Jack Johnson vs Jack Dempsey

[Master]

Johnson at his peak would have handled Dempsey although I am sure that Dempsey did not fight 40 rounds as a champion which Johnson did. Over the shorter distance Johnson would adjust and still win.

[El Kabong]

Here's the tale of the tape...

Jack Johnson
Height: 6'1 1/2
Weight: circa 205
Reach: 74"

Jack Dempsey
Height: 6'1
Weight: circa 190
Reach: 77"

I think that Jack Johnson in his prime had the style to deal with Dempsey but at the point in time you're talking about I think this unfolds like Tyson-Holmes.

[Sand Man]

A young, prime Dempsey (that destroyed Willard) was a mover and swarmer, throwing punches from a lot of angles. Johnson in his prime catches most of them, but a crashing left hook from Dempsey would, I think, eventually get through. Then, how does a prime Johnson handle it? I don't think Johnson took a very good punch, that's why he developed such a slick defense. If middleweight Ketchel almost puts Johnson's lights out, does Johnson get up from a Dempsey punch? If so, does he survive the swarming Dempsey? I don't think so. Prime Dempsey beats prime Johnson 7 out of 10.

[IamInuit]

Lets be honest. Dempsey would have ducked Johnson just as he essentially ducked all the black fighters in his prime.

[bigstinkybug]

*I tend to think that Johnson would've been a handfull for any fighter in any era... prime against prime, u really have to be a fool to go against Johnson. We will never know just how strong he was... rumor was he held back so that he could get fights, that's why he fought the same guy over and over again many times ... many say that he could've killed fighters in the ring.. that and the fact that he was black... and dating white woman.. and smart. lol, the guy was the first"original G"... there's no way of knowing just how talented he was. I'd pick Johnson over alot of heavyweights...

[Mars_ax]

Who knows, Johnson was as tough as they come in his prime and so was Dempsey who destroyed Willard. Granted Johnson was way past his prime when Willard beat him, but it does make you think that the Mananas Mauler would have had a punchers chance. This is one of those fights that boxing fans have already debated for the last 90 plus years.

Good thread.

[IamInuit]

Who knows, Johnson was as tough as they come in his prime and so was Dempsey who destroyed Willard. Granted Johnson was way past his prime when Willard beat him, but it does make you think that the Mananas Mauler would have had a punchers chance. This is one of those fights that boxing fans have already debated for the last 90 plus years.

Good thread.

Willard was a tree trunk with a tad of new growth flailing in the wind. Dempsey ducked Langford and just about anybody else with a different shade. Greb was the only one over that time frame the crossed the colour barrier. Btw Dempsey ducked him also.