Some questions about Jack Dempsey and Lennox Lewis

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by McGrain, Oct 14, 2008.


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  1. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    In Britain at least the feeling in the press was that Tyson was the only thing he had left unfinished.

    After the Tyson fight I remember a sporting correspondant saying:

    "There are not many potential oponents left. There is Chris Byrd who some have acused him of avoiding. There is this guy called Klitschko (not sure which) who is a Ukranian working out of Germany. Apart from that he is rounding up the best of a weak bunch."
     
    janitor, Oct 14, 2008
    janitor, Oct 14, 2008
    #31
  2. ChrisPontius

    ChrisPontius March 8th, 1971 Full Member

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    Wladimir wasn't very well known at the time, but he was ranked #1 by Ring Magazine during all that time, nonetheless. And if that reporter had watched his fights, they'd know why.
     
    ChrisPontius, Oct 14, 2008
    ChrisPontius, Oct 14, 2008
    #32
  3. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Point well made about hiding behind managment. If Floyd Patterson can rid himself of Cus to get the fight he wanted (Liston) then Jack could certainly have forced fights with Wills or Greb.


    Agreed about Wills validity over Greb's, but these things are relative. Even if the sparring sessions are BS (and they seem to be otherwise), Greb has a chance. What chance did Carpantier, a smaller, whiter man, have? Next to none. So Dempsey fights Carpantier and not little Harry.


    I'm not going to quote the whole post, but it's a good one. Word up.
     
    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    #33
  4. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Absolutley agree with this.

    But it should be said, being able to keep yourself out of the way of harm is perhaps more important than a granite chin.
     
    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    #34
  5. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    I don't think it matters what social impact a fighter makes or how famous he is. It matters who he beat and how he did it.

    James Toney is a poster boy in general but most of these guys don't know who Holman Williams is. That's not a criticism, they are just more interested in modern boxing with colour film, which is fine. But regardless of these other cold hard facts Williams is the better fighter, the greater fighter, he beat more men who were better fighter and he achieved less. When I see Toney above him on any given list it makes me want to cry.
     
    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    #35
  6. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    #36
  7. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Another fair point, but I have similair memories to Janitor. There was a sense of "who the **** is this guy" where Wlad was concerned at that time. And when Lewis lost to Rahman, there was already a talk of the Tyson shot. Rahman II, Tyson, and then the second best HW in the world, possibly, then retirement. Hard to be overly critical.
     
    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    McGrain, Oct 14, 2008
    #37
  8. Russell

    Russell Loyal Member Full Member

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    I wonder if Wladimir's near back to back losses during those years might of been to laziness/disinterest due to not being able to get that big money fight against Lennox, and kind of wallowing about.

    That coupled with potential overconfidence seemed to get him in trouble there for a while.
     
    Russell, Oct 14, 2008
    Russell, Oct 14, 2008
    #38
  9. fists of fury

    fists of fury Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Meant to come back to this ages ago, and forgot to.

    In this instance, I was relating to Jack's prowess in the ring which more or less made him a cultural phenomenon. Yes he engaged in publicity stunts of course, but his fame was due to the kind of fighter he was, would you not agree?
    I think my earlier post explains my position regarding this, so there's no need to go over it again here.

    Holman Williams...well, that's something else again. I think I'm correct in saying no fight film exists of him? He was just unfortunate to come around at a time when talented black fighters where a dime a dozen, and hardly in vogue to start with. No marketability whatsoever. A shame, but I'm sure there were many good black fighters from the period we'll never even know the names of.
     
    fists of fury, Oct 16, 2008
    fists of fury, Oct 16, 2008
    #39
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