Jack Dempsey

At 87 years old, Jack Dempsey has this physical status:

Early life and career

Born William Harrison Dempsey in Manassa, Colorado, in 1895, he grew up in Colorado and West Virginia. Mary Celia (née Smoot) and Hiram Dempsey's son said he was part of Irish ancestry and appeared to be partially Cherokee.

William A. Dempsey, of Logan County, West Virginia, has named John Dempsey, Jr., of Mud Fork of Island Creek, as the executor of his last will and testament, which was dated May 1, 1875. Upon payment of his debts and funeral expenses, he ordered that his wife Mahulda inherit the remainder of his personal estate, while his six children get a share of his real estate. On August 10, 1875, he received his last will and testament, as shown by Estella, John, and Hiram Dempsey.

In 1887, Hiram and Celia Dempsey, along with Jack, were sent to West Virginia. According to one newspaper, they were described as "active workers" for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

According to church doctrine, Dempsey was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1903, the "age of accountability" in the church.

Hiram Dempsey and his family escaped to Logan County when Jack was a young boy, where he was not raised until just before beginning his boxing career was started. "They went back to Logan county as a young child," Said the Logan Banner. Jack stayed here until a young man was hired by the Gay Coal and Coke Company as late as 1913, and then went west alone to seek pugilistic riches. On the coast of California, Jack Kearns made his way across the sport, beginning with his spectacular climb to the pinnacle of the heavyweight division, giving the game one of its most romantic episodes." "I used to call Logan home" when Dempsey's ride from New York to Florida in January 1924. In August 1926, the Banner announced that local boxer Bear Cat Clemons sparred two rounds per day with Dempsey at Saratoga Lake, New York, quoting Logan county over Logan county."

"The Dempsey family lived on Mud Fork and another time near the Logan-Mingo line for a short period in 1926." Many families live in the two counties, and they, as well as his former neighbors, have been proud of his prowess and success. As a boy Jack and O.D. Avis, the newspaper's sports editor, used pins in a bowling alley on the Main street corner, which now is occupied by the Logan garage. Don Chafin, the former Logan County sheriff, was on vacation to New York in June 1927 to watch the Dempsey-Sharkey confrontation. "Mr. Chafin has attended every fight in which Dempsey has competed since winning the world's championship in Toledo," the Logan Banner reported. They have been close friends since Dempsey was a boy and a familiar figure about Logan.

In September 1927, Celia Dempsey, mother to Jack and at that time a Utah resident, visited Huntington and Logan. "Interviewed at Huntington Mrs. Dempsey spoke of her desire to revisit girlhood scenes and inquired about old friends," the Logan Banner said. She remembered Uncle Dyke Garrett and was surprised to learn that he is still living. During the nearness of his 86th birthday, Uncle Dyke returned from Chapmanville to greet Mrs. Dempsey. Jack Dempsey was never aware of him, but he recalls her mother as a child, Cecilia Smoot, who was born in 1908. She was the niece of Charles Smoot's, who came from Boone County and died on Island Creek. Mrs. Smoot (Jack Dempsey's grandmother) married Simpson Ellis, who died just a few years ago after being on the county court for a long time. Yesterday, Mr. Dempsey was welcomed at the Huntington Hotel by Scott Justice, who divides his time between Huntington and Logan. He recalls Hiram Dempsey and Cecilia Smoot's marriage, as well as the fact that the town of Holden now stands was sold by Hiram Dempsey to Mr. Justice's father as the family began to migrate westward. The 200-acre tract changed hands for a consideration of $600, according to Mr. Justice. Enoch Baker, the challenger's mother, was the first one to call.' Mr. Baker was engaged in Logan county when the Dempseys lived here, being familiar with the family. Mrs. Dempsey will visit her half-brothers, Don Ellis of Stratton Street, Joseph and John B. Ellis of Island Creek, and others while in Logan.

Mrs. Dempsey spent six days in Logan, quartering at the Aracoma Hotel. "By the time they reached Sharples, Mrs. Dempsey's hatbox containing a $3500 watch, a gift from her most popular uncle, and two valuable rings was missing." They returned to Logan after an anxious look discovered the missing box with contents undisturbed among the Washington apartments. Evidently it had fallen into the street and some passerby had pointed it against the building, seemingly without concern or curiosity about the material's contents. Though Mrs. Dempsey seemed to have enjoyed her visit to West Virginia and expressed a nascent hope that she would return next year for a longer stay, she also said she would not want to live back here again due to the change in climate. However, the people are more sociable here and are much more welcoming on first acquaintance," she said.

Since his father had trouble finding jobs, the family travelled frequently, and Dempsey dropped out of elementary school to work and then left home at the age of 16. He rode the rodes and slept in hobo camps due to his money deficiency. Desperate for money, Dempsey would occasionally visit saloons and fight for trophies, but "I can't sing and I can't dance, but I can lick any SOB in the house." Bets would be made if anyone accepted the challenge. He never lost these barroom brawls, according to Dempsey's autobiography. Dempsey served as a part-time bodyguard for Thomas F. Kearns, president of The Salt Lake Tribune and the son of Utah's U.S. senator. Senator Thomas Kearns.

During his time in the Salt Lake City area, Dempsey often battled under the alias "Kid Blackie," but he went by "Young Dempsey" during his tenure. In The Ring Record Book, which Nat Fleischer assembled, a large portion of his early career is unknown, and stated as such.

He began competing as "Jack Dempsey" (by his own recollection) in Cripple Creek, Colorado, during the fall of 1914. Bernie, his brother, who suffered under the pseudonym "Jack Dempsey" as a middleweight boxer and former champion, had signed to fight veteran George Copelin, a common feature of the day. Upon learning that Copelin had sparred with then current world heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, and knowing Bernie Dempsey was approaching 40 years of age, he decided not to participate in the competition. "Jack Dempsey" was substituted by his brother, who was still unknown in Eastern Colorado. The fans on the ringside knew this was not the man they had paid to see right away.

The promoter became vehemently ill and "sailed into us barehanded," threatening to end the war. He was weighed out by 20 pounds and outweighed Dempsey by 20 pounds. "I might kill the skinny guy" after seeing Dempsey's petite stature in the ring, the promoter warned him. The promoter reluctantly allowed the contest to begin, and in his first outing as "Jack Dempsey," the upcoming champion defeated Copelin six times in the first round and twice in the second. It was a war of attrition from there ("Neither Bernie nor I had taken into account the high altitude at Cripple Creek." "The referee was allowed to make the final standoff after Copelin recovered his feet until a last knockdown in the seventh." "They didn't stop mining-town wars as long as one guy could walk," Dempsey says. It was a $100 dollar verdict during the fire trial. "I'm sure you would not give you anything" if the promoter, who was enraged by the brothers' separation, had no promised side bets, and even if I did, I wouldn't.

Such lessons were difficult, but Jack Dempsey did a good job, but it was also combative. Following the name change, Dempsey won six fights in a row before falling on a disqualification in four rounds to Jack Downey. Dempsey's career began in Utah, where he was regularly involved in battles in towns throughout the Wasatch Mountain Range area. With a knockout victory and two draws against Johnny Sudenberg in Nevada, he followed his defeat against Downey. When he met Downey again, he received three more victories and a draw, this time resulting in a four-round draw. Dempsey won 10 more games, including matches against Sudenberg and Downey, knocking Downey in two rounds, with 10 more victories coming from these victories. These victories were followed by three no-decision matches, but at this point in boxing history, the use of judges to score a fight was often outlawed, so if a fight went the distance, it was a draw or a no decision, depending on the state or county where the match was held.

Dempsey started working in a shipyard and went straight to box after World War I in 1917. He was subsequently accused of being a slacker for not enlisting. This was a black mark on his reputation until 1920, when reports revealed he had registered with the US Army but was refused due to poverty (having a dependent spouse). Dempsey spent two years in Salt Lake City, "bumming around" as he called it, before returning to the ring.

Fireman Jim Flynn, the first boxer to beat Dempsey by a knockout in the first round, and Gunboat Smith, the former World Champion and Hall of Famer Sam Langford, were among his rivals. Dempsey defeated Smith in the third round for the third time.

Dempsey was first managed by John J. Reisler before he recruited the long-serving Jack Kearns as his manager.

Dempsey played in 17 games, finishing 15–1 with one no-decision one year later, in 1918. Flynn was knocked out by Dempsey in the first round, which coincidentally, in the first round. Among the matches beaten this year were against Light Heavyweight Champion Battling Levinsky, Bill Brennan, Fred Fulton, Carl E. Morris, Billy Miske, heavyweight Lefty Jim McGettigan, and Homer Smith. He won five straight fights as well as a a one-round special bout in 1919.

Jess Willard, the dempsey and world heavyweight champion, retired from Toledo for the world championship on July 4, 1919. And although Willard, nicknamed the "Pottawa Giant," was 6'6+1+1, 245 pounds, pro lightweight fighter Benny Leonard predicted a win for the 6'1" and 187-pound Dempsey. In the first round, Willard was knocked down seven times by Dempsey.

Willard was described as having broken jaw, fractured ribs, several broken teeth, and a string of facial fractures. This reigned suspicion that Dempsey had cheated, with others doubting that the force capable of causing such harm was not distributed through Dempsey's knuckles without cracking them.

However, other reports failed to mention that Willard sustained any serious injuries. The New York Times' coverage of the war described severe swelling on one side of Willard's face, but did not mention any broken bones. Willard's face does appear to have discoloration and swelling as a result of the war.

Willard was quoted as saying, "Dempsey is a remarkable hitter." Following the match, Willard was quoted as saying, "Dempsey is a genius hitter." It was the first time I had been knocked off my feet. I've sent several birds home in the same sad shape that I am in, and now I know how they felt. I wish Dempsey all the best luck and hope that he inherits all the riches that comes with the championship. The subject was my fling. I was champion for four years, and I can assure you that they will never have to give a pension to me. "I have invested the money" I have earned. Willard later said that "gangsterism" had defeated him.

After being fired by Dempsey, manager Jack Kearns gave an account of the fight in the Sports Illustrated issue on January 20, 1964, which has come to be known as the "loaded gloves theory." Kearns said in the interview that he had told Dempsey that he had waged his share of the purse favoring a Dempsey win with a first-round loss. Kearns also claimed that he had applied plaster of Paris to the fighter's hands.

"The films show Willard strolling over to Dempsey and inspecting his hands," boxing historian J. J. Johnston said. Kearns' tale was inaccurate, as well as an experiment that was aimed at a boxing magazine aimed at re-enacting the fight.

Nat Fleischer, the Ring's founder and editor, said he was present when Dempsey's hands were wrapped, adding, "Jack Dempsey had no loaded gloves and no plaster of Paris over his bandages." I followed the proceedings closely, and Deforest was the only one who had anything to do with Jack's tapping of his hands. Kearns had nothing to do with it, so his plaster of Paris tale is untru."

"I can testify since I watched the taping." Deforest described Dempsey's gloves being labelled as "trash" and said he did not apply any foreign substance to them. In Dempsey's obituary published by The New York Times, sports columnist Red Smith denied the allegation.

Dempsey is also accused of using a knuckleduster in the first round. Some believed the object was a rail spike. Joe Stone, an ex-referee and boxing journalist, claimed in a film shot of the war, an object on the canvas could be seen after the final knockdown. The object appears to have been retrieved by someone from Dempsey's corner, according to Dempsey's corner. However, Dempsey can be seen repeatedly during the fight, holding the glove in question, refusing to move with both hands, making it next to impossible that he had any foreign object embedded in his glove, while the object's shape mimics a cigar.

The fact that Dempsey stayed the first round in the first round fueled more debate, assuaging the argument was over. This was seen as a breach of the rules, but Willard's corner did not push for change in order for the referee to disqualify Dempsey.

Following his triumph, Dempsey travelled around the country, making publicity appearances with circuses, staging exhibits, and filming in a low-budget Hollywood film. Dempsey did not defend his name until September 1920, during a contest against Billy Miske in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where he was defeated. In three rounds, Miske was knocked out.

Bill Brennan's second title defense was held at Madison Square Garden, New York City, in December 1920. Brennan was up on points after ten rounds, and Dempsey's left ear was bleeding profusely, and Dempsey's left ear was bleeding profusely. In the 12th round, Dempsey came back to stop Brennan.

Dempsey's next defending battle was against French WW I hero Georges Carpentier, a fighter known on both directions of the Atlantic. Tex Rickard and George Bernard Shaw, who said that Carpentier was "the best boxer in the world," proclaimed the fight.

At Boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey, the Dempsey–Carpentier contest took place on July 2, 1921. It was the first million-dollar gate in boxing history; a crowd of 91,000 attended the contest. Experts foresee a one-sided victory for Dempsey despite the fact that it was dubbed "the Fight of the Century." RCA arranged live coverage of the match in KDKA, making it the first national radio broadcast.

In the second round, Carpentier wobbled Dempsey with a hard right. However, a reporter at ringside gathered 25 punches from Dempsey in a single 31-second conversation soon after being allegedly injured by the right. In the second round, Carpentier broke his thumb, which ended his chances. In the fourth round, Dempsey emerged champion of the tournament.

In Shelby, Montana, Dempsey did not defend his crown until 1923 against Tommy Gibbons. Due to a 15-round decision, Dempsey prevailed in the match.

In September 1923 at the Polo Grounds in Dempsey vs. Firpo, Dempsey's last successful title defense was at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Attendances amounted to 85,000, with another 20,000 attempting to gain entry. Firpo was repeatedly knocked by Dempsey, but Firpo battled back, even knocking Dempsey down twice. Dempsey was first spotted on the ring ropes, landing on a ringside reporter's typewriter on his second occasion. He was out of the ring for about 14 seconds, less than the 20 second penalty for out-of-ring knockouts at this time. Nonetheless, the writers at ringside helped him back into the ring. Dempsey won with a second-round KO over Argentine Luis ngel Firpo. The war was broadcast live on radio to Buenos Aires.

Dempsey's heavyweight championship tournaments, exhibition exhibition fights, films, and endorsements made him one of the world's richest celebrities, placing him on the front page of Time.

Following the Firpo war, Dempsey did not defend his position for three years. Dempsey's title was defended by the public and the media against Black nominee Harry Wills. Those who believe Dempsey avoided Wills are among boxing historians, although Dempsey said he was able to fight him. Although he originally won the title, he had promised that he would not continue to fight Black boxers.

Dempsey earned money with boxing exhibits, product endorsements, and acting in films like Daredevil Jack, rather than continuing to defend his position. In addition, Dempsey did a lot of traveling, shopping, and partying. Dempsey married actress Estelle Taylor in 1925 and fired his long-time trainer/manager Jack "Doc" Kearns during this period away from competitive warfare. Following his dismissal, Kearns has consistently sued Dempsey for large sums of money.

Dempsey was appointed to an executive position in the Irish Workers League in April 1924 (IWL). The IWL was a Soviet-backed Communist party established in Dublin by Irish labour leader Jim Larkin.

In September 1926, Dempsey defeated Irish American and former US Marine Gene Tunney in Philadelphia, a fighter who had only lost once in his career. Tunney was the underdog against Dempsey despite his reputation and inactivity.

The game ended in an upset, with Dempsey losing his title on points in ten rounds. "Honey, I forgot to duck" when Dempsey returned to his dressing room. President Ronald Reagan borrowed this quote from his wife Nancy after the assault on his life.

Following his loss of the heavyweight title, Dempsey considered retirement but decided to go back to try a comeback. It was during this time when John Dempsey, his brother, shot his estranged wife Edna (aged 21) and then committed suicide, leaving behind a two-year-old boy Bruce. Dempsey was sent to identify the bodies after being physically wounded by the incident.

Dempsey knocked out future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey in the seventh round during a 1927 match at Yankee Stadium. The match was a knockout match against Tunney in an elimination match. Sharkey was beating Dempsey until the end. Sharkey said Dempsey had been striking him below the belt, causing the fight to end tensely. Sharkey's complaint was not well-protected when he turned to the referee. Dempsey smashed a left hook onto his opponent's chest, but Sharkey was unable to beat the ten-count.

On September 22, 1927, Dempsey–Tunney rematch took place in Chicago, Illinois, just over a year after losing his title to Tunney. The contest attracted more attention than the Carpentier and Firpo wars, bringing in a record-breaking $2 million gate. According to reports, Al Capone attempted to set the match in his favor, but the referee was changed to prevent that from happening. Millions of viewers around the country tuned in on radio, while hundreds of journalists covered the game. Tunney was paid a one million dollars for the rematch. The equivalent in U.S. currency today would be about $15,600,000.00.

When Dempsey knocked Tunney down with a left hook to the chin and landed several more punches, he was losing the fight on points. At the time of the war, a new rule was introduced that if a fighter knocked down an opponent, the fighter must immediately return to a neutral corner. However, Dempsey refused to immediately move to the neutral corner when ordered by the referee. The referee had to bring Dempsey to the neutral corner, requiring Tunney to take at least five seconds to recover. Tunney was down for 14 seconds, but Tunney was up for a challenge with a count of 9. Dempsey then tried to finish Tunney off before the game, but was unable to do so. Tunney defeated Dempsey by a margin of one in round eight and advanced to the final two rounds of the competition, keeping the world heavyweight champion's title undisputed. During discussions between members of the Dempsey camp, ironically, the neutral corner ruling was requested. Tunney's demotion of Dempsey was triggered right away, not waiting for Tunney to emerge to a neutral corner. The Dempsey-Tunney rematch remains regarded as "The Long Count Fight" due to the tumultuous character of the fight and conflicting figures.

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