Was Jack Dempsey Over-rated?

[Barn]

Now before we start I am WHITE so don't bring racism into it.
I'm not sure if Jack Demspey is overrated and not a top 10 heavyweight, but he hardly ever if ever fought black heavyweights.

Your opinions?

Would make a poll if I knew how to.

[SBleeder]

Jack Johnson never fought black heavyweights, it doesn't take away from his accomplishments.

And Dempsey fought quite a few black fighters, actually.

[Miburo]

Both of you need to restate - the controversy stems from not fighting black fighters AS CHAMPION, not never fighting them.

[I am tyler]

i used to admire him and respect him loads. I read a thing about him in boxing news weekly. The article was called black jack and all about his bad side. It also says that Harry Greb wanted to fight Dempsey but Dempsey did not want to. Greb also beat the common opponents between them easier and normally earlier. He also said he wouldn't fight Sam Langford as he know he would get 'licked'. The article really made me think about him more.
ps i am also white so not being biased

[NChristo]

Jack Johnson never fought black heavyweights, it doesn't take away from his accomplishments.

And Dempsey fought quite a few black fighters, actually.

Johnson fought and beat all black fighters before he was champion and he fought Battling Jim Johnson while he was champ.

[Tyson.]

Yes he is.

Not a top ten heavyweight but still a top fighter.

[HaglerSteelChin]

Short Answer: Yes and No. He became an enormous celebrity and took the sport into new heights and that can't be taken away from him. He helped take the word Prizefighting into a new level.

People mentioned the issue about the black fighters-which in fairness he was not the only one who avoided Langford and Harry Wills(although fight signed it didn't take place you decide if it was a duck).

Dempsey's name would be also tarnished by the alleged "loaded gloves" in the Jess Willard fight that resulted in a severe beaten in the larger man. That topic already was discussed by me and others in this forum. It can't be proven either way.

The fact that Gene Tunney would outbox him in the first fight and than do it again, took some swagger from his legacy-even if you think it was a slow count the fact remained he was being outboxed again.

[Joeyzagz]

Him and Tyson are the most over-rated fighters in the history of the sport.

They both have an eye-pleasing style, and their best wins were against faded 38 year olds.

Dempsey couldnt beat Tunney, Tyson couldnt beat Holyfield. Over-rated

[mrboxer]

he is very much overrated,a lot of fighters from the old days did not even know how to box,look at the way they held their hands and when they throw a punch they were wide open,dempsey,has a lot of company as being overrated with tunney and john l sullivan

[Jim Jeffries]

Johnson fought and beat all black fighters before he was champion and he fought Battling Jim Johnson while he was champ.

Yes, but Jim Johnson was hardly a contender and the crowd demanded their money back because they weren't fighting. Jack avoided black contenders while he was champ because he claimed there wasn't any money in it.

Pretty sure the HW version of Langford would've fared better than the JMW version that Johnson beat, as would the more experienced versions of Joe Jeanette and Sam McVea. Around 1914, he could've fought Wills as well.

Him and Tyson are the most over-rated fighters in the history of the sport.

They both have an eye-pleasing style, and their best wins were against faded 38 year olds.

Dempsey couldnt beat Tunney, Tyson couldnt beat Holyfield. Over-rated

So it doesn't matter that Dempsey and Tyson were past prime at the time?

There is no denying Dempsey and Tyson's respective impact on the sport, something that needs to be factored in when determining greatness.

Seeing as how Dempsey is no longer in many people's top 10 ATG HW list, then no, he is not overrated.