Langford or Tunney?

[Rusty Tromboni]

What made Harry entitled to the shot in 1926? He hadn't fought for a year. His last fight was Oct 1925, Tunney's was December 1925. If anyone could have made a case that year it was Sharkey, who has already fought about 5 or 6 times that year.

Harry and his people didn't want to risk an almost certain loss to Tunney. I can respect Wills for wanting the title more than the $250K losing to Tunney, but given what we know now, Wills would not have stood a chance against Tunney or Dempsey, considering the beat down he took from Sharkey and getting KO'd the year after by Uzcudun.

He probably would have NEVER stood a chance against Dempsey.

Let's not forget that even in his prime he was frequently decked by a fat, old, undersized Langford.

If he couldn't handle Black Butterbean, who'd really give him a chance against White Tyson?


And of course the fact thst he sh.it the bed against Firpo hurts him.

The fact that he had to take the coward's way out against Sharkey is the nail in the coffin, though. **** that fa.ggyt. he never deserved to fight for the championship of this great sport.

That's also why Gene is greater than Lanford and Wills. He wasn't just a great Boxer, he was a great man. Really, he's the exemplary figure of his century. Before there was Kennedy there was Tunney. When you look at Dempsey and Tunney, you see why Boxing was so popular. These weren't just the greatest athletes these were national heroes.

[JAB5239]

What made Harry entitled to the shot in 1926? He hadn't fought for a year. His last fight was Oct 1925, Tunney's was December 1925. If anyone could have made a case that year it was Sharkey, who has already fought about 5 or 6 times that year.

Harry and his people didn't want to risk an almost certain loss to Tunney. I can respect Wills for wanting the title more than the $250K losing to Tunney, but given what we know now, Wills would not have stood a chance against Tunney or Dempsey, considering the beat down he took from Sharkey and getting KO'd the year after by Uzcudun.

Dempsey hadn't fought in three years. How was Wills not entitled to fight him after being his long time number one contender? This fight had been being called for for years.

As far as who would have won....I think it's irrelevant. Wills was the longest standing contender, and number one. Public opinion at the time was not only was he entitled to a shot, but deserved it.

[travestyny]

I was speaking to the first two attempts at making the fight in that response. The third attempt is up for debate and whichever side of the fence you fall on. As we've discussed in the past, there is two sides to this, and by the third attempt, Wills people hadn't learned anything. You can continue to copy and paste the same articles that contradict my sources, but we'll end up chasing our tails again.

Ok fair enough. But my point is my articles DON't contradict your sources.

Your source only says that Doc Krone says the money was present. My sources say the exact same thing. I really don't have any problem with what you posted. I just don't think it proves that the money wasn't there.

[JAB5239]

I don't like putting people on ignore, but if you can't add anything logical and are just here to speak nonsense, you're not welcome to post in my threads. We've had some valuable exchanges in this thread and others. I may not agree with everything, but I enjoy hearing well thought out points of view.

[GhostofDempsey]

Ok fair enough. But my point is my articles DON't contradict your sources.

Your source only says that Doc Krone says the money was present. My sources say the exact same thing. I really don't have any problem with what you posted. I just don't think it proves that the money wasn't there.

Well, they claimed the money was there, but again, Paddy Mullins failed to deliver...he wanted Dempsey to sign a contract before delivering the advance agreed upon. Dempsey wasn't going to sing a contract only to be stiffed a third time and then open himself up to another lawsuit.

On August 22, the Telegraph Herald reported that Wills’ manager Paddy Mullins tried to bluff Dempsey once more into a contract, and then reportedly “failed to come forward with $150,000” saying, “We’ll post the money immediately if Dempsey will sign to fight Wills before September 23.”

[travestyny]

Well, they claimed the money was there, but again, Paddy Mullins failed to deliver...he wanted Dempsey to sign a contract before delivering the advance agreed upon. Dempsey wasn't going to sing a contract only to be stiffed a third time and then open himself up to another lawsuit.

On August 22, the Telegraph Herald reported that Wills’ manager Paddy Mullins tried to bluff Dempsey once more into a contract, and then reportedly “failed to come forward with $150,000” saying, “We’ll post the money immediately if Dempsey will sign to fight Wills before September 23.”

That's a completely different situation. That wasn't about the Chicago Coliseum Club contract. That was an attempt to get Dempsey to sign after he broke the previous contract.

[GhostofDempsey]

He probably would have NEVER stood a chance against Dempsey.

Let's not forget that even in his prime he was frequently decked by a fat, old, undersized Langford.

If he couldn't handle Black Butterbean, who'd really give him a chance against White Tyson?


And of course the fact thst he sh.it the bed against Firpo hurts him.

The fact that he had to take the coward's way out against Sharkey is the nail in the coffin, though. **** that fa.ggyt. he never deserved to fight for the championship of this great sport.

That's also why Gene is greater than Lanford and Wills. He wasn't just a great Boxer, he was a great man. Really, he's the exemplary figure of his century. Before there was Kennedy there was Tunney. When you look at Dempsey and Tunney, you see why Boxing was so popular. These weren't just the greatest athletes these were national heroes.

My own opinion is that Dempsey would have beaten Wills during any time of his career. Wills style was designed for Dempsey. Like Johnson, Wills greatest success came from fighting considerably smaller opponents.

Sam Langford, when asked how Harry Wills (whom he fought 18 times in his career) would do against Jack Dempsey, said in the June 5, 1922, Atlanta Constitution "Well if he ever fights Dempsey my money will be on the present champion. Dempsey is the greatest fighter I have ever seen. He hits twice as hard as Jim Jeffries and is as fast in the ring as James J. Corbett."

I find it difficult to choose between Tunney and Langford. Both great fighters. Langford fought across several weight classes, often the smaller fighter. He feared absolutely no one. Dempsey admitted he avoided Langford early on in his career, citing Langford's considerable advantage in experience despite being a smaller man. They actually had great respect for one another.

Johnson himself ducked a rematch with him and even reneged on a contract to fight him, something I will post about in a separate thread.

[Marchegiano]

I'm not very high on Tunney myself.