If Jack Dempsey had never been born

A certain heavyweight Champion might have been used his real first name: Henry.

 

The title would be flopping hands betweens unworthy white guys before Gene Tunney got it imo.


I dont think Wills would have goten a shot.

 

Dempsey brought the million dollar gate to boxing, and a host of admirers into the sport, like Walker. Without him, boxing does not have a superstar to add to the "Golden Age of Sport."

Here's one scenario:

Wills would likely still be shunted aside in the aftermath of Johnson-Jeffries, and the interstate ban on fight film travel remains enforced considerably longer than it was.

Fulton gets the shot, and probably lifts the title from an aging and inactive Willard. Miske dethrones Fulton, and dies as champion, becoming sainted and deified in the process. Tommy Gibbons wins the vacated title, and holds it until Tunney emerges from his series with Greb as the top white contender.

 

Watch out for Jack Sharkey. That is one man Tunney was not keen on facing.

 

Then his aunt would be his uncle...er...no...wait...

 

Ears..hahahaaa

 

Willard might improve massively.

He starts by beating Fulton instead of the Dempsey fight, in a close fight, and an immediate rematch, like Fitz v Jeffries. (this means Fulton skips his KO losses to Dempsey and Wills. And these two fights are seen as two of the greatest titan clashes of all time.

This leads to 1921 where he fights carpentier, who we have seen it well argued was a media creation, and despite the huge popularity, Willard is simply too big (not too different to what we are seeing now with Wlad and Vitali). Willard then declares that he is running out of challengers and will fight the winner of an elimination between McVey and Clark.

McVey wins the eliminator but is getting too old and ready for retirement. Willard retires him as his fight in 1922.

In 1923, we see Miskes win over Fulton put him as standout challenger (along with his other wins and there being no Dempsey loss). He is a legend and against an all time great in Miske, Willard is too big and he knocks him out and retires him!

Around 1924, Greb gets his chance but he is too small and is well beaten on points. Willard declares that he wants to fight the no 1 contender, so he arranges a match between the no 1 white heavy - Firpo and no 1 black heavy - Wills. Meanwhile, he tours central America, where he decides to defend against the Mexican heavyweight champion who had just ko d the experienced and tough Jim Flynn. But he is too big for the old Sam Langford and Willard scores a dominant TKO.

IN 1925, the elimination bout between Firpo and Wills was actually a No Decision fight. Firpo makes the better offer and gets the shot. He loses, but he also exposes the champion's age, and it is quite clear that we are counting the days to a new champ.

In 1926, Willard finally fights Harry Wills. Both fighters are aging, and Willard eeks out a very close decision or perhaps even a 20 round no Decision. Wills is stopped in his next fight with Sharkey and most people think that Willard ruined him.

The same year, Willard fights Jack Johnson, who still hasnt lost since losing to Willard. Amazingly, the two battle to a 20 round draw, with both sides claiming victory.

This leads us to a million dollar fight in 1927, between what most people say are the two greatest fighters ever. Willard wins the fight.

In 1928, he has one fight left in him. He ends up fighting Gene Tunney. Willard's reach is a deciding factor and he wins a close Unanimous decision. Willard realises he has had enough and he decides to call it a day. He retires as probably the greatest fighter of all time and living proof that bigger is better and a super heavy will always beat a light heavy.

 

If Harry Wills gets a shot anytime after 1916, he reigns until 1925.

 

And then, in 2010, we would have a general consensus on the East Side Boxing Forum that the 3 greatest heavyweights of all time were...

1. Jess Willard
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Joe Louis

:rasta

 

:nut

Yeah I agree with that, Willard would have retired at about 47 or so years of age. I think that despite the money, he wouldnt need to come out of retirement at about 50 years of age for a clash of the Giants with Primo, but dont rule out a George Foreman style come back in his 50s to save the honour of the USA and defeat the German Champ Max Schmelling, who had just KOd our own Joe Louis. Now that would make a Willard a true no 1 of all time.

Just a shame he didnt get into the sport earlier, if he started boxing in his teens, by 1899, he could have been the one to KO the small and agin Fitzsimmons, (making him the youngest champ ever), blasted the undefeated Jeffries, we have already seen him make it a case of Jack who? And doesnt anyone really give midgets like langford and Burns a shot against a Giant like Willard. He could have been the man.

Okay now i am just being totally stupid :silly, but if he started as a teenager, it would have been pretty interesting to see willard fight Fitzsimmons, Jeffries, Corbett, Johnson, Langford, McVey etc before he got the fight with Johnson.

 

Nice scenario, Howevver. I'm not so sure Willard would get by the free swinging Firpo. If Firpo could drive Dempsey through the ropes. he just might catch Willard and overwhelm him early.

 

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I agree he was a prime talent but ran so hot and cold.