Jack Dempsey

[Southpaw16BF]

How do you feel he should be remembered and how great was he in your opinion?

[sonnyboyx2]

Jack Dempsey`s popularity in the 1920s was greater than any fighter in boxing history including Muhammad Ali.. Dempsey should be remembered as one of the most ferocious fighters and greatest heavyweight champions in boxing history... those old black & white-flicker-films do not do him justice, he was an ATG

[hhascup]

He was voted as the Greatest Boxer of the 1st half Century. Also, Joe Louis stated that he was the Greatest.

http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?...greatest&hl=en

[GJC]

Jack Dempsey`s popularity in the 1920s was greater than any fighter in boxing history including Muhammad Ali.. Dempsey should be remembered as one of the most ferocious fighters and greatest heavyweight champions in boxing history... those old black & white-flicker-films do not do him justice, he was an ATG

Think actually Dempsey's popularity really started after the Tunney loss a lot of people used to go to watch Dempsey hopefully losing. Carpientier was definately the crowds favourite when they fought. Bit like Ali think people always respected him and in time grew to love him too.
Re more popular than Ali you might well be right but obviously pro rata?
TV really projected Ali and he had a personality made for sound bites.
Glad to see you in the "green" Sonny, taken far to long. Don't always agree with you but always make time to read your posts

[Sugarj]

He should be remembered as a fantastic puncher, a well conditioned physical specimen who fought at a tremendous pace, an exciting competitor and a tough as nails warrior.

There is no too ways about it....he was great! Accurate, fast and powerful, didn't give up till the final bell. He was honourable and a true sportsman in defeat also.

He was very underated technically and defensively too.

Would he have beaten prime Johnson or prime Louis? Dont know, I'd favour his chances more over Louis......certainly with the 1919 prize ring rules that allowed you to stand over a felled opponent and hit him as he was getting up. Not fights I'd bet on though!

I wouldn't go so far as to say he would beat the best of the bigger heavyweights of the last 40 years, but he would tear through the best cruiserweights and many of the heavyweights too.

[louis54]

i think he was the best all round heavyweight. i just wished he fought more as champion, but kearns messed that up. he was a real gentleman in his resturant; a real regular guy.

[essexboy24]

A win over Harry Wills would have really done his record a big favour, it would have been a defining win. He's a top ten heavyweight though for me.

[mickey malone]

I'm a bit sceptical with Dempsey.. He didn't defend his title very much, and with the exception of the 14 second count, was beaten in every department by Gene Tunney and seemed to struggle with seasoned boxers who could use their feet.. His greatest performance is arguably his most controversial, when he hospitalized the hapless Jess Willard.. I won't argue that Willard was custom made for him, but I can't help thinking he may have had something in his gloves..
I'm also of the opinion, he'd have beaten Wills, but 7 defenses in 7 years doesn't do him credit.. He was an exceptional talent, but just sold himself short of a top 10 spot in my opinion..

[EzzardFan]

I like Dempsey as a character. As a boxer then Tunny definitely had his number, Greb would almost certainly have taken him, as would Langford, and if Langford could have taken him then Wills almost certainly would have. So with that view he only just makes it into my top 5 for the 1920s, and nowhere near my top ten of all time.

However if we time travelled him to the 2010 HW division then he'd probably take everyone apart.

[essexboy24]

I like Dempsey as a character. As a boxer then Tunny definitely had his number, Greb would almost certainly have taken him, as would Langford, and if Langford could have taken him then Wills almost certainly would have. So with that view he only just makes it into my top 5 for the 1920s, and nowhere near my top ten of all time.

However if we time travelled him to the 2010 HW division then he'd probably take everyone apart.

I'm not sold on that equation, Sam Langford was undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters that ever lived and a p4p monster but at the time Dempsey was heavyweight champ Langford was getting knocked around pretty regular by Wills, I honestly dont see him beating Dempsey at heavyweight. Tunney got the best of Greb in their fights so where is the evidence for Greb beating Dempsey? Its not impossible but I think it is a difficult one to call, Greb was a natural middleweight, I think Dempsey would have beat him. Out of those three the only one I see having a great chance against him is Wills, who was a prime, mean heavyweight at the time.