If Jack Johnson hadn't threw his bout vs Jess Willard, would Jack Dempsey have been able to beat Jack Johnson?

Question

Hey Sig Sauer, I am sorry if you don't like my question, too bad. But with all due respect, I do not ask or answer questions to make people like me. In life you must be yourself, people will either like you or not. But at least then they have that opinion because it is based off your true self, then it's honest. And I do not think Dempsey cheated. I do not think Willard did. I think Johnson threw the fight though. I also believe he had the best competition available in that time. Reason why? He was black in a time where that was not cool. Do you really think the white man would throw a bunch of losers in so whites could watch what they would call a n****r beat up a white man? And Johnson isnt over rated. Let's put aside all of boxing for a second. His position in the world at a time like that says enough being that he was black. It took some balls to do what he did when he did it, and to me, I would be lying if I referred to him as a "bully". I respect your opinion, please respect mine

Answer 1

JOhnson, Dempsey could punch and move but that was made for JOhnson's style

Answer 2

The Jack Johnson-Jess Willard bout was a very interesting fight in boxing history. I am of the mind that Jack Johnson can be rated no less than number one in boxing history along with Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis. As dominant as Johnson was, imagine how much more dominant he would have been if he did not have to worry about getting shot during his fights. He also had to contend with daily harassment by police and federal marshalls. People always refer to the photo of him shielding his eyes to prove that he threw the fight. if he did throw the fight, that photo is not proof in my estimation that he did throw the fight. Johnson was 37 years-old at the time he faced Willard. He was out of shape, quite fat and constantly hounded by federal marshalls. He was not allowed to train for fear he might be shot or murdered or kidnapped by bounty hunters. Willard was young and fresh, with little talent other than the fact that he could last long and take a beating. If Johnson threw the fight, why would he wait that long to do it? I think he was old, the sun was blazing and he simply ran out of gas and got caught with a hard shot and that was it. Shileding his eyes was a reflexive action which I have done while sleeping when my wife opened our bedroom blinds. Look at what a healthy, young and inshape Dempsey did to Willard. A young Jack Johnson would have toyed with Willard before easily knockig him out at his own convenience.

This brings us to the question of whether Dempsey could have beaten Johnson if Willard had lost to him. Well, according to your perameters, Johnson would have been 41 at the time, so, of course a young Dempsey would have demolished a 41 year-old Johnson. They were both great fighters who fought in different eras. Why not leave it at that.  Dempsey was so much more than a one-dimensional slugger. Unlike jeffries who crouched low with his left arm extended, Dempsey crouched over, with his chin tucked in and his hands held in tight defending his face. Dempsey rarely got caught on the jaw with a good shot because he protected his chin so well. He also could take a good shot. Johnson was the greatest defensive fighter of all time in any weight division. He was also a deadly puncher with a murderous left jab and a great chin. Until Willard, Johnson was never really challenged because he was so much better than anyone else out there in his time. That's not his fault. You can only fight who they put in front of you. Demspey was challenegd by Firpo, Jack Sharkey, and Gene Tunney.  They fought in two different eras with two distinctly different styles.

One thing is certain about these two great fighters. If both were in their primes but Dempsey was the champion, he never would have faced Johnson as Tex Rickard and Jack Kearns would never have allowed it. If Johnson was the champ, Dempsey would get a shot at the title. However, Dempsey refused to fight Sam Langford early in his career because he thought he genuinely had no chance of beating Langford. He was probably right. Johnson beat Langford. Johnson was almost impossible to hit cleanly anywhere on his body. If I had to choose, I would go with Johnson. He had a better chin but not by much. One last thing, moments before Willard kayoed Johnson, he landed a vicious straight right to Johnson's heart. On the tape you can see Johnson's whole body sag as the life drained out of it.  The knockout punch was a mere formality. So, for me, a young Dempsey easily beats an old Johnson. A young Johnson easily beats an old Dempsey. In their primes, Johnson by split decision, if Dempsey doesn't catch him late.