Who would win between Jack Dempsey and Vitali Klitschko

[crold1]

Depends on the era. Given glove size differences and no neutral corner, Dempsey might have a shot. In this era, Vit.

[StarshipTrooper]

Dempsey by ref rescue or thrown towel.

[Bundana]

I think size is overrated and Dempsey would put a lot pressure on Vitali and land some very hard punches. Imagine if Arreola was ten times better. I know Vitali would be able to take the punches but after 7-8 rounds it would be too much. Vitali wouldn't stop Dempsey and Dempsey would be relentless. Remember 15 rounds to Dempsey was nothing. Vitali would retire in his own corner after nine rounds. Cuts or injury.

Actually, Dempsey went 15 rounds only once - against 175½ lbs Tommy Gibbons. Vitali would be something like 70 lbs heavier, and a bit more difficult to bull around over the full championship distance, I would imagine.

The only other time Dempsey went past 10 rounds, was when he stopped Bill Brennan in 12... so it's not really like Dempsey has an advantage, when it comes to long distance fights.

[New England]

Depends on the era. Given glove size differences and no neutral corner, Dempsey might have a shot. In this era, Vit.

why on earth is this even being brought up?

dempsey is not flooring klitschko, cliff. christ almighty. vitali klitschko is about as durable a HW as we've seen. he is 250 lbs in supreme shape. you've seen the lewis fight. his chin is unreal. it's his eyes and body (hands, shoulders, back, and knee,) you've got to worry about, not his chin. he isn't getting dropped by jack f#cking dempsey. vitali has been down once in his fighting career, if my stats are correct. that was in a full contact kickboxing match, and it was a heelkick to the head. i cannot even picture him taking a count.


dempsey gets close and vitali d****s a shoulder on him. do you have any idea how easily a 6'8", 250 lb man could tie a 185 lb man up with a tiny little glove with an independent thumb? you know how much wrestling they used to allow. dempsey would gas from that in four rounds.

if he can't get close, dempsey is getting heavy hands put on him by a gigantic man for 12 rounds, and slowing down over the course of the fight the way any other human would.

dempsey would be absolutely exhausted if he got close. he'd get tied up and walked to the ropes easily. you're talking about a difference of half a foot in height, and more than 60 lbs of bone and muscle. yes willard was that big, but he was f#cking jess willard. he couldn't keep dempsey away, or tie him up when he got close. willard was big and brave, yes, but a dismal talent with very little boxing ability. a healthy vitali is one of the better ring generals in the last 10 years.


in short, there's no way dempsey keeps his hands free in close, and there's no way he wins on the outside.

there's no way he wins in any era.

[StarshipTrooper]

a healthy vitali is one of the better ring generals in the last 10 years.

C'mon, that's like saying someone is the smartest 'tard in the special ed class. Ring generalship in the last 10 years has been hideously bad outside of Mayweather and Hopkins.

[ShoulderRoll]

The Mauler in his prime had the fast feet and head movement to get inside of Klit's punches. Once there Vitali's chin wouldn't matter all that much...Jack would be looking to tear up the liver and break ribs with his compact shovel hooks and uppercuts.

The current heavyweight era has never seen anything even close to the relentless, scientific punching machine that was Dempsey.

[crold1]

why on earth is this even being brought up?

dempsey is not flooring klitschko, cliff. christ almighty. vitali klitschko is about as durable a HW as we've seen. he is 250 lbs in supreme shape. you've seen the lewis fight. his chin is unreal. it's his eyes and body (hands, shoulders, back, and knee,) you've got to worry about, not his chin. he isn't getting dropped by jack f#cking dempsey. vitali has been down once in his fighting career, if my stats are correct. that was in a full contact kickboxing match, and it was a heelkick to the head. i cannot even picture him taking a count.


dempsey gets close and vitali d****s a shoulder on him. do you have any idea how easily a 6'8", 250 lb man could tie a 185 lb man up with a tiny little glove with an independent thumb? you know how much wrestling they used to allow. dempsey would gas from that in four rounds.

if he can't get close, dempsey is getting heavy hands put on him by a gigantic man for 12 rounds, and slowing down over the course of the fight the way any other human would.

dempsey would be absolutely exhausted if he got close. he'd get tied up and walked to the ropes easily. you're talking about a difference of half a foot in height, and more than 60 lbs of bone and muscle. yes willard was that big, but he was f#cking jess willard. he couldn't keep dempsey away, or tie him up when he got close. willard was big and brave, yes, but a dismal talent with very little boxing ability. a healthy vitali is one of the better ring generals in the last 10 years.


in short, there's no way dempsey keeps his hands free in close, and there's no way he wins on the outside.

there's no way he wins in any era.

NE: That's why I said might. As I've said before, I think the Klits probably beat anyone pre-Liston but Louis. That said, I think glove size counts for something both ways. They fought with smaller gloves then and we did see Vitali almost dropped by Sanders. yes, he took massive bombs from Lewis, but they were slower. Dempsey was faster and more complete offensively than anyone Vitali has seen. I'm not sure he couldn't jump all over him and keep him off balance akin to what Shoulder Roll is saying. It's at least ponderable.

I'm just not sure.

That doesn't mean I discount your points or that I'd bet Dempsey. I can just see era being a factor in whether Dempsey has a shot.

[Mike Tyson77]

I favor Vitali, but Dempsey could land a lucky punch......ut never bet on a long shot.

[Bodyshot3]

I think Dempsey beats the younger Klit....really do see him executing the kinda of stuff that Haye was hoping/planning to do which is to get in fast, nullify the jab and then hack to the body and try and bring the head down for some uppercuts. Dempsey then gets out of there and resets himself before launching another raid, then another.

But Vitali is a different matter. He has that teflon chin and has always looked far better at the ugly business of grabbing a guy and suffocating/tiring him with a bit of old-school mauling and leaning. Vitali would be more than happy to drain Dempsey in the clinch whilst chucking in some of the back head clubbing shots.

I also think that Vitali is the mentally harder, nastier fighter. Less skill than his little bro but with an attitude and set-of-tactics far more suited to dealing with a blikeombs-away merchant like Dempsey. If Dempsey wanted to go-to-toe it is Vitali who will take him on and shove him back; Wlad tries to reset and getting his jab going again.

[SBleeder]

People here championing Vitali's chin...

when has it really been tested???