How would dempsey do against todays Heavyweights?

[Bundana]

If only we could have time-machined Dempsey forward to enter today's cruiserweight tournament... that would be fun!

[The Old LefHook]

Dempsey may have limited knowledge of the future when he visits--only that these guys represent its boxers. Those scientists of the future were able to grow 'em big but not quite as tough, Jack figures, after KOing a few of our modern galoots in short order. Dempsey would be like Yul Brynner in WestWorld--he just keeps on coming and killing contemporary heavyweights out of the pure need to destroy.

[travestyny]

Don't think hes got a chance with Wlad but could he do guys in like fury, haye, charr, Wilder and others. Or even old Vitali? Or is he simply too small and would be outboxed?

Depends. Is he loading his gloves for the fights as he's been proven to do?

[Bundana]

Depends. Is he loading his gloves for the fights as he's been proven to do?

In which fights has he been proven to have done this?

[travestyny]

In which fights has he been proven to have done this?

In the Willard fight.

[Bundana]

In the Willard fight.

Nah, sorry... this is just one of boxing's many myths. And one that has been debunked many times.

[travestyny]

Nah, sorry... this is just one of boxing's many myths. And one that has been debunked many times.

Nah bro. I’m not talking about plaster. His coach admit it. I’ll hit you with the details in a sec.

[travestyny]

Nah, sorry... this is just one of boxing's many myths. And one that has been debunked many times.

But Jimmy Deforest explained how Dempsey had achieved such carnage in so short a time. In 1930 he told Joe Villa of the New York Evening Sun exactly how it happened. “When I handled Kid McCoy, I used to bandage his hands with a certain type of adhesive tape,” DeForest told Vila. “As soon as McCoy drew on the gloves, the tape hardened and, as a result, he was able to inflict unusual punishment. I wound Dempsey’s hands, which Willard inspected. The story that Dempsey wore aluminum pads over his knuckles is a lie. His bandages became hardened, no doubt, and that was why he cut Willard’s face to ribbons.”

https://thecruelestsport.com/2015/06/25/hard-times-the-mystery-of-the-jack-dempsey-jess-willard-fight/

Pretty sure this was reported on a number of places. Reliable newspapers. Straight from the guy who wrapped his hands, not his lying manager.

[Bundana]

From Nat Fleischer's 1958 book '50 Years At Ringside' (page 117-119):

"Were Dempsey's gloves loaded?
That question has been discussed time and again in ****zine and newspaper articles by persons incapable of giving a proper answer except through hearsay or from comments made by persons supposedly "in the know." I watched the crumbling of the Pottowatomie Giant and after the terrific shellacking that Willard took, I heard many remarks that no human could deal out so much punishment with padded mitts unless there was something hidden in the gloves. Even to this day one reads about "loaded gloves," and how plaster of Paris on Dempsey's bandages cut Jess' face to ribbons.

I was at the fight. I watched Dempsey in training. I saw Jimmy DeForest, his trainer, tape Jack's hands. I watched every move of the men in Jack's quarters. I think I can clear the atmosphere once and for all time with an accurate version of what happened.

Jack Dempsey had no loaded gloves, nor did he use plaster of Paris over his bandages. I make this assertion despite the recent statement by Jack Kearns, Dempsey's manager in that contest, that he had sprinkled plaster of Paris powder over the bandages on Jack's hands and then poured on alcohol to form a plaster cast. I watched the proceedings and the only person who had anything to do with the taping job was Deforest, who, after he had taped the hands, poured some water over the bandages to keep Jack's hands cool. Of course, any solution poured over bandages will harden them, but that's all that took place.

Deforest became riled when the loaded gloves stories began to appear. I recall a press conference he had with several reporters, including myself, at which he angrily remarked:

"I regard the stories I put plaster of Paris on Jack's bandages as plain libel. I'm tired of hearing people talk about such nonsense. It's pure trash. These rumors affect my reputations for honesty and fair dealing. I did not apply any foreign substance to them. I used a hard adhesive tape. This certainly was not irregular. It was not against the rules. It was the same kind of tape I always used when I bandaged Kid McCoy's hands."

DeForest's statement should settle all further arguments. It was not until the recent fall-out between Kearns and Dempsey over the proposed movie of Jack's life (in which Kearn's plays no part) that the latter gave this new version of the bandaging of Dempsey's hands. Kearns has always denied the plaster of Paris yarn over the years, only to change the story in the past few months."

[travestyny]

From Nat Fleischer's 1958 book '50 Years At Ringside' (page 117-119):

"Were Dempsey's gloves loaded?
That question has been discussed time and again in ****zine and newspaper articles by persons incapable of giving a proper answer except through hearsay or from comments made by persons supposedly "in the know." I watched the crumbling of the Pottowatomie Giant and after the terrific shellacking that Willard took, I heard many remarks that no human could deal out so much punishment with padded mitts unless there was something hidden in the gloves. Even to this day one reads about "loaded gloves," and how plaster of Paris on Dempsey's bandages cut Jess' face to ribbons.

I was at the fight. I watched Dempsey in training. I saw Jimmy DeForest, his trainer, tape Jack's hands. I watched every move of the men in Jack's quarters. I think I can clear the atmosphere once and for all time with an accurate version of what happened.

Jack Dempsey had no loaded gloves, nor did he use plaster of Paris over his bandages. I make this assertion despite the recent statement by Jack Kearns, Dempsey's manager in that contest, that he had sprinkled plaster of Paris powder over the bandages on Jack's hands and then poured on alcohol to form a plaster cast. I watched the proceedings and the only person who had anything to do with the taping job was Deforest, who, after he had taped the hands, poured some water over the bandages to keep Jack's hands cool. Of course, any solution poured over bandages will harden them, but that's all that took place.

Deforest became riled when the loaded gloves stories began to appear. I recall a press conference he had with several reporters, including myself, at which he angrily remarked:

"I regard the stories I put plaster of Paris on Jack's bandages as plain libel. I'm tired of hearing people talk about such nonsense. It's pure trash. These rumors affect my reputations for honesty and fair dealing. I did not apply any foreign substance to them. I used a hard adhesive tape. This certainly was not irregular. It was not against the rules. It was the same kind of tape I always used when I bandaged Kid McCoy's hands."

DeForest's statement should settle all further arguments. It was not until the recent fall-out between Kearns and Dempsey over the proposed movie of Jack's life (in which Kearn's plays no part) that the latter gave this new version of the bandaging of Dempsey's hands. Kearns has always denied the plaster of Paris yarn over the years, only to change the story in the past few months."

If you look at his quotation above, he admits that the tape he used hardens to cause “unusual punishment.” Lol. He clearly knew exactly what he was doing.

There were a lot less regulations back then, and some would agree to the tape being used. This seemed like a case of doing this without anyone noticing simply because they could get away with it. Willard discussed going against fighters with hardened wraps. That seems to speak of him not expecting this to take place.

How does this fight go without those wraps? I guess we will never know. But the point was, for these fantasy matchups, it might be hard to know how he performs without those wraps that harden up.