John Lester Johnson - Jack Dempsey put to rest

Well, three more wins over three good challengers should be better than a long lay-off, yes.

But whether his legacy would 'stand up to scrutiny' I don't know. It depends who is doing the scrutinizing.
Joe Louis beat a challenger a month and not everyone accepts that as a good thing.

 

And that's all i'm saying, rather than actively pursue those legacy enhancing fights he actively pursued a rampage through hollywood. That's what intrigues me.

Only surface gazing idiots think louis's resume doesn't stand up to scrutiny. The amount of top 3 challengers he defeated speaks volumes of his dominance.

The two significant men he could have fought but didn't (ray and bivins) both experienced their best years whilst he serving in the war.

As far as i'm concerned all a man can do is unify the title claims and beat the best available opposition. That's something louis definitely did. It's something I don't think jack did, fighting those 3 named would certainly qualify as doing so.

 

Well, he did a lot of fighting in his life. Possibly had hundreds of fights.

And he had one of the strongest 'legacies' of any sportsman in history.

I'd be more surprised or intrigued if I knew Dempsey had pursued extra fights because he felt his "legacy" needed "enhancing". Especially against fighters who all would have been considered clear underdogs against him anyway.

He was a familar example of the 'hungry fighter' who couldn't maintain the 'eye of the tiger' forever in the face of such such wealth, success and high living (which is the dream of every hungry fighter to begin with).

 

Amen to what you post LX...:good:good:good

 

I have another week yet, next wednesday they come back to my school, I have the two days prior as teacher training days.

 

So you'd be more surprised had he found it beneficial to fight guys who at the very worst where classed as the top two contenders of their colour? Then I guess we're at an impasse because that's what it comes down to for me. The fact he had 3 men willing to fight him, all of whom he was a favourite to beat and all of whom would have led to a claim of him dominating his era, all this whilst in his prime. That's why it intrigues me, if it doesn't you, then as I say, we're at an impasse.

As a footnote, I appreciate the way you actually address my points, rather than get caught up in the generic hoo-hah of dempsey and gone into a blind rage like other's have, you've actually debated the points I was making, I like it when that happens. I'm not a dempsey hater by any stretch, he's a clear great by any standards and he looks like a beast in his victories. As I say, i'm just intrigued by his choices. :good

 

That's the spirit :good

 

Those aren't merely three "good" challengers. Those were his two best potential opponents and the names which keep him from being considered a dominant champion.

At the end of the day, with modern perspective, he is a top 20 heavyweight towards the farther end of that spectrum, but that's about it. Wax poetic as you many, that is the truth.

 

Well, you might as well claim all three.
The Harry Greb thing has been slipped in as a recent addition on top of Harry Wills, so you might as well champion the worth of Kid Norfolk while you are at it.

:good

Revisionism at its finest.

 

Greb was the top white challenger, no doubt.

Wills and Norfolk were the top two coloured challengers, no doubt.

that's why the 3 victories enhance his legacy.

 

And I suppose it's revisionism the ways that Colonial conquests, the annihilation of Native Americans or slavery are taught in school today as opposed to how they were in the 1950's? Time gives historical perspective.

But if people want to believe that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree, so be it...

 

S, taking pot shots of America from [according to your avater] a country that gave us the "conquistadors' that decimated much of the Mexican cultures is hypocritical of you to sat the least...So damn easy to take sniper shots from afar...You are not really interested in boxing lore, but
to push your agenda from a place you choose to snipe from, thinking no one is aware of your game...Every culture has blame to share..It is called progress....Let us stick to boxing if you can...Cheers...
P.S. No other forum has become as politicized as ESB....To shame :hi:

 

Ya know the poor old mauler champ went through hell when his restaurant closed up shop. Lotta sad stories!