Why Jack Dempsey???

[monkeyboy]

Hi biography is a fantastic read. Read it years ago and it really was a thrilling story. Noone currently has battled odds and hardship like those guys.

[kericuss]

I actually meant that kericuss should criticize Sam Langford for not fighting Jeffries. Langford said he would take on anyone except Jim Jeffries.

There were always some fighters who were avoided and didn't get their shot at top fighters and world titles. Jack Johnson, Jess Willard and Gene Tunney didn't want to fight Harry Wills either.

Atleast Dempsey beat the man who beat Harry Wills, Jack Sharkey.

Tthe Langford/Jeffries match up. the only ways Jeffries would fight Langford was in a locked basement and the winner would walk out only when the other man is left lying and unconscience! picture this Langford whoops his ass walks out as champ and a thousand angry white men jump his ass for beating their beloved champ. Besides i didnt make this thread about any other fighters. i simply wanted opinions on what makes JD an ATG? not who he or any other fighter duck. why did the HW champ take 3 yrs off when their were worthy opponents? Long count? i think there was a long count in Tyson vs Douglas as well. no one ever brings that up. why is that so infamous. Dont get me wrong he did well as far as his career and after his career. but as a fighter why is he considered an ATG?

[MELLY-MEL...]

fighters back in those days are nothing compared to todays type of fighters, back then they were bums as champions...

really, joe louis was a bum? how about SRR? willie pep? have some respect, and get a clue! this is one of the dumbest things i have ever heard around here! that says alot to, because i hear some ridiculous **** here on a daily basis! wow!

[LondonRingRules]

I have been triung to figure

** If triung was pesos there's no doubt you'd be a pessillionaire.

I've replicated your question in the historical forum where it belonged in the beginning. Please do try to pay attention and feel free to ask for directions.

[Jim Jeffries]

Tthe Langford/Jeffries match up. the only ways Jeffries would fight Langford was in a locked basement and the winner would walk out only when the other man is left lying and unconscience! picture this Langford whoops his ass walks out as champ and a thousand angry white men jump his ass for beating their beloved champ. Besides i didnt make this thread about any other fighters. i simply wanted opinions on what makes JD an ATG? not who he or any other fighter duck. why did the HW champ take 3 yrs off when their were worthy opponents? Long count? i think there was a long count in Tyson vs Douglas as well. no one ever brings that up. why is that so infamous. Dont get me wrong he did well as far as his career and after his career. but as a fighter why is he considered an ATG?

That's a very nice story. But prime Jim Jeffries (not the farmer that fought Johnson after a SIX YEAR LAYOFF with not a single tuneup fight) was a beast and would have destroyed Langford. And that's why Sam wanted no part of it.

[SkillspayBills]

That's a very nice story. But prime Jim Jeffries (not the farmer that fought Johnson after a SIX YEAR LAYOFF with not a single tuneup fight) was a beast and would have destroyed Langford. And that's why Sam wanted no part of it.

For your information Jeffries admitted that Johnson was the better fighter EVEN ON HIS BEST DAY.

[TheGreatA]

Duh, I guess you chose to soundly ignore all the points I was making.

Dempsey is considered an all-time great because of his effect on the sport, because he beat all the top contenders of his era (except Harry Wills), because he was an inventor, because of the exciting way he dispatched most of his often much bigger opponents and because he was a world heavyweight champion for 7 years (4 if you want to take off the 3 year break).

Dempsey beat:
Fireman Flynn, Willie Meehan, Bob McAllister, Gunboat Smith, Carl Morris, Bill Brennan, Billy Miske, Fred Fulton (who beat an old Sam Langford), Battling Levinsky, Jess Willard (world champion who beat an aging Jack Johnson), Georges Carpentier (World LHW champion at the time), Tommy Gibbons, Luis Firpo (KO'd Jess Willard) and Jack Sharkey (went on to become a world champion, beat Harry Wills).

Dempsey retired with a record of 66 wins (51 KO's) and only 6 losses.

I think Dempsey has a good enough resume to be considered an all-time great

[Jim Jeffries]

For your information Jeffries admitted that Johnson was the better fighter EVEN ON HIS BEST DAY.

SIX YEAR LAYOFF, nuff said. And Johnson also said Jeffries was the greatest HW champ ever. Mayweather said Hatton was one of his toughest fights. Your point is?

[kericuss]

were any of those guys black that he faced and beat? im not concerned about other fighter who fought Langford and Wills and beat them. im talking about Dempsey himself. hell Roberto Duran beat Iran Barkely who KO'd Tommy Hearns twice. and Hearns brutally KO'd Duran. so what logic does "since he beat the fighter who beat the other fighter" make?

[TheGreatA]

You asked who did Dempsey beat and why is he an all time great and I gave you the answer.

Dempsey beat top contenders and world champions in exciting fashion. Langford was over the hill and was beaten twice easily by Fred Fulton who was destroyed by Dempsey in the first round. Langford wasn't ducked, he was an old, blind man by the time Dempsey was the champion.

Harry Wills was the only man Dempsey should've fought but even then Dempsey knocked out Jack Sharkey who beat Wills. That proves Dempsey could beat Wills as well but we never saw it and it doesn't count.

A win over Wills could've put Dempsey even higher on the top HW lists but Dempsey's resume is good enough to be considered a top HW and an ATG even without that big win over Wills.