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I can't find a cup of coffee for two bucks anymore. Lol
In regards to the number of fights: I realize Dempsey was a better boxer than most realize, but I suspect he still got hit more often than the defensive master Tunney.
But of course Tunney had many tough fights himself; at the risk of being redundant, sorry, but I feel ****ers have a shorter peak period, and get old faster.
Dempsey lived a more brtual early life than most. He once stated, when young, while barnstorming, he felt his hands grow stronger as he would ride the rails, grabbing on to the side of box cars. The cold would keep him awake but his hands would frostbite, knowing full well if he let go he would die.
Also we really don't know how many fights Dempsey actually had leading up to 1916. I think it was Nat Fleischer (I think) who said, when trying to assemble Dempsey's record he ran across newspaper results that had 'Jack Dempsey' fighting in multiple fights, miles apart on the same night. When Fleischer asked him about the confusion, Dempsey supposedly replied 'Oh, that was probably Bernie.' When Fleischer asked which one was him, Dempsey had no clue.*
Truth be told I think these match ups are silly arguments, men just keep getting bigger and a fighter (or any athlete) should be judged against his own time.
Spanning decades creates unrealistic scenarios. How big would Dempsey have grown had he been born on 1988? Would Lewis even have had a chance to become a boxer in 1919? He certainly would never have been as big. Can Bronco Nagurski gain 800 yards in the NFL today? Of course not. But Bronco was a great football player.
*You probably know all three brothers fought under the name 'Jack Dempsey' at one time or another.
In regards to the number of fights: I realize Dempsey was a better boxer than most realize, but I suspect he still got hit more often than the defensive master Tunney.
But of course Tunney had many tough fights himself; at the risk of being redundant, sorry, but I feel ****ers have a shorter peak period, and get old faster.
Dempsey lived a more brtual early life than most. He once stated, when young, while barnstorming, he felt his hands grow stronger as he would ride the rails, grabbing on to the side of box cars. The cold would keep him awake but his hands would frostbite, knowing full well if he let go he would die.
Also we really don't know how many fights Dempsey actually had leading up to 1916. I think it was Nat Fleischer (I think) who said, when trying to assemble Dempsey's record he ran across newspaper results that had 'Jack Dempsey' fighting in multiple fights, miles apart on the same night. When Fleischer asked him about the confusion, Dempsey supposedly replied 'Oh, that was probably Bernie.' When Fleischer asked which one was him, Dempsey had no clue.*
Truth be told I think these match ups are silly arguments, men just keep getting bigger and a fighter (or any athlete) should be judged against his own time.
Spanning decades creates unrealistic scenarios. How big would Dempsey have grown had he been born on 1988? Would Lewis even have had a chance to become a boxer in 1919? He certainly would never have been as big. Can Bronco Nagurski gain 800 yards in the NFL today? Of course not. But Bronco was a great football player.
*You probably know all three brothers fought under the name 'Jack Dempsey' at one time or another.
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