In the Ring With Jack Dempsey - Part I: The Making of a Champion

Save your breath for cooling your tea.

Unless you goosestep along with the Dempsey Idolatry Mob (DIM) you are considered to possess a pathological hatred for the man.

Dempsey was my first love in boxing, also. I read 3 versions of his autobio before even investigating another boxer. He perfectly encapsulated his era, the good and the bad, and in the end was a triumph over his circumstances.

 

They say that the convert makes the most extreme zealot!

Having said that, based upon your previous work, I owe you the benefit of the doubt.

 

Im passing judgement on the revisionist idea that Willard was in good shape and dangerous in rds 2 and 3. If his book states that and you are just parroting it then yes, by extension Im passing judgement on the book. If it doesnt say that and you just arrived at this conclusion in the sane manner that you arrived at the idea that Flynn was on his way to beating Johnson, then no, Im passing judgement on your conclusions. That being said, if the author tells me personally the direction he is going with and on a subject that Ive studied far more than any single book could illuminate and I dont agree with his conclusions why would I purchase the book? Hes not going to add anymore detail Im not familiar with and any detail he heaps upon the same tired narrative is just window dressing to the people who havent done that research. Thats valuable to them but Ive studied Dempseys career through the same newspapers he has (there are only a finite amount of them), Ive studied the era, I have no doubt, far more extensively than he has. I have conducted interviews with the families of both Dempsey and Wills and have numerous likely one of a kind film and audio interviews with both Dempsey and Wills and many of their opponents and contemporaries. Ive done exhaustive research into local, county, state, and federal records, church records, and court records featuring both men and their families. I have no doubt in many of these instances the materials at my disposal are unavailable anywhere else. What do you propose I would get out of reading this book?

 

The fact that you would make the comparison in religious terms is telling. Because the vast majority of Dempsey worshippers rely on blind faith in him and dont really put his career into any context. To them he just walks on water and thats enough. Theyve read it in their magazines for generations and that shouldnt be questioned. Not at all unlike religious zealots who follow dogma blindly and unquestioningly.

 

How do you quantify the best copy of Dempsey Willard??? LOL. I have an HD transfer of the original theatrical film, digitally restored. The picture is photographic quality, at the correct speed, and the picture is rock solid with absolutely no shimmy. It likely looks better than when it was originally projected in 1919. If he has a better copy I doubt it magically gave him any more information. As for meeting Dempsey thats great but given the fact that he was notoriously unreliable at telling his own story Im not sure exactly what that would have done beyond give someone the ability to say "I met Dempsey." Thats great but from a research standpoint it adds nothing, particularly given the fact that we have two biographies written by the man and literally hours and hours of film and audio interviews with man telling his life story. So yeah, Im comfortable making that assertion.

 

Klompton, you are so full of sh.t .. if you we're half as confident or accomplished as you brag you'd be a gentleman, not rip a fellow poster's proven work on a public forum and tread lighter. You can't because you're jealous as all hell of his proven accomplishments. Pollack has published nine (9) exceptional books and has established a legacy in the history of the sport that you won't ever come near approaching .. keep scorching the Earth and bragging about your greatness. Eventually the men with the butterfly nets will catch up with you.

 

Interesting. That's actual good for the rotator cuff too.
Although there's a chance of course that old Dempsey was pranking with the guy.

 

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KLOMPY SAYS
BY JOVE, I AM THE KNOW ALL AND BE ALL OF MY WORLD. I HATE MYSELF, BUT, LIKE THE KILLER IN "IT", AM THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS FOR THOSE WHO DEIGN TO QUESTION MY ALL CONSUMING EXPERTISE ON EVERYTHING

 

OF COURSE NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER SEEN THIS VERSION AND IF THIS DOESN'T LIFT COMPY INTO THE DELUSIONAL NARCISSIST HALL OF FAME NOTHING WILL.
ALSO HE HAS JESS WILLARD'S JOCK STRAP FROM THE FIGHT AND THRU YEARS OF CAREFUL CHEWING ON IT HAS DEDUCED WILLARD'S CONDITION AND OTHER ASPECTS LEADING INTO THE FRACAS.

 

SOOOOOOOOO RIGHT!!!!!!!!!

 

Don't take my word for it; others who saw it is as gasp at it, that's why. The smoothness and clarity make Dempsey look like a jungle cat. The fact that you seem unaware of this copy, which is the gold standard in the eyes of collectors, shows you don't everything and aren't aware of everything.

In order to be the best living Dempsey historian, it has to come from others, not yourself. Who has said this about you? I'm not saying you haven't researched him to the degree your saying. If you say so and so said it and XYZ agrees both of whom know Dempsey cold, you'd have a much better case.

On Jorgensen, his family has been into Dempsey for decades. Unfortunately, these Dempsey experts have little time for message boards.

As for Dempsey, my grandfather interacted with him in his restaurant and said the Mauler was gregarious and funny. I have posted the story here before.

You are an odd cat, if this were football and the team you root for was 8-0, you nit- pick the heck out of some part of the team. I do not think you're a big Dempsey fan now. The reason being you spend too much time tearing him down, most of which I agree with by the way.

 

That is his problem, always has been. In many cases, I think Klompton knows more than Pollack, and is one of the few who can call him out with details. I tend to view him pragmatically.

 

At least Marciano's getting a rest.