Respectfully the great poster Dempsey1234 has passed if you haven’t been informed or are aware, it seems to me in poor taste to bring him up in an internet argument now.
He had a fine reputation as a trainer may he RIP. Perhaps this 8 years old thread will now be allowed to follow him?
No disrespect was intended on my part. The man had an excellent reputation among boxers. If my comment was misinterpreted I am sincerely sorry for it. I did not get on with the man,but I certainly would not have wished him any ill will,and I regret his passing.
McVey, Dempsey1234 was a close, personal friend of mine. He would be flattered that this thread is still being debated. God bless.
Interesting quote on weight and old time fights. 'As Iong as there are weights agreed upon or boxing contests just so Iong there wiII be ways and devices to fooI the scaIes. I don't know just when the first trick was worked upon the weights, but I'II just bet a IittIe money it was within a month after oId time boxers began to make matches at any stated number of rounds. The tricks and dodges by which men try to fooI their adversaries on the weight question are aImost innumerabIe, and some of them are reaIIy cIassy in their styIe and execution. OIdest of aII and one that is stiII tried, but seIdom worked successfuIIy, is the trick of putting a wad of gum on the underside of the one hundred pound weight. That used to fooI many greenhorns and sIeepers, but nowadays no boxer goes to the scaIe without first grabbing the weight and inspecting the under side. When this dodge began to faiI they fiIIed the hoIes in the bottom of the weight with shoemaker's bIack wax, trusting to the stuff to harden and Iook enough like the Iead or iron to pass inspection. That went for a time, but now a boxer wiII dig into the hoIes with his finger naiIs, and there is a sweII row if he finds any wax therein. One manager I knew Iong ago had a speciaI one hundred pound weight made for him, with every detaiI correct, but so fiIIed with Iead that it was eight pounds to the bad. If a man weighing 140 pounds was weighed with that disc of iron his poundage registered just 132. See the idea? This manager had it soft for a Iong time.' - Abe AtteII