Jack Dempsey

William Harrison Dempsey was born in Manassa, Colorado on 24th June 1895. The ninth of eleven children his upbringing was unforgiving. In his teens, Dempsey was living as a hobo travelling from town to town working numerous different jobs to survive, one of which was organised barroom brawls. Dempsey was nineteen when he started fighting professionally in 1914, under the names Young Dempsey and Kid Blackie, however after the retirement of his brother Bernie, who fought under the name Jack Dempsey (after the middleweight champion “Nonpareil Jack Dempsey)“, he adopted the name himself and fought the rest of his career under the renowned name; Jack Dempsey. In his early career, he endured a number of setbacks, without a win in his first three fights, then when he fought Jim Flynn a legitimate contender he was knocked out in the first round. Then in 1918 Dempsey was spotted by Jack ’Doc’ Kearns, who became his manager, friend and confidant. He fought twenty-one contests that year which included a revenge bout against Flynn whom he finished inside a round.

Under the guidance of Kearns, he was lined up for a title shot in Toledo, Ohio on 4th July 1919, against Jess Willard. Dempsey’s previous twenty-six fights he had an astounding seventeen first round knockouts. Kearns was so confident in his fighter’s ferocious power he bet the entire purse on Dempsey knocking out the champion in the first round. He very nearly became a rich man flooring Willard seven times in the first round; the old champion took a thrashing for the next three rounds before throwing in the towel himself. Dempsey successfully defended his title three times over the next ten months, including boxing’s first million-dollar gate, his epic encounter in 1921 against Frenchman, George Carpentier. The event took place in Jersey City NJ, in front of 80,000 people; the stadium was so crammed the authorities feared it would collapse. On the night, the only thing to fall was Carpentier in four.

Dempsey (The Manassa Mauler) was inactive for over two years before returning to the ring in 1923, against Tommy Gibbons in a dull affair held in a small town of Shelby, Montana. Later the same year came arguably his finest performance against Luis Angel Firpo in New York. The champion floored the Pampas Bull seven times but the tough Argentinean struck back flooring the champion twice himself, once knocking the champion clean out the ring and onto the ringside media. Nevertheless the champion proved too much for Firpo sending him to the canvas again in the second; ending the contest. The contest had been brief and brutal; both men were brawlers and while the fight lasted neither man showed any sign of defence.

The title of being heavyweight champion in itself was a prestigious honour and it showed in Dempsey’s inactivity. It was three years before he placed the title on the line again in 1926. This time his opponent was the total opposite in style, Gene Tunney was a skilful boxer who believed brains would triumph over brawn every time. This night in Philadelphia, anyway he was right as he boxed his way to a comfortable victory, and became the new heavyweight champion. In their rematch, the following year Tunney was again boxing and ahead in the fight when in round seven witnessed the infamous “Long Count”. Dempsey floored Tunney but instead of retiring to a neutral corner as instructed to do so by referee Dave Barry, he stood over the champion resulting in a delayed count, giving the champion vital seconds to recover and box his way to another points win.

Dempsey retired after his second loss to Tunney and became a successful business. Jack Dempsey died in New York on 31st May 1983. He will be remembered as a ferocious puncher who attracted crowds in their tens of thousands, the biggest draw of his era and fought in the first million-dollar gate. He inspired generations to rise above their background and environment.