Quote:
Originally Posted by CEROVFC
I dunno how to put it quite right. He's a fighter that aggressively throws bomb, yet at the exact same time shows masterful ability to roll with punches and avoid counters.
I can't think of another fighter who is so offensively minded, yet brilliant on defense simultaneously.
A true marvel, a true all time great. I guess you don't earn the moniker living legend for being less than absolutely stellar.
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The prime "
Manassa Mauler"
Jack Dempsey circa 1918 to 1921, fits your description to a tee.
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Very clear film of Dempsey-Willard (can download preview clip.)
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Jack Dempsey: To Victory.
YouTube - Jack Dempsey: To Victory
RE: The opening 90 seconds of Dempsey/Willard with Dempsey circling his prey before the carnage begins, and the sparring session with 6′6½″ Big Bill Tate as Dempsey prepared for Willard:
By God, that man could
MOVE.
Ray Arcel trained Roberto Duran for a while (and Barney Ross, Tony Zale, Ezzard Charles, and Larry Holmes), and Arcel considered Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Muhammad Ali to be the 3 Greatest Heavyweights of All-Time.
Gene Tunney,1952- "
Jack was no wild slugger.He was an extremely clever fusion of fighter and boxer..Gibbons was one of the all-time great boxers.Yet Gibbons could not outscore Dempsey..Unable to reach this clever opponent with a knockout punch,he(Dempsey) was still a fine enough combination of fighter and boxer to outscore him all the way."
Unfortunately, Dempsey's most destructive year, 1918 as a contender, went unfilmed.
Folks often wrongfully chalk Dempsey up as a 1-dimensional slugger nowadays based on a handful of films, most of them when he was past his prime.
Dempsey was more like a Heavyweight Roberto Duran.