Jack Dempsey as champion. Did he face top ten ranked opponents? How many did he beat?

"why didn't everybody predict that Dempsey would slaughter him before the fight?"

Your unspoken premise is that Willard being slightly favored over Dempsey indicates how formidable everyone thought Willard was. It might instead indicate that they really weren't sold on Dempsey.

 

"Anyone could have beaten the 1919 version of Willard."

I am critical of Dempsey's record, but this is overstated.

"Anyone" strikes me as a bit much, and unfair to Dempsey. Give him credit for his accomplishment.

But I don't see this as the victory for the ages that really proves the winner an ATG. Willard set himself up for what happened. He was out of shape, undertrained, overconfident, rusty, long laid off, etc. Guys like Dan Daniel writing that this proves Dempsey the best are completely over the top for me. Hard to see favoring Willard at this point over any of the big heavyweight punchers or fast stepping boxers.

 

"Dempsey defeated the incumbent champion, which neither Wills nor Greb did"

How could they? No champion would get into the ring with them. This is especially true of Wills.

I think this argument is beyond weak. If Wills had failed against the men he fought, or in a championship fight, okay, but as is? Come on. This boils down to the act of drawing the color line proves colored fighters inferior because they will never beat the champion.

"he defeated the heir to his throne"

Actually this was Tunney. Sharkey managed to win the title years later on a very controversial decision over Schmeling. Does Dempsey rise or fall on the official votes in this fight? Would he be a lesser fighter if Schmeling got the decision? Hard for me to see this. What if it were reversed and Sharkey clearly won but the bad decision went to Schmeling. Should Dempsey's stock then fall?

 

Great Post

 

Are you Rumy's Corner from Youtube?

 

Agreed. Wins over Greb and Wills put him firmly in top 10 all time...