Most overrated old-timer?

The bottom line is that I dont know whether Dempsey took a dive against Flyn or not.

What I do know is that there is enough circumstantial evidence to render this fight verry questionable. It should be regarded in the same light as Clay Liston II, eg with suspicion.

 

Bert Sugar's all time heavyweight ratings are rather unjustified in my opinion. Dempsey is at #3, while Lennox Lewis is at #19. Ezzard Charles ( a former middleweight) is at #7, with only 4 title defenses, and who's best win was over an aging Louis. Holyfield, I think is around 14 or thereabouts. These ratings are terrible.

 

Muhamad Ali looked useless against Leon Spinks.

Is this a good barometer of how a modern skilled fighter would handel him?

Come to that how could you actualy improve Dempsey technicaly given his style?

 

Do you think they would?

If you were training say Frazier or Hollyfield to fight Dempsey what strategy would you advise him to implement?

If they loose you dont get paid.

 

True. But it didn't stop Louis being 20-1 a few times or Tunney being 15-1 against Tom Heeney in 1928.*





* Probably because Dempsey was in Heeney's corner. :hey

 

honestly fellas yall are probably pulling names out of the air .how would any of us even have a clue to this question.

 

Ali had had numerous battles that resulted in him being in the condition he is today...still, he adapted for the rematch, while Dempsey was far fresher in 1926 having just taken the **** out of the heavyweight title for the past seven years. When he did rematch Gene he landed one decent combo- but generally looked inept again. Dempsey's weaknesses? Well, Tunney's overhand right didn't miss too much when they fought and Gibbons with a bit more power could have caused the upset. But Dempsey weakness when comparing head-to-head with latter day fighters is his skinny 185lb frame.

 

That's the thing, it's Dempsey popularity that enhances his statud. Yes, he's a legendary name and was great for boxing, but if he'd been Belgian he 'might' just crawl into the Top 20...whereas, Louis or Ali would be 1 and 2 no matter what.

 

Dempsey had power in fists, blazing hand speed, and a killer instinct that was off the charts. I’d like to see anyone old timer on film that rivaled Dempsey here. I’ve seen them all on film. They do not exist. Dempsey in his prime was a hurricane confined in squared circle. I do not think Dempsey is over rated unless someone is saying he's a top 2 all time heavyweight in a head to head sense. While Dempsey’s opposition wasn’t the best as champion, historians tend to ignore his pre-title work, and what he did to his opposition.

Fan friendly styles, and what the fighter meant to an era have a lot to do with a fighters legacy sense.

 

Anyone of those men, would be favorites over Dempsey. Holmes would have outboxed him in a one sided chess match. Frazier would have cut him up with the left hook, and dazzled him with his handspeed. Holyfield would have endured his power for the first several rounds before wearing him down and finishing him.

 

Prime Dempsey and the Tyson that fought Holyfield are entirly different.