Prime Dempsey v Prime Tunney?

Do a careful search of those first round KO's and see where those guys were coming from. The Fulton victory was excellent, the rest window dressing.

 

The significantly better speed & reflexes alone would favor Dempsey.

The one comment above I differ with is that "very few" would favor prime Marciano over Louis.

No, many do. Louis himself would not pick an outcome, & hated swarmers.

Rocky improved like most fighters after he won the title, perfecting his crouching style.

Louis was clearly better overall & against all comers.
I do not know if he beats the very greatest swarmers that he is better than overall though. Frazier, Rocky, & Tyson (not strictly a warmer I know).

I do tend to pick him over Dempsey. Enough of a skills & endurance gap.

 

Who exactly were these soft touches?

While he missed a couple of key contenders, the guys he was fighting were definitely legit challengers for the most part.

I would have to say that you are presenting his career in a highly misleading light here.

 

Dempsey takes him out. No doubt about that.

Jack was finished for those last 3 fights. Both Tunney fights had to be fought at 10 rounds. They knew he wasn't in any condition to be in the ring any longer. 10 round title fights weren't allowed in NY so the fight had to travel to Philly and Chicago.

After losing he got his ass handled to him by Sharkley and won by fluke. Those fights were only put on for the million dollar gate they were guaranteed to make.
As shot as Dempsey was , he was robbed out of a knock out win second time against Tunney.

Prime Jack was a different animal. Tunney gets cut down.

 

Still Tunney... The fights were so one sided I can't see how Dempsey being younger is going to shift such lopsided wins.

 

This again:deal

 

I don't know... something like this...

Al Norton KO1. Norton had won 1 fight in his last 6.
Miller KO 1. 4 losses in previous 6 fights.
Flynn again. 5 losses in previous 6.
Saddy KO 1. 1 fight veteran.
Riley KO 1. 0-3 record
Ketchell KO2. 0-4 record
Pelkey KO1. Name fighter but had 4 losses in his last 6.
McCarthey KO1. 0-1 record
Porky Flynn KO1. Lost previous 9 fights.
Fulton KO1. A QUALITY WIN. PERHAPS THE BEST OF HIS CAREER.
Moran KO1. 3-6 record, lost previous 3.
Carl Morris KO1. Another name fighter, but one who had lost 4 of his previous 6.
Gunboat Smith KO1. Another name fighter, but one who had not gotten a victory in 8 fights.
McGuire, Hurley and Harris. All KO1. Combined record of 0-2.

 

Boxrec must relay have been on the ball back then!

The truth is that you don't have a clue what these fighters actual records were, and neither does anybody else alive today.

 

How was one of them even considered a fighter without a fight? (you listed 3 fighters as a combined 0-2)

 

I think the key would be what rules they'd be fighting under. Prior to the Tunney fights a fighter could loom over an opponent and essentially hit him as he was raising, this was a hell of an advantage for a puncher, relative to the later rule where he had to go to a neutral corner.

 

Tunneys prime legs beat Dempsey's old rusted up legs. That's it . He knew he couldn't tangle , even with a restaurateur version of Dempsey. And that Dempsey still put him away for a 16 second count.

Tunney would have to choice but to rattle with a prime Jack.

 

So, you propose that formerly name fighters like Pelkey, Morris, Flynn, Moran and Smith- all known entities- had collective scores of fights that went unreported in newspapers and which againt the trend of those fights recorded were predominantly wins, and even important wins? This is the far flung proposition your logic begs.

And by the way, if you do the research, you find that almost all these fights were reported in depth and weeks in anticipation. Those reports show guys like Pelkey and Morris as being unreliable, used up fighters on the slide

 

I think Tunney's style and movement would give Dempsey trouble no matter what time they fought. Now I am not saying Tunney wins this one sided, or Dempsey catches Tunney. Gene did have a great chin though, so I don't see Tunney getting knockout.

 

I like a prime Dempsey , like the guy that fought Carpentier .. if you watch the Tunney fights and slow them down it is amazing how many times Dempsey just missed by a fraction .. this was with shot legs ..

 

Tunney might not knock Dempsey on his butt this time, but I think he wins a close hard fought decision.