Suppose Tunney was counted out in the rematch with Jack Dempsey. Would there have been a rubber match? Or would Dempsey still have retired, realizing his skills had deteriated. Would Dempsey's legacy greatly improved as being the first man to regain the Heavyweight Championship?
I take Tunney's word that he was taking advantage of the extra seconds to arise from the knockdown, and could have gotten up sooner than he did had there been no long count..I believe he could and would have, and that he would have eluded Dempsey's follow up charge just the same and would have won regardless.
