contenders of that era. Louis also knocked out top black heavyweights elmer ray and nino valdez in live exhibition bouts. I once read louis camp feared Lee Q Murray and Harry Bobo more than anyone else.

 

Bivins?

 

Jem Mace fought top black fighters such as Bob Travers.

John L Sullivan tried to arrange bouts with at least two black oponents.

Jim Corbett fought Peter Jackson who was obviously the beswt black challenger around.

Jeffries also fought black oponents.

Basicaly all these guys were willing to meet black challengers before they held the title.

Tommy Burns fought Jack Johnson (albeit loosing) who we have to recognise as the best black challenger of the period.

 

? Yess...Louis one a unanimous decision over Jimmy Bivins, including staggering Bivins pretty badly nearly ending things in the first.

 

Think it was during Louis's comeback.

Still as CHAMPION, Louis didnt defend the title often against the best black fighters of his era.

Lewis doesnt count, since he was lightheavyweight.

 

Corbett deserves tons of credit for taking on jackson. sullivan certainly wanted nothing to do with him. Corbett ended up doing very well too. Jeffries deserves credit for taking on hank griffin and armstrong, two guys who may have cracked the top 10 had there been one.

fitzimmons took on no one during his prime, neither did sharkey. not good.

I would have liked to see how burns would have done vs mcvea and jeanette or langford, he should have given one of them a shot instead of run away across the world and fight ham and eggers.


No doubt if ketchel didnt die young he would have taken on mcvea and jeanette. Ketchell floored and hurt the best black heavyweight of the era jack johnson, and took a draw to the 2nd best black heavyweight of the era sam langford. yet these accomplishments get severely underated.

 

My bad, i feel embarrassed

 

Fitz fought Jack Johnson.

 

I think that Walcott was clearly the best black heavyweight of the period apart from Louis himself.

I also think that John Henry Lewis was a force at heavyweight during his career.

 

This is not who was the best imo. Sure Louis fought perhaps the best in Walcott.

But 12 years, 25 title defenses, and only 2 blacks(Lewis and Walcott 2 times) got a title shot?

 

Its very difficult to get a handle on Godfrey ,because he was known to box to "orders".Before Tunney became Champ Godfrey would have been a handful , Tunney would be conceding up to 40 lbs of muscle,3 inches in height and spotting Godfrey power too, but after Tunney beat Dempsey[1926] Godfreys star had begun to set ,he lost that year to Sharkey and two years later he fouled out to Gains ,a man he had beaten pretty easily before. After 1926 I think Tunney outpoints Godfrey comprehensively, before that I think he would have to be on his very best form to take a narrow dec.A famous opponent of Tunney's also never fought a black man ,Tommy Loughran.