Jack Dempsey - 116 today

If Jack Dempsey weren't mortal he would've turned 116 today. As it is he died aged only 87 in 1983. His last words were supposedly "Honey, I'm too mean to die." and mean he was. He is probably most famous for his demolition of Jess Willard in 1919 to win the heavyweight title. Willard was a giant of any era at 6'7 and over 240lbs. He'd never been knocked down at the time. Remind you of anyone? Going into the bout many feared for Dempsey's life as Willard had killed one previous opponent and fans knew and loved Dempsey's will to fight with reckless abandon.

This attitude was influenced by his rough upbringing in which he was born William Harrison Dempsey, but idolised the prizefighters of his day such as "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey. He had ten siblings, second only to Liston in terms of heavyweight champs with lots of siblings ratings as far as I know, and little money. He worked as a ditch digger, timber cutter and often fought in bars and rode the trains just to get by. He began fighting under the sudonym Kid Blackie but eventually found success under his adopted name Jack Dempsey. In a difficult career he developed an all knew boxing style. He was agression encapsulated, with a mean scowl on a mean face with a mean haircut that wouldn't stop bobbing and weaving in the ring. This style would later be emulated by Mike Tyson who aodred Dempsey. He had a great ability to slip punches as can be seen in sparring footage against big Bill Tate along with fleet feet. Dempsey had a rocky route to the title as he often went hungry for days at a time but eventually put together a series of quality wins over contenders and also a run of easy KO's over debutants before getting his shot.

He took it with both hands and after proving to be too elusive for the large and lumbering Willard early in the round he slipped a jab and launched a furious assult, putting the big man down hard, and continuing to take advantage of the lax rules, pounding away when Willard was barely stood. It could and should have been stopped after round 1, but Willard wanted another two rounds of beatings so Dempsey got to it. Only after the fight did he find he wasn't getting paid as his manager had bet the entire purse on a first round KO. He wouldn't struggle with money for long, however, the crowds loved watching the 1920's bad boy. When he was matched with the clean cut, well spoken Light heavyweight Georges Carpentier they made the first million dollar gate. One of his fights would bankrupt the town of Shelby as they had paid so much for the bout, but were too far out in the sticks to attract a crowd.

Dempsey had one last truly great performence in his 2 round war with Luis Angel Firpo before being beaten by heavy underdog Gene Tunney 3 years later. By this time Dempsey was clearly falling out of love with sport. He'd made his money and taken his share of punches. It was a clash of styles in which one revolutionary style fell foul to another. Dempsey returned to KO future champion Jack Sharkey, but then recieve another one sided beating at the hands of Tunney. There was some controversy though as some thing Tunney got a long count as Dempsey forgot the new rule to go to the neutral corner and hovered over Tunney for precious seconds after decking him during the fight. Dempsey was always surrounded by controversy though, whether it be allegations of draft dodging in WWI (who knows if he did but he served in the navy later in life so maybe he was repenting for something) and he supposedly ducked black fighters, most notably Harry Wills. I've never agreed with these claims as inbetween Jack Johnson drawing a bout with a black contender and Joe Louis KO'ing James Braddock no black heavyweights got a title shot, so lets not pretend it was all Dempsey, these were just turbulent times. Dempsey had many black sparring partners and gave Bill Tate and Sam Langford financial assitance when they were down and out.

Of course, Dempsey couldn't hang with the modren styles as proved in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wniMrsMTnyg

Random FACT!!!!: In 2003, Dempsey was named the seventh best puncher of all time in boxing history by Ring Magazine.

Not much to add beyond to say lovely tribute to a true legend of the game and nice to see someone who doesn't fall for the lazy and largely inaccurate claim that Dempsey ducked Wills and acknowledges his willingness to hire and help out black fighters, often, particularly in the south when in the face of massive public outcry.

Wonder how he's going to celebrate..

Nice tribute to one of my big heroes. Somehow it's appropriate that a man whose username is a variation on the name ' John Wayne ' should be writing a tribute to Dempsey, since The ' Mauler ' personified, in so many ways, the characters whom Wayne immortalized.

Great stuff, John.

I thought the reason he fought so furiously was because he KNEW his purse had been bet on a 1st round KO?

Can't see John Wayne using loaded gloves

Not even in The Alamo..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Can't see John Wayne using loaded gloves

Not even in The Alamo..

Just as well that Dempsey also didn't, then.

ooooh testy.....

Always been a rumour though Windy....

I know Willard had suspicions...amongst others.

By the way respect to Dempsey and happy rememberance for a huge icon..

No, Truss, I wasn't being testy. It's just that that old rumour has long been discredited it. Too much evidence against it.

Willard, himself, didn't start bleating about it until thirty years after the fight. The whole thing was a hatchet job from Kearns after he and Dempsey fell out, and Willard picked up the ball and ran with it.

Don't know enough about the person behind the legend to know if he'd do it....so I'll bow to your superior knowledge of the guy..

Must have been some fallout though..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Don't know enough about the person behind the legend to know if he'd do it....so I'll bow to your superior knowledge of the guy..

Must have been some fallout though..

As Bob Dylan said, Truss : " Money doesn't talk, it swears. "

He sold out...so he should know..

the times were a changing for him...

Can't argue with that, mate.

There's photographic evidence of Dempsey's ungloved hands as he's entering the ring, and witness statements I believe stating his hands were seen to he wrapped as usual, with nothing illegal.

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

For those who want to read more on the loaded gloves allegations

By witness statements you mean.... Windy in his pink dress...

The one he finally washed after telling Fitz to bash Corbett's slats!!!

I'll need more than that.

To be honest Truss have not read the article because have got a few Dempsey biographies so have read plenty on it already

No, I mean someone who witnessed it first-hand. Plus, of course, the photograph...

I'm going to be a good boy Balti.....

Doesn't bother me mate, I know you're saying it in jest.

I thought about posting a link to the gloves article in the OP, but I thought if I didn't mention it then for once it wouldn't come up. Wishful thinking? I do find it pretty funny seeing Willard mentioned as a witness, he's hardly impartial in the matter.

Mr Wayne and Mr Dempsey did seem quite determined to encapsulate a totally "macho" masculine image that the fans loved. I guess that's why the public never took to Tunney so much and why they kept bringing Wayne out of the ol' folks home to play increasingly aged gunslingers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VawHgrLvbD4

It really amazes me just how brutal boxing was back in the day. GIve Willard his dues, he took a hell of a beating and kept getting up.

Lumbering_Jack wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VawHgrLvbD4

It really amazes me just how brutal boxing was back in the day. GIve Willard his dues, he took a hell of a beating and kept getting up.

It still shocks me to this day how he keeps getting up...Dempsey was simply relentless.

Only seen a bit of Dempsey on old grainy footage, but at little more than 13-13 1/2 stone I get the feeling that in todays game he'd no doubt be a light heavy at most and would be completely devastating at the weight!

sugarrayb wrote:Only seen a bit of Dempsey on old grainy footage, but at little more than 13-13 1/2 stone I get the feeling that in todays game he'd no doubt be a light heavy at most and would be completely devastating at the weight!

I would fear for the Hopkins, Pascals, Clouds etc of this world, if that were indeed the case.

I wouldn't he wasn't a natural light heavy...Doubt he could make 175....

cruiser he could obviously....

punchers chance against Hoppo and Jones if he did....clear up the rest no doubt..

I think a swarming style like Dempsey's would give Hopkins fits, personally.

I think a straight line slugger would be something Hoppo's seen a lot of times in his career...

Usually before title contention.

On the subject of Dempsey, I dunno if anyone's seen this already, but for those who've not:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuLWvYRpVR4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Footage of Dempsey & Marciano discussing the 'phantom punch' from Ali-Liston II. Interesting to see them (particularly Dempsey) in non-fighting circumstances.

Cheers Balti who would've thought Dempsey would checkout after Marciano ???

Seen the footage of Burns rating his greatest heavyweights that's on there.

Not seen that, I'll have a look once I've some my community service today and watched a flick with the Mrs.

"Unfortunately" I have the house to myself..... with the chain and the scroat spending the day being spoilt at Daddy's..

Having the time of your life eh, Truss ?

Enjoy it, mate. I won't even spoil it by sticking up for Jack over the ' straight line slugger ' comment. Will save that for another day when one of us is in a bad mood.

Go get your Don Curry DVD while you still can, get your feet up, pour yourself a bourbon and enjoy.

Happy birthday Jack true legend.

I wonder what price you'd get for Dempsey next week against Klitschko if transported into the 21st century, a gruesome early finish would be short odds I'd imagine, Klitschko is no better than Willard .

Truss you're a biased first class buffoon fat fella

not fat....

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:not fat....

Cuddly then.

I'll settle..

Ok big fella enjoy ur evening, I'll send a couple of sperm troughs around if u like

It's alright my Son will be home soon and he is the biggest trough of them all...

Can't believe he's from my POOL.

He might not be big fella has he got ur ruggish Tom Berrenger looks