One century ago today: William Harrison "Manassa Mauler" Dempsey vs. Georges "Orchid Man" Carpentier

This content is protected

Guess the statute of limitations on calling it the "FOTC" (as it was billed contemporaneously) has officially run out.

Boxing's first million dollar gate.

Vertigo-inducing to process the fact that the Manassa Mauler aka Jack aka Kid Blackie was still alive when I was born - and the Orchid Man only fell short by seven years himself! Both were kayoed by heart failure, as octogenarians. In a sport where too many shuffle off the mortal coil prematurely, nice to know that a pair of icons enjoyed decades of retirement - and even nicer that for the rest of their lives they remained friends.

Actual fight timestamps:

Round 1 bell - 36:26
Round 2 bell - 41:20
Round 3 bell - 46:43
Round 4 bell - 52:11
Résiliation (knockdown #1) - 54:58

Quality is poor, be forewarned (that is, of the video - I'm not passing comment on the stylistic mechanics of yesteryear. Some might look at it and scoff comparing their skills unfavorably with the modern game, but it was a different era with a greater emphasis on infighting, more akin to what is today called "dirty boxing" in MMA; current top light heavies/cruisers/bridgers/heavies would very likely find themselves hopelessly frustrated and ineffectualized in Dempsey's & Carpentier's world under then-allowed rule-sets).

 

@McGrain, since you're mucking about online (in the lounge at that, so not up to anything terribly pressing ) you mind cross-pollinating this and perhaps my thread on Toney into Classic?

Yer a prince!

 

Nah, was thinking do the select all posts/copy to forum trick. If you don't mind. I sometimes like to get the dual perspective going from both crowds.

 

Ha! Slapped down, no quarter given to a man's OCD.

Fair.