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Jack Dempsey took a dive in the first Flynn fight.
This is probably the result of fans having a hard time understanding how Dempsey could lose such a fight, and in such a fashion. Especially since he blasted out Flynn inside a round in their return! However, there are no contemporary reports suggesting something wasn't on the up and up in their first fight - so I would put this one down as 'unlikely'.
When Stanley Ketchel wanted to touch gloves at the opening bell in his 2nd fight with Billy Papke (the only one of their 4-fight series Ketchel lost), he was hit with a sucker punch, from which he never fully recovered.
Again, no contemporary reports back this up.
Jack Johnson threw the Willard fight.
The photo of Johnson lying on his back with his arms in such a position, that it looks like he's shading his eyes from the sunlight, is the backbone of this myth. The argument against this is of course: why put yourself through 26 hard rounds, under a scorching sun, if you're going to take a dive anyway? Wouldn't you want to just get it over with a lot sooner? Another 'unlikely' in my opinion.
This is probably the result of fans having a hard time understanding how Dempsey could lose such a fight, and in such a fashion. Especially since he blasted out Flynn inside a round in their return! However, there are no contemporary reports suggesting something wasn't on the up and up in their first fight - so I would put this one down as 'unlikely'.
When Stanley Ketchel wanted to touch gloves at the opening bell in his 2nd fight with Billy Papke (the only one of their 4-fight series Ketchel lost), he was hit with a sucker punch, from which he never fully recovered.
Again, no contemporary reports back this up.
Jack Johnson threw the Willard fight.
The photo of Johnson lying on his back with his arms in such a position, that it looks like he's shading his eyes from the sunlight, is the backbone of this myth. The argument against this is of course: why put yourself through 26 hard rounds, under a scorching sun, if you're going to take a dive anyway? Wouldn't you want to just get it over with a lot sooner? Another 'unlikely' in my opinion.
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