Jack Dempsey's opinions on Muhammad Ali

Yes, Dempsey after retirement never said negative opinions of
succeeding heavyweight champions but once he when asked about Cassius Clay, stated that ,"I would love to catch Clay
with a left hook while he was bouncing in mid air". And on the tv program What's My Line, Dempsey when asked about the first Ali/ Liston fight exclaimed doubt of it's authenticity...

 

hes clearly lying since he drew the colour line.

Demps should have stopped talking shyte and admitted he'd not have given ali a title shot on account of his acceptance of racism back in the day.

Would be awesome seeing guys who accepted the colour line being taken apart on talk shows today.

 

In all fairness, he employed plenty of black folks and seemed down right progressive in interviews considering where and when he came from.

I think the majority of the blame for the Wills debacle rests on Rickard.

 

Dempsey said a lot of good things about Ali's boxing ability and positive impact on boxing in 1967 when Ali was stripped of the title and lost his licence.
Dempsey thought it was a real shame that Ali wouldn't be fighting. He was impressed with Ali in the 1960s.

On the other hand, I read a quote where Dempsey criticised Ali and the opponent in either his fight with Ron Lyle (1975) or perhaps Norton (1976), for doing nothing with his hands held up leaning against the ropes.

His judgment was good in both cases.

 

Dempsey had plenty of negative things to say about Floyd Patterson.
He wrote an article for Boxing and Wrestling Magazine (May, 1957) entitled "The Crown Doesn't Fit Floyd Patterson". In it, he called Patterson a paperweight champion, among other things.

 

To be fair, Patterson had likely just fought Rademacher!

Early in his reign, that would have merited criticism.

 

Patterson didn't do much better than that throughout his reign.

Dempsey's opinion of Patterson was shared with most people, at the time.
It took the advent of these kind of forums, full of people who don't really remember him, to make Patterson into an ATG.

 

To be fair to this forum, 70% of what we rate him on, happened after he lost the title.

Loosing the title was almost a blessing for him, given his policy!

 

I think you make a good point.

 

good point that's fair enough, but he didn't fight blacks for the title and that means hes not going to be able to hit ali in a matchup.

 

It is you who in your holiness is spouting garbage about Jack Dempsey who unbeknownst to politically correct people like you fought black fighters, like John Lester Johnson, employed black sparring mates like Big Bill Tate, George Godfrey and others, paid for old John Lester Johnson's nursing home bills, gave George Godfrey much needed funds before the ailing Godfrey died, and in retirement Jack Dempsey was a beloved figure
in society til the day he died. So HG, I hope you got your rocks off demeaning a fine man who can no longer defend himself ,
Go worship your idols,and tear apart with lies a fine decent man who was a beloved figure by blacks, and whites til the day he died. I should know as I was around most of Dempsey's retirement days and NEVER read the poisoness bile you and some other posters utter on ONLY ESB. Enjoy your hatred...

 

Dempsey was nothing but a strong brawler. He won the championship against a very unschooled champion seldom defending the title untill Tunney whupped him. The 14 seconds Tunney spend on the floor gave Dempsey the symphaty he never had during his reign as champion. Based on his own career achievement he should´nt critisize Patterson ot Ali.

 

not for the title, which is what I stipulated.

So why have you chosen to lie?

tell me why you are mentioning nontitle fights.



I am simply saying he would never have fought champion ali, so its churlish for hmi to claim he'd lay him out.

 

Your a fool and a naïve to think that if Jack dempsey was champion 45 years later than his reign he would have refused to fight a black contender as a Clay/ Ali or a Joe Frazer etc, when
things had changed so radically in America. Jack Dempsey was a product of his time as millions of other Americans were, no more and no less. Jack Johnson refused to give top black heavyweights a title shot for whatever reasons your holiness. My favourite heavyweight the immortal Joe Louis COULD but DID NOT give a money shot to a few deserving black heavyweights who were much better than some of his white victims, but aside from his pal the semi blind John Henry Lewis, Joe Louis's braintrust
chose NOT TO as the risk was not worth the reward. Managerial decision...So sir, because Jack Dempsey who had some Indian blood mixed in him, signed but never fought Harry Wills who was deserving of a shot, is TAINTED by true haters as you as being a
pardon the expression a "racist" whilst others you ignore get a
pass shows me that YOU are the true BIASED one. I'm too old and saw too much in my life to ignore your true purpose, which
is to ream a great fighter and fine gentleman like Jack Dempsey.
I hope you enjoy your false hatred of a decent man who no longer can defend himself...ENJOY.atsch