Consistently Consensus Boxing Opinions

[HOUDINI563]

Dempsey a “cherry picker”?

Fulton and Gunboat Smith?

Obliterating the heavyweight champion who defeated Jack Johnson to become champion?

Fighting Miske, Brennen, Carpentier, Firpo, Gibbons and finally Tunney all legit challengers for his title?

Blacks were barred from fighting for the heavyweight title up until Joe Louis doing so in 1937 and this is why they predominantly fought one another for decades. This had nothing to do with Dempsey as the color line was an American tradition for many years prior and after the Dempsey era.

Finally the public really determines who fights for the title via their $. Promoters and fighters managers work out the deal.

[ShoulderRoll]

Dempsey a “cherry picker”?

Fulton and Gunboat Smith?

Obliterating the heavyweight champion who defeated Jack Johnson to become champion?

Fighting Miske, Brennen, Carpentier, Firpo, Gibbons and finally Tunney all legit challengers for his title?

Blacks were barred from fighting for the heavyweight title up until Joe Louis doing so in 1937 and this is why they predominantly fought one another for decades. This had nothing to do with Dempsey as the color line was an American tradition for many years prior and after the Dempsey era.

Finally the public really determines who fights for the title via their $. Promoters and fighters managers work out the deal.

More of a cherry picker than Floyd Mayweather, certainly.

Let's not have double standards.

[BattlingNelson]

Opinions certainly vary. But some can always be counted on. Here are some of the most consistent in the boxing world.


1 Robinson top P4P fighter ever
2 Marciano toughest fighter ever
3 Chuvalo took best punch ever
4 Pep best pure boxer ever
5 Clay fastest heavyweight ever
6 Foreman heaviest handed heavy
7 Mayweather top cherrypicker ever
8 RJJ licks his lips more than most dog breeds.
9 Joe Louis was very technically sound.
10 Walcott cutest heavy ever.

Battling Nelson was the toughest ever.








and Floyd Mayweather was the biggest cherry picker.

[HOUDINI563]

Actually a ridiculous statement. Mayweather actively managed who he would fight. Dempsey fought everyone his management put in front of him and had little input regarding the matter. It’s widely understood that Dempsey wanted to fight while his management stuck to the norms of previous decades where a heavyweight champion would take the title on the road with exhibitions rather than legit bouts.

[Anthony342]

Battling Nelson was the toughest ever.








and Floyd Mayweather was the biggest cherry picker.

You know, it's funny. When I say the same thing about Floyd, I get criticized for it with people saying it wasn't entirely his fault the best fights weren't made at the best time because of guys pricing themselves out or because of drug testing. Guess I was right then.

[ShoulderRoll]

Actually a ridiculous statement. Mayweather actively managed who he would fight. Dempsey fought everyone his management put in front of him and had little input regarding the matter. It’s widely understood that Dempsey wanted to fight while his management stuck to the norms of previous decades where a heavyweight champion would take the title on the road with exhibitions rather than legit bouts.

Mayweather has a far superior resume to Dempsey.

If Jack let his management carefully pick his opponents for him that is still chery picking.

And I say that as a fan of Dempsey. Love his Championship Fighting book...but when you hold up a microscope to his list of opponents it's actually quite poor in comparison to Floyd.

[HOUDINI563]

Relative opponent worth is a more intricate debate and a different one.

Dempsey did not cherry pick. He fought those whom promoters and his managers wanted him to fight based upon the potential for the highest revenue. As typical throughout boxing history. Blacks were barred from fighting for the heavyweight title in the decades prior to and after Dempsey save Johnson who got his title shot against a non American champion, Burns. Burns was warned repeatedly not to give Johnson a title shot. As a non American he was not burdened with American cultural norms. Certainly the fight would have never been held on US soil. Interestingly the Johnson Burns bout took place pretty much as far away as one could get from US soil.

[ShoulderRoll]

Jack has a very poor resume. And it was by design of his management.

If someone is going to claim that Mayweather was the worst offender ever in this category then I'm going to point out how that is far from the case. And Dempsey is a prime example.

[HOUDINI563]

Disagree.

Dempseys management like most heavyweight champions before him took the title “on the road”. This meant lots of exhibitions. Whereas prior heavyweight champions also went into Theatre, Vaudeville, Dempsey went into the new entertainment media, silent films. Nothing really different than Corbett, Jeffries, Fitzsimmons etc before him. In terms of the frequency of title bouts Dempsey was similar to those before him.

The only “easy” mark was Miske. Carp was light heavyweight champion and heavyweight champion of Europe as well as being world famous. This was a highly anticipated heavyweight championship bout. Gibbons was one of the greatest contenders ever to live but fought only to survive vs Dempsey. Brennan was also a top contender. Firpo earned his title shot by stopping Willard, Weinert and Brennan. Tunney whom Dempsey fought in his final title appearance as champion was perhaps the greatest pure boxer ever to hold the heavyweight championship.

One must look at past history within the history it occurred not in retrospect.

[ShoulderRoll]

You can disagree all you want. But Mayweather has a better resume then Dempsey, by quite a bit.

And travestyny has done a great job of showing how Jack and/or his handlers wiggled out of fighting several tough opponents on several different occasions. With newspaper sources to back him up.