Dempsey beats anybody

[Shanus]

For those you of that never saw Jack Dempsey fight(obviously a few on this board):

Jack fighting George Carpentier:



His fight agains the 6'6 245lbs Jess Willard who beat Jack Johnson btw:

He beat a 38 year old Jesse Willard that beat a 37 year old Jack Johnson.

I don't think his win over Willard proved anything, but he was still a great fighter, I'm not discrediting the win, but that fight is just remembered because of the one sided beating given to the bigger man from the smaller man, Jesse Willard was nothing special, just an extremely big guy who could hit.

[Abe Attell]

I totally agree with everything here. Lets remember how difficult it is to compare different eras, in that time, their focus was more on conditioning since they had to fight so many rounds and fight so often. Plus, you have to keep in mind the advancements today in training techniques, supplements, etc. While Jack may have fought at 190 or so back then, he very well could have been fighting at about 215-225lbs if he were around today. Just like if a prime Mike Tyson were around then, he would probably have been fighting at like 190-195lbs during that era too.

Sam McVey was of similar size to Tyson, so I doubt Tyson is going to weigh less than 210...remember, "supposedly" Tyson never lifted weights in his prime.





One other misconception with the past is that they didn't have weightlifting and know about "proper" nutrition...they might not have had the knowledge that we have today, but they knew what to eat and how to workout, though they probably weren't into the bodybuilding version of weightifting.

I read an article that said John L. Sullivan actually worked out with weights...he was friends with some of the "Strongmen" in the circus and they showed him how they stayed strong.

Remember, there were a lot of guys that still worked in labor jobs while boxing for extra money.


Eugene Sandow wrote a book on proper nutrition and how to workout

http://www.sandowmuseum.com/

[daggerdeux]

He beat a 38 year old Jesse Willard that beat a 37 year old Jack Johnson.

I don't think his win over Willard proved anything, but he was still a great fighter, I'm not discrediting the win, but that fight is just remembered because of the one sided beating given to the bigger man from the smaller man, Jesse Willard was nothing special, just an extremely big guy who could hit.

Willard is not exactly Lennox Lewis. Old timers are not physically imposing but mentally tougher though.

[Abe Attell]

Jim Jeffries looks pretty dam imposing...agree with "mentally tough"

you can read the article

http://coxscorner.tripod.com/jeffries.html

A young Jim Jeffries, not the version that Jack Johnson fought

[Abe Attell]

dempsey was a wild mindless brawler..and the people he fought had less skill then he did..boxing back then was primtive..imagine jack dempsey beating hit by tua or klitchko..he wouldnt even beat a contender today..plus if he fought today he'd be a cruiserweight anyway

This is untrue: he was wild early in his career, but as he got more fights he became quite the fighter...he used the bob and weave, and used the jab...it is because you are watching the footage that is so sped up that it makes him look wild...one fight that shows that he wasn't wild happened to be to late in his career to display how great he actually was, the Gene Tunney fight.

The one big problem though was that they kept their hands way to low, and that is not good.

[La_Vibora]

He beat a 38 year old Jesse Willard that beat a 37 year old Jack Johnson.

I don't think his win over Willard proved anything, but he was still a great fighter, I'm not discrediting the win, but that fight is just remembered because of the one sided beating given to the bigger man from the smaller man, Jesse Willard was nothing special, just an extremely big guy who could hit.

Agreed, I was trying to suggest that he was anything especially, he didn't really have a clue of how to really use his body, although I do think if he were exposed to the trainers of this era(i.e. Manny Steward) who could help him use his body better, he could have been a much better fighter imo. Anyways, I posted that fight because it is one of my favorite fights to watch.

[kayjay]

This is untrue: he was wild early in his career, but as he got more fights he became quite the fighter...he used the bob and weave, and used the jab...it is because you are watching the footage that is so sped up that it makes him look wild...one fight that shows that he wasn't wild happened to be to late in his career to display how great he actually was, the Gene Tunney fight.

The one big problem though was that they kept their hands way to low, and that is not good.

When did the technique of holding your hands high first develop? I've always found the lowhanded stance curious and I don't undertand it. Why, for instance, hold the left so far in font of you that you can't get behind a punch?

[Mr. Violence]

Jack Dempsey could run right over these laughable apes we call professional boxers. He won the title at 187 and there isn't one oversized and overrated heavyweights that could last 12 rounds with him, if they came to fight. Of course they don't usually come to fight, they just show up for their paycheck. That is Firpo you see on the canvass, but it just just as easily be Klitschko, Maskaev, Valuev or anybody else.

the modern heavyweights are too big and powerful and has better skills. Vitali would kill Dempsey

[psychopath]

Jack Dempsey could run right over these laughable apes we call professional boxers. He won the title at 187 and there isn't one oversized and overrated heavyweights that could last 12 rounds with him, if they came to fight. Of course they don't usually come to fight, they just show up for their paycheck. That is Firpo you see on the canvass, but it just just as easily be Klitschko, Maskaev, Valuev or anybody else.

Jack dempsey by today's standard is just a cruiser weight. And if you're saying that he'll be beating anybody in the Heavy weight class today, you're hallucinating.

While his athletism and fighting condition is beyond question, the guy has six loses in his career which are to fighters who are almost the same his size. Now what makes you think he can survive and won't be hurt by any of the giant heavy weights today?

That's just over HYPING dude.

[Kid Achilles]

The theory behind the low hands stance is to draw the opponents punch, allowing the fighter to slip and counter with both hands free. Dempsey presents himself as a tempting target and then weaves your punch and counters with the left hook or right (or most likely a combination using both hands) when you try to go for it.