I feel like many of us, myself included, have a preconception that Willard didn't really use his size to his advantage all that well. Here is an example I just came across of him leaning on Dempsey and then jabbing him. https://streamable.com/9qan6 It may not mean he was the most effective at doing this, but it shows a semblance of an attempt to use his size to his advantage which is pretty cool.
Willard knew well enough how to use his size. That was his main weakness quite frankly. He didn't like to hurt people, and he knew that he could keep off him with his reach. Against Dempsey that sh1t didn't wash!
I disagree really. I think, that if Willard had known how to use his size better he would have been far more dangerous. Against Johnson he uses his size primarily to wear Johnson out but hes not good at using his height and reach to keep smaller fighters off of him. I guess we might talking about two different things: weight vs height and reach all of which are part of "size." I think he sucks at using his height and reach. He stands straight up with his chin in the air and lets guys get right in on his chest, a no no when you are that big and tall and unathletic. Because of this is forced to absorb a lot of punishment from both Dempsey and Johnson that he wouldnt if he knew how to use his height and reach to keep them outside and soften them up on the way in. He was good at using his weight and strength to tire guys out but by the time Dempsey got to him he was so out of shape and ill trained it didnt matter. It probably never would have mattered but the Willard of Johnson was better trained and hungrier and I think would have been able to absorb more punishment. I just think Willard was all wrong for Dempsey regardless. If you watch Johnson rushing in and landing tons of punches at Willards best you cant imagine Dempsey ever losing to Willard.
I'm honestly confused about your position here. As I've argued before, I think it's pretty clear that Willard did not use his size advantage effectively, particularly his reach and his height advantages. I think that certain strategic/technical advances that subsequently permeated the sport of boxing enable taller, longer fighters to far better leverage their physical advantages. The footage here does nothing to suggest otherwise.
Willard was pushing thirty when he turned pro with no amateur experience and it's impressive he achieved what he did as a pro at all .. If the guy was in the game from teen years and learned to fight he had potential to be so much better ..
Wlad and Lewis are really good at sticking their stomach out in the clinch to add more weight to the top of their body, to wear out the opponent in the clinch. When people say that Lewis and Wlad know how to use their weight to lean on people in the clinch, they are often referring to that maneuver. In this GIF, you can see Willard using the same exact maneuver on Dempsey.
I think Willard used his size, but not as efficiently as someone like a Stewart trained fighter. But I'm not asking anyone to restructure their ranking of Willard. I'm simply pointing out an interesting little moment I found, where Willard uses a technique that many people today attribute to the clever tricks off modern SHWs. Even without the comparison to modern fighters, it's still pretty cool.
The idea that Willard had no amateur experience is definitely on trial now. I think that research into his early career is needed.
I doubt Willard had amateur experience. If he did it wasnt very extensive at all. Im curious why you call that into question.
Some contemporary sources imply that he had a significant number of amateur fights before he turned professional. I think that this is an area the requires more research at the moment.
