Thread: Jack Dempsey vs. vs Cowboy Luttrell (1940)

Perhaps the most bizarre of all the heavyweight-returning-from-retirement tales, in 1940 Jack Dempsey was 45 years old and desperately in need of money.
While Dempsey was refereeing a wrestling match in Atlanta, he got into an argument with a notorious mat villain, Clarence (Cowboy) Luttrell. The two exchanged words and swings, and a few days later, Luttrell issued a challenge.
"I've licked tougher guys than Jack Dempsey," he bragged to a reporter. "There's never been a boxer who could beat a good wrestler. I want to be known as the guy who K.O.'d Dempsey."

Boxer vs. Wrestler, Jack Dempsey vs. Clarence Cowboy Luttrell

The fight was booked for the night of July 1, 1940 at Atlanta's Ponce de Leon Park.
On fight night a crowd of 12,000 showed up at the stadium. People cheered as the paunchy, 205-pound Dempsey, who hadn't trained a minute for the match, made his way to the ring.
The bout was as quick as it was brutal. Dempsey, his foot and hand speed gone, nonetheless pounded the clumsy 226-pound Luttrell to the canvas four times, battering his face into a bloody mask. Early in the second round, an exhausted Dempsey caught Luttrell flush on the jaw with a left hook, knocking him head over heels through the ropes and into the first row, where he struck his head on a camera case and lost consciousness.

Check this out:

Guys like that just never lose their punch do they?

Heck I'd bet if Big George could land one today on Wlad it'd be all over,

Originally Posted by marbleheadmaui

Guys like that just never lose their punch do they?

Heck I'd bet if Big George could land one today on Wlad it'd be all over,

Dempsey still only weighed 210 lbs for this fight, and even thought he didn't train, he wasn't far from his fighting weight, not bad for a guy 45 years old. I read when he was in his 70's, 2 young punks tried to rob him after the New York City Taxi Cab he was riding in had stopped to let him out. According to the story he flashed a couple of his famous left hooks, and knocked them both cold... I bet that showed 'um not to fuck with The Manassa Mauler.

Originally Posted by Mars_ax

Originally Posted by marbleheadmaui

Guys like that just never lose their punch do they?

Heck I'd bet if Big George could land one today on Wlad it'd be all over,

Dempsey still only weighed 210 lbs for this fight, and even thought he didn't train, he wasn't far from his fighting weight, not bad for a guy 45 years old. I read when he was in his 70's, 2 young punks tried to rob him after the New York City Taxi Cab he was riding in had stopped to let him out. According to the story he flashed a couple of his famous left hooks, and knocked them both cold... I bet that showed 'um not to fuck with The Manassa Mauler.

People look at the older Dempsey, the restauranter, classy commentator etc and really misunderstand the man. He was from as difficult a background as anyone who ever fought and he came through it because he was as tough as a dozen Navy Seals.

He was such an animal in the ring he made Roberto Duran look like a altar boy.

Jack was a hard, hard, hard man.

Nice to see Dempsey learn to go back to a corner.

Did not realise he made a comeback at that time.

Originally Posted by Master

Nice to see Dempsey learn to go back to a corner.

Did not realise he made a comeback at that time.

It wasn't much of a "comeback" and didn't last long Master, Jack was desperate for money, after this farce of a fight with Luttrel, he had a couple more farcical bouts with wrestlers before calling it quits for good.

As you might know Dempsey had a successful resturant business in NYC:

Jack Dempsey's Broadway Restaurant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If I could travel back in time I would love to visit that place and if I had all the money in the world i would re-open that restaurant.

Originally Posted by Master

If I could travel back in time I would love to visit that place and if I had all the money in the world i would re-open that restaurant.

I thought Dempseys bar was still open. It is one of the things I would like to visit if I ever got chance to visit NYC. Along with the Garden and Gleasons.

Originally Posted by rjj tszyu

Originally Posted by Master

If I could travel back in time I would love to visit that place and if I had all the money in the world i would re-open that restaurant.

I thought Dempseys bar was still open. It is one of the things I would like to visit if I ever got chance to visit NYC. Along with the Garden and Gleasons.

I am sure it got closed years ago.

Shit just looked it up and it seems there is a bar called Jack Demsey's rather than Dempseys

Here's a pic of Dempsey standing outside his resturant, Jack Dempsey's Restaurant, closed in 1974.





Dempsey's Obituary: (he was 87 when he died)

Jack Dempsey, 87, is Dead; Boxing Champion of 1920's

1974 that means we are 37 years out of date.

Good God do you remember that time Ali fought that wrestler who got on his back on the canvas and lashed out with his feet for so many rounds.

Funny in hindsight annoying at the time.

Originally Posted by Andre

Good God do you remember that time Ali fought that wrestler who got on his back on the canvas and lashed out with his feet for so many rounds.

Funny in hindsight annoying at the time.

Antonio Inoki. The better part was that was the night Chuck Wepner fought Andre the Giant in Shea Stadium and made the mistake of getting him angry ;0

Originally Posted by Andre

Good God do you remember that time Ali fought that wrestler who got on his back on the canvas and lashed out with his feet for so many rounds.

Funny in hindsight annoying at the time.

Yeah, that fight (Antonio Inoki) was horrible, weird that it was ever allowed to happen. A fight that was suggested for Ali but never happened was one with the 7' 1", 275 pound NBA star, Wilt Chamberlain. When Ali was asked how the fight would go he said: "Timberrr!"