Jack Dempsey vs. Jack Johnson

And Gibbons was KO'd how many times in his career? Try once in a 106 matches. So Dempsey did not KO Gibbons. He won rather easily, which is something Johnson could not say in quite of few of his title matches vs lesser opponents.

Dempsey was easily meaner and far more destructive than Johnson was in the ring. But I suppose Johnson flawless defense, that saw him getting out hustled by the likes of Marvin Hart, losing by a shade according to the press to a past his prime O’Brien, floored by a crude middle weight Ketchel, beaten but lucked into a draw vs Jim Johnson, and near even with the likes of a Frank Moran, means the mauler would not land a glove on Johnson!

PS: I doubt you have all the footage on Dempsey. I have him sparring on film with lower weight fighters. I have him in a rare exhibition match vs Levinsky. Collectors had a different version of the Willard film which runs at a smoother speed, and the un-edited Fripo match, but like you said I'm sure you have ever bit of footage on Dempsey available as claimed.

 

I have him sparring with Paul Getty hows that? Charlie Chaplin, and Douglas Fairbanks,Jack Delaney. all from a Black hawk news reel.I have three versions of the Willard fight the latest on dvd shows much more clearly the damage to Willards face,you can even see the welts on his body.Have you seen Dempsey sparring with Baer and Schmeling? I have.

 

Yes, I have seen Demspey with Baer, Schmeling, Chaplin, and Delaney. Not Fairbamks as far as I know. Also vs Tate.

 

Tate is available on You Tube,there is a rumour that a sparring session with Loughran was filmed , not confirmed though.

 

Johnson wouldnt of even lived with jeffries if the fight would of taken place in his prime. People rate that fight against jeffries sometimes as proff of his greatness. But using that king of anology trever berbick was the greatest ever fighter in the top division for disposing of ali

 

Dempsey All The Way

 

I'd like to hear your views as to why. My initial reaction said Dempsey but maybe you can persuade me otherwise?

 

I think everyone on this Forum knows that Jeffries was a shell of the fighter he had been ,however we are discussing Dempsey not Jeffries.

 

I think Dempsey was the better fighter head to head, but Johnson would have the style to bother him. They were both excellent in the clinches. While Johnson would be able to neutralize Dempsey a lot of the time in close, Dempsey would still be doing considerable damage with his short hooks. I'd imagine this fight would be pretty boring, with a lot of clinching, so it would come down to who could do more damage inside and who was more active. My vote is Dempsey, as I rate him the better in-fighter and puncher and think he'd be busier and push the fight most of the time. While Johnson would have success in the clinches, he'd find himself out-gunned on the inside. I think Dempsey'd get cut up pretty bad, I also think that each one would score a KD at some point. I vote Dempsey by close, ugly Decision victory.

 

Dempsey came out flaming from the opening bell. I think the shock of his early attack overwhelmed older fighters schooled in the waltz around and feel them out for a few rounds tweny-round era. Jack Johnson fought at the deliberate pace of that older era. If Johnson is still there in the second or the third round, I think he wins. I figure Johnson handles Dempsey inside and punishes him with uppercuts. Even the bloody and battered Willard held his own with Dempsey inside and rocked him with an uppercut.

Johnson by decision or late ko.

I would really like to see this one.

 

Jack Johnson slower paced? Jack Johnson had footwork and defensive skills that are grossly underappreciated. Pound for pound he's one of the fastest heavyweights aside from Ali and I think he'd win, prime for prime against Dempsey by a unanimous decision. People forget that he was way ahead of his time and only given opportunities when he was nearly past his prime.

 

This match would esentialy pit the best pure ofensive heavyweight of all time against the best pure defensive heavyweight of all time.

Who would prevail?

Hard to say.

We know exactly how good Dempsey was but we dont quite know all the subtlties of Johnsons technique in my opinion. It is these subtlties on the inside which are almost impossible to make out on film which would win it for Johnson if he were able to win it.

 

"You can have your cake ,and eat it too" . Bob Dylan.

 

dempsey couldnt ko gibbons because for a big part of the fight gibbons wanted to leave extremly bad.back peddlin,holdin,back pedlin,and if this fight were in johnsons era johnson would get severly beaten by dempseys superior inside tactics like rabbit punches,kidney shots,groin shots,and many more leagal inside shots that johnson simply couldnt handle this wasnt a starving farmer-shell of the real jeffries this was the peak tyson of the 20,s my point is if in johnsons era refs were more blind which would benifit the rutheless animal dempsey was

 

Well what's the point of buying a cake if not to eat it?