Born William Harrison Dempsey in Manassa, Colorado, Jack Dempsey took his ring name from Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey, an older middleweight fighter. Before then, the younger Dempsey was known as "Kid Blackie". He started his professional career in 1913. In 1919, Dempsey fought for the Heavyweight Championship of the World against Jess Willard. He went on to have thrilling title defenses against the likes of Georges Carpentier of France, Luis Angel Firpo of Argentina, and two brutal bouts with "The Fighting Marine" Gene Tunney.
Jack Dempsey vs. Jess Willard for the Heavyweight Championship of the World
On the Fourth of July, 1919, Jack Dempsey met Jess Willard for the Heavyweight Championship of the World in Toledo, Ohio. Willard weighed in at 245 pounds and stood 6 feet 6 1/2 inches tall. Dempsey was 6 feet 1 inch and weighed 187 pounds. However, from the opening bell, Dempsey pounced on Willard like a raging storm. He pummeled the champion mercilessly, raining hooks, uppercuts, and straight rights to the body and head.
Willard was knocked down seven times in the first round, and because of the rules at the time, Dempsey could stand over him to smash him down again once Willard's knees were off the canvas. Dempsey flattened the champion's nose, shattered his jaw in seven places, cracked his cheekbone, knocked out four front teeth, broke his ribs, and administered a partial hearing loss to the courageous giant. Willard withstood this punishment for 3 full rounds and wanted to go in for the 4th, but his corner threw in the towel to save his life.
Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier in His Third Title Defense
Dempsey had defended the title the first and second times against Billy Miske in September, 1920 and Bill Brennan in December, 1920. He knocked out Miske in the third round and stopped Brennan in the twelfth after sustaining a badly bleeding left ear from the pounding that Brennan delivered. His next title bout was against Georges Carpentier, the great light heavyweight champion from France in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 2, 1921.
Carpentier, a skilled boxer, started the fight impressively, smashing Dempsey with a sledge hammer right, in the 2nd, staggering the champ. However, Dempsey then went on to deliver a pulverizing flurry of 25 blows within a 31 second period that made Georges wither. Carpentier endured brutal punishment for 3 rounds, even breaking his thumb while punching back. Regardless, Dempsey proved to be too much to handle and the Frenchman was finished in the 4th.
Jack Dempsey vs. Luis Angel Firpo from Argentina and is Knocked from the Ring
The champion put his title on the line against Tommy Gibbons in July, 1923 winning a 15 round decision against his overpowered opponent. In September, 1923, Dempsey fought Luis Angel Firpo from Argentina for the crown. Firpo had a reputation as a clumsy yet powerful puncher. As the fight started and progressed, Dempsey used Firpo for a human puching bag, but the challenger gamely, though awkwardly, retaliated.
To the crowd of 85,000, the 2nd round seemed to spell the end for Dempsey. As the champ kept delivering blow after blow, Firpo gave Dempsey a right hand smash that sent him through the ropes and onto a reporter's typewriter. Dempsey was out of the ring for more than 10 seconds and was assisted by the reporter to re-enter the ring. Dempsey should have been disqualified. Instead, he was allowed to continue to punish Firpo, knocking him down repeatedly before finally knocking him out.
Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney I and II
After a three-year layoff, Jack Dempsey faced Gene Tunney, "The Fighting Marine" for the heavyweight crown on September 23, 1926 in Philadelphia. When he met with Tunney, it showed. Tunney, The Light Heavyweight Champion of the World, gave Dempsey a boxing lesson, beating him up with fast moves, lighting fast counterpunching combinations, viselike clenching, and overall superior boxing techniques. After the 10 round punishment, Dempsey commented to his wife, "Honey, I forgot to duck."
Dempsey vs. Tunney II was pretty much the same. Dempsey still displayed his "has been" qualities on September 22, 1927 in Chicago. However, in the 7th round, "The Manassa Mauler" charged from his corner, trapped Tunney on the ropes and delivered a savage pounding to the champ, knocking him down. But Dempsey had forgotten the new ruling of retreating to a neutral corner. He stood over Tunney waiting for him to rise so that he could smash him down. This event would live in boxing history as the "Long Count". It is estimated that it gave Tunney an extra 5 seconds to recover before Dempsey was finally led back to a corner by the referee. Tunney went on to elude Dempsey, outboxing him, for the next 3 rounds, retaining the heavyweight title.
Source:
Roberts, Randy. Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler. LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1979.
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