Famous Ring Wars: Dempsey vs. Willard – pt 2

By Boxing News - 05/28/2011 - Comments

Image: Famous Ring Wars: Dempsey vs. Willard - pt 2By John F. McKenna (McJack): Sam Langford who fought Harry Wills eighteen times in his career was asked how Wills would do against Dempsey. Langford said in the June 5, 1922 Atlanta Constitution that if they ever fought his money would be on Dempsey. “He is the greatest fighter I have ever seen. He hits twice as hard as Jeffries and he is as fast in the ring as James J. Corbett.”

History has not been kind to Jess Willard, remembering him only for being the victim of the worst beating any fighter ever received in a boxing ring. Prior to his defeat by Jack Dempsey however he was looked fondly on by white America as the “White Hope” who finally wiped the smile of the face of Jack Johnson in 1915. Willard had a good left jab and a powerful right hand. His most feared punch was a right uppercut that big Jess had used to knockout many of his opponents. In 1911 Willard had used his right uppercut to knock out “Bull” Young, who died from injuries sustained in the fight. Willard would be haunted for the rest of his life by the death of “Bull” Young. Willard was also known for his strength and stamina and the ability to wear down opponents. He did actually fear severely injuring or even killing young Dempsey, it was not just media hype.

Despite the many quick knockouts Dempsey had achieved in the lead up to the fight, Willard was a solid favorite coming into the ring. Willard’s overconfidence was to the extent that as the referee was giving his final instructions he could barely refrain from smiling. He saw no way that this youth in front of him could prevail. When the bell sounded for the first round Willard confidently moved forward while Dempsey circled on the outside. Willard snapped out two quick left jabs which got Dempsey’s attention. Dempsey clinched and Willard easily manhandled his much smaller foe on the inside. Again Dempsey circled from the outside. Then Dempsey did the only thing he knew how. He attacked with a vengeance unleashing all of his fistic fury. He threw a quick overhand right over Willard’s left shoulder while moving in quickly. He then dug in two wicked body shots and then switched his attack to the face and head, raining punches in on Willard so quickly and viciously that big Jess seemed stunned, not only by their power, but by their sheer volume. The punches were hitting him so hard and fast that they seemed to explode on impact on the hapless champion who crumpled to the floor for the first time in his career. From the time of the first knockdown the “Pottawatomie Giant” was doomed. In 1919 a fighter was not required to go to a neutral corner after scoring a knockdown. From the moment Willard’s knee left the floor the “Mannassa Mauler” pounced on him raining piston like punches on the bewildered and stunned soon to be ex Champion. Each time Jess got up Dempsey would send him crashing to the canvas again, a process that was repeated seven times.



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