What heavyweights of the past 50 years could Jack Dempsey NOT beat?

[brocktonblockbust]

Ali, Foreman, Holmes, Holyfield, Bowe, Lyle, Tyson

[erics44]

Bruno

[Beanflicker]

Jack was the shit for his time, but times change, technique improves and evolves, and obviously our athletes are a lot biggers, stronger and faster than they were 100 years ago.

I looked at a list of the world champs over the last 50 years (from Patterson on) and honestly I wouldn't pick Dempsey against any of them.

And I certainly have a hard time believing he'd do anything against our modern super-heavyweights. I know people will point out that Jess Willard was a legit SHW, but 1) Jess Willard was a bum and 2) he didn't have the explosive athletic ability combined with skill that a modern SHW has.

[El Kabong]

I'm fairly certain he would NOT beat either Klitschko Brother...might change if you use the old timey rules where you didn't have to go to a neutral corner during a knockdown, but really Dempsey was tiny and wild...easily outboxed by Gene Tunney (one of the most underrated of all times) so it wouldn't be hard to see Dempsey getting the shit boxed out of him vs solid technical fighters.

[IamInuit]

50 years eh...so from circa 1960 on. Half the time he would be the fox in the hen house and for the other half he'd be one of the hens. I personally don't think he makes the top from the mid to late 60's
to the same time in the seventies. I think he would even have his hands full with guys like Quarry.

In the eighties/nineties he and Tyson would look very Hearns/Hagler like. Jack doesn't make it out of the ring on his feet. Lewis, Ruddick, Bruno all beat him. Toney Tucker would probably pick him apart. He had real issues with anyone who could box a lick. He was the last of the grapplers and actually studied in right up the the first Tunney fight where he was the one that asked for the new neutral corner rule and then ignored it giving Tunney the long count. Jack beats the Mitch Greens and Jessie Fergusons of the world though.

So now to this era. I think Wlad and Vitali destroy him although getting a shot in on the younger brother could change things. I don't think he gets that shot in on the present day Wlad. I think Haye would be to much for him athletically but I think he would walk down most of the others in this era. Speaking of Willard well that's exactly what Helinus would look like. There is just something really lacking in the so-called heavyweight contenders of this era. Its like they don't really want it. Drunk on the riches of mediocrity and lacking that real edge. Dempsey avoided/ducked several fighters in his day including little Greb and Langford.

[beenKOed]

Jack was the shit for his time, but times change, technique improves and evolves, and obviously our athletes are a lot biggers, stronger and faster than they were 100 years ago.

I looked at a list of the world champs over the last 50 years (from Patterson on) and honestly I wouldn't pick Dempsey against any of them.

And I certainly have a hard time believing he'd do anything against our modern super-heavyweights. I know people will point out that Jess Willard was a legit SHW, but 1) Jess Willard was a bum and 2) he didn't have the explosive athletic ability combined with skill that a modern SHW has.

I agree, but not positive about Patterson.
The question should be about the cruiserweight division, in my opinion.
I don't really like this thread because no matter how you word a negative answer, it sounds like you are putting down Dempsey which is the last thing I want to do.

[Beanflicker]

I agree, but not positive about Patterson.
The question should be about the cruiserweight division, in my opinion.

I think Patterson's speed would be too much for him.

[El Kabong]

I think Patterson's speed would be too much for him.

Interesting fight though

Others to consider: Marciano, Johanssen, Liston, Cobb, Quarry, Bob Foster, Dwight Qawi, Holyfield, Joe Frazier, Tommy Hearns, James Toney, Eubank, Roy Jones Jr., Jirov, Michalzweski, Michael Spinks, Walcott, Charles, LaStarza, Max Baer, Braddock, etc.