Jack Dempsey vs. Jess Willard

[A Theist]

I am not so into boxing, but the story sounds like David vs. Goliath to me.

That's exactly what a lot of writers compared the fight to...

By John F. McKenna (McJack): On July 4, 1919 in Toledo, Ohio in one hundred and ten degree heat a legend was born. In probably the most savage beating any fighter every received since the days of bare knuckle fighting ended, twenty four year old Jack Dempsey 6’1, 187 lbs, destroyed thirty seven year old Jess Willard to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World. In the opening round as the combatants approached each other it appeared for all the world like a modern day David and Goliath in the center of the ring.

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I have gone off boxing, but some of the characters it throws up, are people with an extra something about them, and probably at the top of that list has to be Jack Johnson. The man was something special.

I agree...aside from the fact that he was the first black champion, Johnson brought a lot of skills to boxing that was unparalleled to the era. There's no doubt that Johnson deserves his place among the greatest boxers of all time. Some sports writers even rate Johnson to be greater than Ali....I would love to have seen a fight between Dempsey and Johnson though, both in their primes...that would have been one to watch!

[HorribleOffensiveScouser91]

Sounds cliche but Muhammid Ali was one of those personalities, but I love Rocky Marciano and Sugar Ray Robinson...Oh and Roberto Duran because he just quits when he wants.

[jonb]

.Oh and Roberto Duran because he just quits when he wants.

You wait till you get to my house, you'll be laughing on the other side of your face then fella-me -lad.

[A Theist]

Two legendary champions meet in the ring. Middle Weight Champion, The Michigan Assassin, Stanley Ketchel vs. Heavy Weight Champ Jack Johnson in this title bout, October 6, 1909. Stanley Ketchel was rated the best of the Middle Weight Champions by Ring Magazine's Nat Fleischer. Ketchel was also a powerful puncher and pound for pound, he was rated 7th in boxing's top 100 punchers of all time, just above Jack Dempsey who rated 8th place....Ketchel was a fearless and fierce brawler and took on Light Heavy Weight and Heavy Weight fighters who outweighed him by more than 30 lbs....enter the Ketchel / Johnson title bout...it was rumored that Ketchel and Johnson had agreed to carry the fight to 20 rounds and Johnson would win the decision....the thought was that both men could earn a lot of money off the fight and a 20 round decision would generate enough interest from boxing fans to go to the theaters and pay to watch the replay of the fight. However, the plan deteriorated when Johnson drew blood on Ketchel...in the 12th round a very bloodied Ketchel floored the much larger Johnson with a thunderous overhand right, a tribute to Ketchel's power. The dazed Johnson rose to answer with his own powerful right to Ketchel's jaw knocking out four of his teeth. In the video Johnson is seen brushing off two of Ketchel's teeth imbedded in his glove. Johnson knocked out Ketchel in the 12th round....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMZQUCVrN6I

[CapnAwesome]

I think Jess Willard is an underrated boxer in historical boxing. You have to remember that he was in his late 30's when Jack Dempsey put that beating on him. Now I doubt that Willard could of ever beaten Dempsey, but he was still a very tough dude who beat a very good champion and held the title for a long stretch. Speaking of the brutality of boxing in that era, Willard himself had killed a man in the ring.

Also as Dempsey was a forerunner to the modern style, the man he lost to, Gene Tunney, was really a forerunning to both modern training and technique. Ahead of his time.

[A Theist]

I think Jess Willard is an underrated boxer in historical boxing. You have to remember that he was in his late 30's when Jack Dempsey put that beating on him. Now I doubt that Willard could of ever beaten Dempsey, but he was still a very tough dude who beat a very good champion and held the title for a long stretch. Speaking of the brutality of boxing in that era, Willard himself had killed a man in the ring.

Also as Dempsey was a forerunner to the modern style, the man he lost to, Gene Tunney, was really a forerunning to both modern training and technique. Ahead of his time.

I believe Jess was underrated too...He defeated Jack Johnson the best fighter of the era to win the Heavyweight crown, and there was no question to his toughness, strength, and stamina. I can't think of any other fighter who could have risen to continue two more rounds after the kind of pummeling he was handed by Dempsey in the first round.

Gene Tunney was a real classic, and a great skillful fighter.....Here's a video of the famous Dempsey / Tunney 'Long Count'. It was only after nine seconds that the floored Tunney looked up at the ref to pick up the count, (He was actually on the canvass for 14 seconds). What's your opinion, could Tunney have risen at the official count of ten?....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OeeCfbahwQ