I disagree with the one sided as Dempsey looked exhausted, his power was a fraction of the opening round and Willard on multiple occasions fired back well. Did not say gloves were loaded but the cutting is unusual. From laces to penetrations something was possible. It was bizarre and nothing like it remotely in any other filmed Dempsey fight.
Difference is Dempsey concentrated on Willard’s head in this bout and Willard took it. Thus the horrific damage. Firpo was hitting the canvas many times via body blows or singular head shots. Thus much less damage. Same with Carpentier. Same with Sharkey. Willard’s damage was much more severe because he was one hell of a tough fighter. Suggest not besmirching a fighters reputation purposefully unless solid evidence is available. Think deeply concerning other potential avenues before jumping to the absolute worst case scenario. Dempsey was a brutal very quick, very aggressive puncher beyond what we can imagine here in 2019. The guy had a hammer in either fist and it had nothing to do with loaded gloves. The man was a puncher unlike anyone before or after him.
Very clear photo. Willard has a huge hematoma that stretched from his cheek bone down to his jaw bone. Looks like another smaller hematoma on his cheekbone in addition. Years later Willard would allow visitors to his home to feel his cheek bone as they were still in pieces and mobile under his skin. This photo illustrates why. Broken bones.
Rice actually became a long time knocker of Dempsey, castigating him for not going into the service and critcizing the amounts of dough he was hauling in.
I'm not ripping Dempsey .. I'm a fan .. I'm also not romanticizing him either .. all we have is the films and I see a guy that got gassed against Willard, who had a war w a tough but not all time great Brennan, who dominated but got rocked to his heels in the second by Carpentier, a small light heavy, who looked solid but not exceptional against Gibbons and who looked like a wild man against Firpo but also one that did not fight with his brain and could have easily lost to a better skilled big man like Liston, Foreman, Tyson, Louis and others ... he showed a ton of heart against Sharkey and Tunney and better skills than in much of his earlier film but based on age and inactivity and lack of sophisticated skills not exceptional either .. he did not have a clue about cutting off a ring .. all straight lines .. he's a charismatic guy and a great story and a very good conditioned , hard punching tough guy with a big heart but still an incomplete to me ..
You change the subject. Willard was beaten as he was because he was able to take it and not be dispatched by individual punches. Also Dempsey concentrated on Willard’s head. Firpo and others were not as durable and as such did not receive that great of damage. The Dempsey you see fighting Brennan and Carpentier is the same Dempsey who fought Sharkey just younger and sharper. Difference is the film quality is much better thus details are more easily seen. Carp was a huge right hand banger and with 4-5 oz gloves he could hurt anyone. Proves absolutely nothing. Dempsey was a very unusual talent. Not many flaws and what flaws he had were greatly overshadowed by his speed, power, frenzied attack, will to win, heart, durability and boxing skill. None match him.
Compare Rice's report to Ring Lardner's, or Damon Runyon's, or Bob Edgren's, or Percy Hammond's, or Jack Lait's, or Otto Floto's, or Rube Goldberg's, or Herbert Corey's, or Billy Murphy's. I don't think they were any worse in style and expressiveness.
Carl Morris was so used up and unreliable the one time that Dempsey KO'd him that, according to the Time Picayune the betting was more active on whether Carl would even show up than who would win. That said, the results had a stink about them to locals. So much for Carl Morris.
