Young Mike Tyson vs prime Jess Willard

True, I missed the Prime part.

BTW
When exactly did Willard go past his prime, as soon as he lost to Dempsey or just before he fought Firpo? I mean, he knocked out Johnson just before fighting Firpo. That was only four years after the Dempsey fight. The same year he fought Firpo.

 

Didn't Dempsy repeatedly floor him during the first round before the TKO in that round?

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The gloves and knockdown rule probably helped Dempsey take him out quicker too.

Under modern rules and equipment he would last longer against Tyson but likely get finished by 7 like you said.

 

He was past his prime after the 4 year absence from the ring after defeating Jack Johnson.
But he was still a really good fighter after the Dempsey bout, a former world champion.

 

He fought Johnson AFTER the four years absence not before. Right after defeating Johnson he fought Firpo in that same year-1923. So if he was still a good fighter when he fought Johnson, as you just claimed, but not when he fought Firpo-that means that he became not a good fighter in a few months. Right?

Excuse me but:

 

Lol that's Floyd Johnson, not Jack Johnson.

 

Obviously since it happened four years after he lost to Dempsey and he fought Dempsey after defeating Jack Johnson. LOL!

 

No, I didn't say he wasn't a good fighter when he fought Firpo.
I said he was past his prime.

But with that attitude, no thanks.

 

If you meant did Dempsey stop Willard in the same round he knocked him down rad, no, he lasted another couple of rounds before he didn't come out for the 4 th.

 

Willard's redneck a$$ doesn't make it out of the first round.

 

He had bet $10,000 that he would. I always wondered why he had fought like there was no tomorrow in that first round.

 

Perhaps Dempsey smells blood. He circles a little, like a shark, then goes in for the kill. From that first kd Jack would have known he had the championship in the bag.

 

He also smells the amount of money he would lose if he didn't do it in the first round.

 

But he didn't lose in terms of setting up as a legend. That fight made his name. And was one of the most exciting title wins I've ever seen imo.

 

True, that's exactly the fight that made him a legend-especially since there was that great size difference between them and Willard had just defeated the great Jack Johnson who had previously seemed unbeatable.

BTW
10,000 dollars back then was worth much more than it is today so the monetary loss involved was considerable. He must have been fuming inside saying:

"Why cant't this SOB just stay down! Dam it!" Lol!

That bet also called into question whether Dempsey had loaded gloves: