Top 10 heavies: Social impact

Sinatra would probably be a better comparison. He was probably almost as popular as Elvis, but Elvis brought with him a new way for a generation to view themselves. He more or less heralded the start of a mass youth culture. Dempsey had no such social impact.

 

Define "social impact" or "actual impact" then.

Dempsey had a massive impact in society. Social impact. Not just being famous. I think I've outlined that he represents a leap in sporting stardom and the commercial side of sport (absolutely measurably in actual monetary terms), and broadened out the audience of boxing (a newly legalized sport, no less) tremendously, and spectator sports in general.

Ali's actual impact is actually on similar terms to Dempsey's, but he did in internationally, and on colour TV.

 

Obviously he didn't have the same social impact as Elvis. If he had, then Elvis wouldn't have had an impact at all.

But he stands, along with Babe Ruth, as a new level of sporting star/hero.
And, far more so than Babe Ruth, he represented a rise in the commercial potential of sports - as a unparrallelled box-office attraction and earner.
Professional sports in now a multi-billion dollar sector - this isn't superficial impact I'm talking about. This is economics and culture. Dempsey was a key player.

 

That's why I think Sinatra is a better comparison. You could say all the same things about him as a singer/showman.

Elvis had an impact beyond this kind of popularity - as had Johnson, Louis and Ali.

 

I've read the book, Kasia Boddy, a good read. Not read the Johnson one.

I don't see how Dempsey's impact wasn't present in "wider society".
I don't see how boosting sports as a massive commercial enterprise and as integral aspect of modern western cultural is NOT having a wide impact.

Johnson's impact is related to issues of injustice, liberation, race politics, equality, prejudice.

Dempsey's relates to mainstream culture, leisure, commerce, capitalism, consumerism, enterprise and entertainment economics.

 

isn't ali the most photographed person ever? he cut through to everyone not only boxing.

 

For example, the concept of radio entertainment was demonstrated by the broadcast of the Dempsey-Carpentier fight.
Thousands of people convened in the streets to to listen to radio hook-ups of the fight.
RCA began manufacturing home radio sets on the strength of this, and had sold $83 million worth within 3 years.
Radio became the medium of entertainment and advertising for the next 30+ years.
Dempsey played his part.

 

Times Square on the day of a Dempsey fight. Crowds awaiting news.

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Tigers are ****ing badass. It just have to be said.

 

You quote two people's views on Jack Johnson - one of whom (Reinford), admittedly I've never even heard of - who make some claims about Johnson. Soundbites of literary intellectuals need to be backed up by something more substantial. "Commentary" on Johnson's impact doesn't pass for actual social impact that you've been promising.
I might as well quote one of the Dempsey-phile literary writers waxing poetic on him being the embodiment of the American Dream or the symbol of the roaring twenties where the wild west meets modern industrial society etc, etc. That's akin to what you've provided with Johnson.

You reduce my example down to Dempsey "being on the radio".
You, quite fairly, describe Radio's rise as "inevitable". But the same can be said of any social progress that you might care to link Johnson's career to too.

For the record, I believe Johnson and Dempsey both had massive social impact.