Joe Louis vs Jack Dempsey

I did not know this. When and where did this happen? Any confirmed reports to share?

I did read not all of Louis army exhibitions were easy for him. Ray based on what I've read had speed and power. Louis would need to take he out early, if it goes rounds Ray would get his chance to land.

 

I think using video is best to make your points. And by framing it where lighter punchers on film stunned Louis while nothing of the sort happened to Dempsey proves my point. To me it just makes sense. I've been watching boxing for 35+ years, reading about it, boxed, and have seen tons of films. That's where my opinion comes from.

 

@The Long Count was kind enough to share:

Louis stated, “If Ray shows enough against me in Miami, and if the public thinks he’s a good contender, I’ll be satisfied to have him as a contender for the title.” Ray and Louis were scheduled for their exhibition on January 25, 1949, at Miami’s Orange Bowl. The bout was scheduled for 6 rounds with each round being 2 minutes long with both men wearing 14 oz. gloves. A crowd of 12,211 paid a handsome gate of $35,658.80 to see Ray and Louis in action. From the opening bell, Ray took the fight to Louis and remained the aggressor throughout the bout. Ray bobbed and weaved, slipped and ducked scoring at times but Louis piled up points with his telephone pole of a left jab.

In the last round, they stood and exchanged blows to finish out the fight. Of course, no official decision was made because it was an exhibition but sportswriters did give their scoring of the fight. A poll of sportswriters all agreed Louis had won but Ray had put up an interesting fight. In the end, Louis had some swelling under his left eye while Ray’s right eye was swollen from Louis’ left jabs. Louis laid on a rubbing table, calm, relaxed and ready to answer questions. Someone asked if Ray ever hurt him, Louis replied: “No, he didn’t hurt me. Only landed one good one – a right hand just before the bell. Came up out of that crouch and caught me. But I did what I wanted to. I saw that right of his coming a couple of times and stopped it with a left jab. That Ray shouldn’t have any fat around the middle with all those exercises he does out there.”

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Next door to Louis, Ray was disappointed he couldn’t drop Louis but was happy with his performance. “I think I shook him up a little. I thought the whole fight was about even. It might have been different with lighter gloves…. I tagged him a couple of times,” said Ray. Some of the local papers were impressed with Ray’s showing and they weren’t alone. The Brown Bomber seemed to think Ray put up a good enough performance for another fight too. Ray and Louis met again in February of 1949 in another exhibition, for 4 rounds this time. However, the golden rule of never facing Louis twice was still in effect.

Ray didn’t do as well as he had in their previous bout and a right cross in the 3rd round put him on ***** street. Ray never hit the canvas and there was no count due to the rules in place, but the referee stood between the two for about 8 seconds to make sure he could continue. Ray finished out the fight, but he was disappointed. A week after the exhibition he got a solid win over Sid Peaks, stopping him in the 9th round. Unfortunately, the celebration was short lived.

Two weeks later Ray would lose in a shocking upset to Kid Riviera, followed by a stoppage loss to hard-hitting John Holman. Truth be told, after his loss to Ezzard Charles, he had lost a lot of his desire and motivation to fight. Ray was covered with a blanket of frustration; the end of his fighting career was near and he knew it. Then, just eight days later, the final blow was struck, ending Ray’s boxing career. Ray fought another exhibition with Joe Louis and suffered a concussion when Louis knocked him out in the 4th round. “I ain’t gonna fight no more as long as I got that concussion. I’m through. I’ve just fought too many fights too often recently. I fought a 10-rounder in Miami a week before my last bout
Louis stated, “If Ray shows enough against me in Miami, and if the public thinks he’s a good contender, I’ll be satisfied to have him as a contender for the title.” Ray and Louis were scheduled for their exhibition on January 25, 1949, at Miami’s Orange Bowl. The bout was scheduled for 6 rounds with each round being 2 minutes long with both men wearing 14 oz. gloves. A crowd of 12,211 paid a handsome gate of $35,658.80 to see Ray and Louis in action. From the opening bell, Ray took the fight to Louis and remained the aggressor throughout the bout. Ray bobbed and weaved, slipped and ducked scoring at times but Louis piled up points with his telephone pole of a left jab.

In the last round, they stood and exchanged blows to finish out the fight. Of course, no official decision was made because it was an exhibition but sportswriters did give their scoring of the fight. A poll of sportswriters all agreed Louis had won but Ray had put up an interesting fight. In the end, Louis had some swelling under his left eye while Ray’s right eye was swollen from Louis’ left jabs. Louis laid on a rubbing table, calm, relaxed and ready to answer questions. Someone asked if Ray ever hurt him, Louis replied: “No, he didn’t hurt me. Only landed one good one – a right hand just before the bell. Came up out of that crouch and caught me. But I did what I wanted to. I saw that right of his coming a couple of times and stopped it with a left jab. That Ray shouldn’t have any fat around the middle with all those exercises he does out there.”

[url]Embed from Getty Images[/url]

Next door to Louis, Ray was disappointed he couldn’t drop Louis but was happy with his performance. “I think I shook him up a little. I thought the whole fight was about even. It might have been different with lighter gloves…. I tagged him a couple of times,” said Ray. Some of the local papers were impressed with Ray’s showing and they weren’t alone. The Brown Bomber seemed to think Ray put up a good enough performance for another fight too. Ray and Louis met again in February of 1949 in another exhibition, for 4 rounds this time. However, the golden rule of never facing Louis twice was still in effect.

Ray didn’t do as well as he had in their previous bout and a right cross in the 3rd round put him on ***** street. Ray never hit the canvas and there was no count due to the rules in place, but the referee stood between the two for about 8 seconds to make sure he could continue. Ray finished out the fight, but he was disappointed. A week after the exhibition he got a solid win over Sid Peaks, stopping him in the 9th round. Unfortunately, the celebration was short lived.

Two weeks later Ray would lose in a shocking upset to Kid Riviera, followed by a stoppage loss to hard-hitting John Holman. Truth be told, after his loss to Ezzard Charles, he had lost a lot of his desire and motivation to fight. Ray was covered with a blanket of frustration; the end of his fighting career was near and he knew it. Then, just eight days later, the final blow was struck, ending Ray’s boxing career. Ray fought another exhibition with Joe Louis and suffered a concussion when Louis knocked him out in the 4th round. “I ain’t gonna fight no more as long as I got that concussion. I’m through. I’ve just fought too many fights too often recently. I fought a 10-rounder in Miami a week before my last bout

 

@CharlesBurley,

That was good information. It seems that Ray was indeed worthy of a title shot vs. Louis. I am surprised by Ray's intellect and boxing knowledge, regarding his point that if the gloves were lighter, things could have been different.

 

Well at the end of the day, don't fighters fight to make money? So it would make sense from a business POV that they take on challengers that would provide them with better financial returns. Especially in a sport like boxing that entails so much physical risk and every fight is a potential career ender.

 

FAKE NEWS. We have been over title match purses, and Louis made more vs Walcott than the majority of his title opponents who were white.

 

Yes it made sound business sense.In his autobiography Louis talked about his frustration in not meeting black challengers ,it was he who pressured for the Lewis fight.The problem with a lot on here is you cannot state plain facts without heing accused of ,either having an agenda ,or being a hater.

 

Louis is a class above Dempsey

 

jack moves to good and good at picking shots for joe he loses fast only a idiot picks joe

 

Well there must be a hell of a lot of idiots on here including me

 

facts dont see how a tiptoer catches jack who was good at picking shots vs people who moved bad like joe it's like obvious

 

"Only a idiot", or someone with a second grade (or below) education has grammar this atrocious.

 

wrong to both but for a person who doesnt believe in right or wrong of so called a bad way of talking with words your dumb brainwashing quote doesn't mean nothing to me

but to you can you have the right to say it's bad but like I said it means nothing to me cause I dont follow that type of brainwashed thinking

I talk or spell how I want I have told you idiots that mutiple times why you trolls keep trying to insult me with it is odd

 

Joe Louis with confidence. Louis hit too hard and was to accurate for anyone to go tearing in there like Dempsey did. Those wide hooks of Dempsey's would be an inviting target for the ice cool, never rattled Brown Bomber.