How good was Jack Dempsey's win resume?

Rickard has a confusing track record here.

He had a god sent chance to squash Wills after his debacle with Big Bill Tate. All he had to do was match the two best white contenders, and bar key a couple of key fights for Wills, and new top contender would have emerged. Instead he threw Wills a lifeline, by matching him with Kid Norfolk, in a title eliminator.

Now later, he does seem to be trying to eliminate Wills. He matches him with Firpo, then suggest's that he fight Gibbons, then Tunney. Wills refuses to fight further eliminators, insisting that he has more than proven that he is the #1 contender. Perhaps Wills by this time, thinks that Rickard is just going to keep matching him against tough opponents, until he gets the result he wants i.e a white #1 contender.

I think that is it possible to sympathize with both Dempsey and wills to some extent.