Who had a Better Resume? Mike Tyson or Jack Dempsey?

[billeau2]

One of the pleasurable experiences I have had as an adult was/is to see things come together for fellow New Yorka Mike Tyson. As he comes into his own, and history starts to take a closer look at Mike some things stand out:

Mike was feared in the ring... Those of us watching him back then would really wonder if anyone would ever beat him... I did not understand boxing then as much as I do these days... still long way to go hehe. But Mike appeared as close to unbeatable as Neptune when he challenged Sponge Bob to a fry cook contest!

Mike loved and followed the sport of boxing. And one person he seemed to gravitate towards was jack Dempsey. Thing is people often talk about Tyson imitating Dempsey, no socks... etc... with a smirk and a condescending "aww isn't that cute!" But Mike did far more than ape Dempsey's fashion sense...Tyson progressively used many of jack's combos, footwork (including the pivot), and other good habits.

Some would say Tyson was an improvement. With more footwork, faster feet, more power. Others maintain the opposite. But what about resume? Which fighter had a better resume and why? I will work my opinion in later in the thread.

[markusmod]

One of the pleasurable experiences I have had as an adult was/is to see things come together for fellow New Yorka Mike Tyson. As he comes into his own, and history starts to take a closer look at Mike some things stand out:

Mike was feared in the ring... Those of us watching him back then would really wonder if anyone would ever beat him... I did not understand boxing then as much as I do these days... still long way to go hehe. But Mike appeared as close to unbeatable as Neptune when he challenged Sponge Bob to a fry cook contest!

Mike loved and followed the sport of boxing. And one person he seemed to gravitate towards was jack Dempsey. Thing is people often talk about Tyson imitating Dempsey, no socks... etc... with a smirk and a condescending "aww isn't that cute!" But Mike did far more than ape Dempsey's fashion sense...Tyson progressively used many of jack's combos, footwork (including the pivot), and other good habits.

Some would say Tyson was an improvement. With more footwork, faster feet, more power. Others maintain the opposite. But what about resume? Which fighter had a better resume and why? I will work my opinion in later in the thread.

A lot more names on the resume of Tunney in comparison to Tyson's.

[QueensburyRules]

One of the pleasurable experiences I have had as an adult was/is to see things come together for fellow New Yorka Mike Tyson. As he comes into his own, and history starts to take a closer look at Mike some things stand out:

Mike was feared in the ring... Those of us watching him back then would really wonder if anyone would ever beat him... I did not understand boxing then as much as I do these days... still long way to go hehe. But Mike appeared as close to unbeatable as Neptune when he challenged Sponge Bob to a fry cook contest!

Mike loved and followed the sport of boxing. And one person he seemed to gravitate towards was jack Dempsey. Thing is people often talk about Tyson imitating Dempsey, no socks... etc... with a smirk and a condescending "aww isn't that cute!" But Mike did far more than ape Dempsey's fashion sense...Tyson progressively used many of jack's combos, footwork (including the pivot), and other good habits.

Some would say Tyson was an improvement. With more footwork, faster feet, more power. Others maintain the opposite. But what about resume? Which fighter had a better resume and why? I will work my opinion in later in the thread.

- - Poor example, and since you're so Kerouac/Ginsberg sensitive, gonna have to nail it to your front door Martin Luther style.

Dempsey like Tyson turned pro as teens, difference being Dempsey had no decent manager and trainer for his early career that drifted significantly.

Tyson had incredible support from a HOF stable of Cus, Cayton, and Jacobs who were able to fast track him to Berbick and the WBC belt.

Here at the same age as the 20 yr old Tyson, Dempsey won the World LH title, ie Alhambra Theater, Ogden W-PTS 10/10, ref: Tom Painter

Billed for the World Light Heavyweight Title, https://boxrec.com/en/event/11611/17563

Most probable comparisons to Tyson would be Joe Louis, Ali, Wlad, and now AJ who has yet to finish his career at age 32.

Go git'em Tiger!

[JAB5239]

Dempsey didn't fight in the era of multiple titles, so he didn't have the same luxury as Tyson in unifying them.

At a glance Dempseys resume looks better but most of his great wins were over lightheavyweights. That a Wills fight never happened hurts his ledger in my opinion.

Tysons resume is often thought of as weak, but he cleared out the ABC titlists and beat the lineal champion and a past prime concensus top five all time great heavyweight. Mike also fought other all te heavies in Holyfield and Lewis, though losing.

Personally i see Tyson as having the better resume, but thats just an opinion.

[Dr. Z]

Better resume? I lean toward Tyson. Dempsey did not fight Harry Wills, or Harry Greb, and he should have. What left is the heavyweights of 1914-1927, not a great group. Tyson fought and beat better competition and shined better as champion by blowing everybody out. Dempsey as champion was down a bit and behind on the cards, and had a tough match in three separate instances and I'm not talking about the Tunney fights, as Champion.

[QueensburyRules]

Better resume? I lean toward Tyson. Dempsey did not fight Harry Wills, or Harry Greb, and he should have. What left is the heavyweights of 1914-1927, not a great group. Tyson fought and beat better competition and shined better as champion by blowing everybody out. Dempsey as champion was down a bit and behind on the cards, and had a tough match in three separate instances and I'm not talking about the Tunney fights, as Champion.

- - Your chance to to tutor us the poor, bedraggled, unwashed rubes, so pray tell let the tutelage begin!

[mrbig1]

I too have to go with Tyson. Tex Rickard once said that he could make the fight with Wills because he didn't want a second Johnson Jefferies fight. I don't know if I believe him, but that fight was only was only 10 - 12 years earlier.

[GhostofDempsey]

I would rank them about even in resume. One thing to consider is how they matched up against their respective opponents in size and experience. Dempsey was not much bigger than a Light Heavy, he would have been a cruiserweight today, or more than likely an MMA fighter. Each of them came up short against their primary nemesis--Dempsey v Tunney and Tyson v Holyfield. Dempsey had a lot of inactivity and a long count that went against him and could be argued for a possible victory, Tyson was both physically and mentally defeated by Holyfield--but Holyfield aka "Evan Fields" as we know was a drug cheat. How much of an edge did that give him in his wins over Tyson? Who knows? Win, lose or draw I don't think Wills does much if anything for Dempsey's resume. Tyson was criticized for not fighting Bowe, Mercer, and Foreman but I don't know if we can really make a case for him ducking anyone. I think it was mostly business related and Tyson being under the mismanagement of Don King and other au****ious characters. Tyson's greatest win was Spinks IMO, and Dempsey's was likely Gibbons. Two all-time great opponents.

[Willie Pep 229]

A resume isn't defined by what you should have done it is defined by what one has accomplished. Greb and Wills are notwithstanding, i.e. are besides the point at hand.

[JAB5239]

A resume isn't defined by what you should have done it is defined by what one has accomplished. Greb and Wills are notwithstanding, i.e. are besides the point at hand.

Without Wills who was the beat available contender for years, or Greb who in turn beat most of Dempsey's choices to fight before Dempsey fought them, Jack's resume suffers considerably.