How SKILLED was Jack Dempsey?

Ray Arcel considered Dempsey the greatest fighter ever, I believe.

 

Being as ruthlessly offensive and aggressive as Dempsey was always came with its disadvantages, namely being prone to being hit more. Even a more refined aggressor like Louis or Armstrong got hit because that’s what comes with being the one initiating the most of the fighting. Thankfully Jack was defensively aware at least 80% of the time he rushed in, but there are times like when he got dropped in the first second against Firpo due to quite literally running in with zero respect for Firpo.

In the end, I’d say that Jack was a very good technician whose incredible speed and power made him stand out. One of the most skilled rushers of all time, but not perfect.

 

Jack came back from a long stretch of inactivity and was much more competitive / capable than a lot of ATG’s under similar circumstances. The time off ruined him he said so himself.

 

What he did with Sharkey was extremely impressive to me. Jack barely fought as champ and coming off a 3 year hiatus… yet he still managed to look to me impressive? (all things considered) Sharkey was as good as you’d find in the division and he got the win.

 

Dempsey did something in that fight I'm not sure I've seen anyone else do: he parried the right hand with his own right and then slipped a hook:

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I think you have to look at Dempsey in the context of his time. At that time, fighters were smaller, boxing was rougher, more natural grown talents and no systematic amateur careers, no modern PEDs...

But in terms of his natural potential, he was, at least on paper, extremely gifted.

He is perhaps the most gifted heavyweight of all time, next to Ali and Louis. He had it all: ATG power in both hands (not that many in history: Louis, Marciano, Liston, Foreman, Tyson etc.) and a legendary left hook... great hand speed and reflexes... footwork... head movement... chin... grit and mental toughness... infight skills... smartness etc...

He was not a big jabber but it wasn't really necessary in his time. If he were born later, I see no reason why he could not adapt as a boxer.

But all that is theory. Some fighters don't look so good on paper but might still deliver extraordinary performances.

Unfortunately, he did not fight the strongest contender of his time (Harry Wills). Therefore, he is not that proven. On the other hand, he prevailed in harder times when boxing was also way more popular. I mean who wants to become a heavyweight boxer in the first world countries nowadays? Thus, the talent pool is relatively small today.

And last but not least, the great boxers can barely prove enough to the interested fighting fan.

 

It’s not only impressive to you, in fact I’d argue some of Dempsey’s best technical displays came after he 3 year hiatus when he didn’t have the speed to just charge in there like a freight train. He was forced to box more.
The first Tunney fight and the Sharkey fight were good demonstrations of skill in spite of being outclassed.

 

I don’t think those performances showed any more skill than anywhere else on film IMO much LESS to me, it takes a lot of skill to “charge in there like a freight train” as you say.

 

True, I guess a better way of saying it would be to say that Dempsey was forced to box in a more orthodox and less risky manner due to the inactivity rather than in a more skilled way.

 

Dempsey's faults in the ring were losing focus and trying to force the issues at times, which coincided with his penchant to be a 4 round fighter. But he was playing to his assets, those revolving around being one of the greatest attacks dogs in the sport's history.

You can't have it all, folks. You play one card at the expense of another and you don't deal your own hand.

 

4 round fighter is an insult I know it, I know I know his upset ex wife said he took rat poison as a PED that did nothing which made him such a fighter… or whatever it is you and her say lol.
I do agree with you that he was a kill or be killed (which is a rare asset) sort of fighter and I think had he been more active or more widely viewed (on film) someone would’ve deployed a great plan long before Tunney, I could be wrong about that I’m not sure on the film situation back then… but it was a helluva hand to play before inactivity ruined Jack.

 

Didn't Dempsey have 19 ko's in a row before the Willard fight? We have none of those fights on film, when he was at his killer best, not the Dempsey who was making movies, acting on the stage, and generally having a good time. So it's hard to truly measure his abilities IMO.

 

High level highly skilled man IMO who has become very underrated as of late