No. Looking at how much criticism Larry Holmes has received for not fighting Greg Page, I can't see how a man who sat on the title for three years fighting NOBODY could possibly rank higher.
Missed the point again, it's a habit with you isn't it. During Dempsey's reign there were only two realistic black challengers ,Wills and Godfrey ,and Godfrey only for the last 2 years.,of Dempsey's reign . Why do you repeat what everybody already knows?:-(
Mc, good points and to add to your post, Dempsey as champion employed George Godfrey along with Big Bll Tate, John Lester Johnson and Clay Turner as chief sparring partners dropping George Godfrey on several occasions. Dempsey always loved the larger, slower big guys . He also years later paid the expenses of Godfrey and John Lester Johnson before they died it is worth noting...Dempsey was not the ogre that just a few uninformed mud slingers MAINLY on this forum try to make him out to be...One more thing Mc. Harry Wills was the only viable black heavyweight during Dempsey's reign 1920-23 as Jack Johnson, Sam Langford, Sam ******* were all pushing in their 40s....There was no "cowardice" on Dempseys part at all. At his best he was the" one "who was feared in spite of naysayers today who distort history of those VERY DIFFERENT TIMES...
Larry Gains was briefly a sparring partner for Dempsey,he said the relief on their faces when they were told they would not be used that day was something to see. Fans today don't always realise in what awe Dempsey was held.
That was New York Evening World and it scored the bout for Dempsey, concluding the report with "It was the consensus of opinion that Dempsey is one of the best white heavyweights seen here in years and should hold his own with any man in the class, barring Willard", hardly fitting Dempsey's usual false recollections (his auto-bios, as interviews to misc sporting writers, and as separate books, contained a lot of BS). Brooklyn Daily Eagle also scored the bout for Dempsey. Naturally pro-black New York Age scored the bout a draw: "The bout was very slow because the men seemed to be afraid of each other. The white man seemed to be the most aggressive of the two. Johnson seemed to be satisfied to be on the defensive all the time and at no time during the fight was either man in any danger. At the end of the tenth round their was little to choose between the two and if there had been a decision rendered it would have been a draw."
I don't see a fighter struggling through a fight with busted ribs as a negative ,on the contrary, I give him credit for carrying on through the pain, I've had cracked ribs they are very painful. Unfortunately the truth often interferes with Mendoza's agenda.
Thanks as always for the extra input.I do like the Brooklyn Daily Eagle for boxing! Was this the match Dempsey was floored several times or was that the one of the Johnny Sudenberg matches? I think Sudenberg was the match where Demsey went down a few times.
Just two ducks from top black fighters. Let's see about that. Based on how he did, I'd say John Lester Johnson deserved a re-match!:deal Did you forget how Dempsey's manager said no Sam Langford because he was " too good " Surely Langford who owns a KO over Godfrey in the 1920's would have been a good choice too!:deal Langford was still good in the until the early 1920's. And what about Kid Norfolk. He only holds a win over Greb, who Dempsey apparently avoided. Possibly Battling Siki too. From 1920, 1921, and 1922 he was a good fighter with a win over Georges Carpentier. You make a useless point about Dempsey sparring were sometimes black as if that matters. Okay, to flip you once again if they were that good, why not give them a title shot one of them?
Dempsey was a kid when his then manager tried to put him in with Langford .You get sillier:-( Langford owns a ko over a novice Godfrey. Wills ko'd Norfolk in2 rds in 1922. What do you think Dempsey would have done to him? Siki? "During this time offers poured in from the United States for the colorful Siki to meet the leading heavyweight contender Harry Wills, middleweight champion Johnny Wilson, and the legendary Harry Greb. Attempts were even made to match Siki with the then reigning heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey." This content is protected Siki in Ireland as described. Seen with Eugene Stuber Instead, Siki signed to defend his title against Irish light heavyweight Mike McTigue on Saint Patrick's Day in Dublin. The bout was controversial and Siki lost his belt on decision and lost the title.[3] This defeat was the first loss in a downward trend of dissipation and poor ring performances suffered by Siki, which culminated in his death a little over a month after his last fight Get serious!atsch
No mention of anything like an injury could be found in next-day New York newspapers or the Salt Lake City ones in the following days.
Nothing extraordinary is mentioned in the wires in two Reno newspapers next-day after the first Suddenberg fight. Nine knockdowns in one round would be mentioned, if they happened. This story may be of McVey-Jeannette and Battling Nelson-Christy Williams kind. Reno Evening Gazette: Dempsey had a slight advantage throughout, according to most experts, and fought like a "comer."
Exactly. The best opponent he beat was Jack Sharkey, who he fouled, in his last win in a very long pro career. Before that it was probably Jess Willard, one of the worst heavyweight titlists in history. Doesn't quite measure up. Buster Douglas beat better heavyweights. (He's not in anyone's top ten all-time.)
