How big was jack dempsey really

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by GregDempsey, Dec 25, 2009.



  1. GregDempsey

    GregDempsey Guest

    of course we all know that he fought from 180 to about 195, and hence would be considered a cruiserweight, and early on, just north of the modern light heavyweight cutoff. Having said that, if you look at the tale of the tape taken on dempsey, he seems much bigger. ( http://chesley.ca/chesley/tbibhftape.html ) (ps, I have looked at other sources, they all give the same numbers)

    DEMPSEY Baer Marciano Patterson Ali Tyson Holyfield

    Height 6"0 3/4 6"2 1/2 5"10 1/4 6 6"3
    Weight 187 209 1/2 184 182 3/4 210.5
    Reach 77 81 68 71 82
    Chest/Norm. 42 44 39 40 43
    Chest/Exp. 46 47 1/2 42 42 45.5
    Waist 33 32 1/2 32 32 1/2 34
    Biceps 16 1/4 14 1/2 14 14 1/4
    Neck 16 1/2 17 1/2 16 3/4 17
    Wrist 9 8 7 1/2 6
    Calf 15 15 14 3/4 15 1/2
    Ankle 9 9 1/2 10 9 1/2
    Thigh 23 21 22 21 1/2
    Fist 11 1/4 12 11 1/2 12 /34
    Forearm 15 1/2 14 12 12


    I got bored typing those in...cant copy and paste..but Dempsey was bigger then the man who pushed ali to the brink of hell...fraizer, in almost all measurements other then waist, he was about the same size as tyson, other then in neck and thighs (tyson had huge neck and thighs..and i know those definitly do matter) and he was about the same as Holyfield.

    but take a look at the tale of the tape link i gave and give me your thoughts on the notion that dempsey wasnt as "small" as we often imagine him to be...

    PS i am also going to give the tale of the tape from the second Wlad Klitschko v Byrd fight

    CHRIS BYRDSTATSWLADIMIR KLITSCHKOAugust 15, 1970BIRTHDATEMarch 25, 1976Flint, MIBIRTHPLACESemipalatinsk, KazakhstanLas Vegas, NVHOMETOWNHamburg, Germany35AGE30Joe ByrdTRAINEREmanuel Steward213WEIGHT24174"REACH80"18"NECK19"45"CHEST (NORMAL)47"47"CHEST (EXPANDED)49"17"BICEPS18"16"FOREARMS18"7"WRIST8"12"FIST12"35"WAIST34"25"THIGH27"16"CALF17"


    anyhow, i would say...give dempsey some protien drinks and have him do some weights..and he is up to a soild 220 in no time....give him some of holy's roids...maybe bigger....but..would he be a better fighter?
     
  2. GregDempsey

    GregDempsey Guest

  3. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker Full Member

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    6'1", 77 " reach. 190 prime
     
  4. GregDempsey

    GregDempsey Guest

    well yes, but he also was physically much bigger in biceps, chest, all that, then one would expect from his weight.
     
  5. Maxmomer

    Maxmomer Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I think he could have been effective carrying another 10-20 pounds of muscle. These days he would be able to be 210 pounds ripped and likely just as fast, probably even more powerful. Especially if he was on roids. Can you imagine Dempsey on roids?
     
  6. GregDempsey

    GregDempsey Guest


    given his frame i think he might have even managed 220...his measurments are about the same as a heavyweight holyfield..and bigger then holy's measurements where at cruiserweight....
     
  7. PowerPuncher

    PowerPuncher VIP Member Full Member

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    He didnt have muscular density like allot of the men you've mentioned and they'd all treat him like a rag doll, seriously he has twig legs. Dempsey had a rangy enough frame but so do plenty of LHWs, so does Paul Williams
     
  8. GregDempsey

    GregDempsey Guest


    http://photobucket.com/images/jack%20dempsey%20back/
    i dont know about him looking like a rag doll...

    as for him having twig legs, well look at the measurements...\
    dempsey thigh 23 inches, calf 15 ankel 9 inches...
    now joe louis had 22 1/2 thigh, 14 calf, 10 ankel,
    marciano 22 t, 14 3/4 calf, 10 ankel,
    Ali had very big legs, 25 thigh, 17 calf, 10 ankel,
    Holyfield when he weighted 215 22 inch thigh, 13 calf, 10 ankel..but most of the modern fighters did have bigger legs by a few inches...but had the guy added 20 pounds of muscle..his legs would have been bigger...

    but finally, i have to say, i think dempsey would be one of the strongest 185 pounders you would ever find...i think anyone would have a hard time treating him like a rag doll..maybe the super heavyweights who weighted 240..of course he fought willard...he sure as hell couldnt treat him like a rag doll...
     
  9. GregDempsey

    GregDempsey Guest

    and what do you mean by muscular density?
     
  10. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Dempsey somtimes came in at 200 lbs in his own era.

    Draw the obvious conclusion.
     
  11. ChrisPontius

    ChrisPontius March 8th, 1971 Full Member

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    He was lazy? ;)

    Merry Christmas.
     
  12. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Merry Christmas to your fine self.
     
  13. GregDempsey

    GregDempsey Guest

    at no point did he ever look fat...definitly not by the standards of fat that guys like chris arreola set..their is a guy who if he had the same body fat percentage as dempsey would only be about 200..and he is 6"4
     
  14. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker Full Member

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    Dempsey was built very similiar to Holyfield across the board. An inch shorter but the same frame, long arms, wide shoulders, ect ... today he would definately be a natural 210 - 215 ... whats interesting about Dempsey was imagining if he had a real great trainer. I have never , ever seem Dempsey throw a real jab ... imagine if he chose to use one like a Duran coming in ? When you compare Dempsey and Marciano the bottom line that one achieved all his fame by overachieving (Rocky) and the other was possibly the biggest underachiever. We can all say what we want about Rocky and few have said more than me but I also have to say no one trained harder, gave the sport his all, kept active and fought everyone like he did ...
     
  15. GregDempsey

    GregDempsey Guest


    about the jab...dempsey threw it about as much as most pressure fighters do...which is too say, not allot..and i think he maybe should have thrown it more...but very few come and get yea fighters have ever thrown as many jabs as Duran.

    your right about the size of dempsey and holy....amazing how similar their stats are really.....