Jack Dempsey | |
|---|---|
 Dempsey in 1920 | |
| Born | William Harrison Dempsey (1895-06-24)June 24, 1895 Manassa, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | May 31, 1983(1983-05-31) (aged 87) New York City, U.S. |
| Other names |
|
| Statistics | |
| Weight | |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Reach | 73 in (185 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 84 |
| Wins | 68 |
| Wins by KO | 53 |
| Losses | 6 |
| Draws | 10 |
William Harrison "Jack"Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamedKid Blackie andThe Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and wasworld heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. He is ranked sixth onThe Ring magazine's list of all-time heavyweights and fourth among its Top 100 Greatest Punchers, while in 1950 theAssociated Press voted him as the greatest fighter of the past 50 years.[1]
Dempsey was the inaugural winner of theEdward J. Neil Memorial Plaque in 1938, awarded by theBoxing Writers Association of Greater New York.[2] Dempsey was an inaugural inductee ofThe Ring magazine Hall of Fame (1954), the World Boxing Hall of Fame (1980), and theInternational Boxing Hall of Fame (1990).[3][4] Considered one of the most iconic athletes of his era, Dempsey generated boxing's first million-dollar gate in 1921 againstGeorges Carpentier ($1,789,238), surpassing his own 1919 record of $452,522.10 set versusJess Willard. He later drew the sport's first two-million-dollar gate in his 1927 rematch withGene Tunney.[5][6]
Dempsey was born in Manassa, Colorado and grew up in Colorado, West Virginia, and Utah, in a poor family. His parents were Mary Celia (née Smoot) and Hiram Dempsey. Dempsey was baptized intothe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,[7] in 1903 following his eighth birthday, the "age of accountability", according to church doctrine.[8]
Hiram Dempsey and his family returned to Logan County, WV[9]when Jack was a small boy, where he was raised until shortly before commencement of his boxing career. Said theLogan Banner: "While he was a mere child, they returned to Logan county. Jack remained here until a young man, having been employed by the Gay Coal and Coke Company as late as 1913, and then went west alone to seek pugilistic fortune. He metJack Kearns on the Pacific coast, from which point his spectacular climb to the pinnacle of the heavyweight division furnished the sport with one of its most romantic episodes."[10] In January 1924, theBanner reported on Dempsey's trip from New York toFlorida, stating that he "used to call Logan home."[11] In August 1926, theBanner reported how local boxer Bear Cat Clemons sparred two rounds per day with Dempsey atSaratoga Lake, New York, remarking: "When Dempsey and Clemons face each other in the squared circle, it is Logan county versus Logan county."[12]
The Banner, in a small September 1926 item, provided more history about Dempsey's Logan County roots: "The Dempsey family at one time lived on Mud Fork and another period near the Logan-Mingo line. Many relatives live in the two counties; and they as well as his former friends have taken pride in his prowess and successes. As a boy Jack and O.D. Avis, sports editor ofThe Banner, used to set up pins in a bowling alley on the Main street corner now occupied by the Logan garage."[13] In June 1927, former Logan County sheriffDon Chafin traveled to New York City to watch the Dempsey-Sharkey fight. TheLogan Banner reported: "Mr. Chafin has attended every fight in which Dempsey has participated since he won the world's championship inToledo. They have been close friends since Dempsey was a boy and a familiar figure about Logan."[14]
Celia Dempsey, mother to Jack and at that time a resident ofUtah, visitedHuntington andLogan in September 1927. Said theLogan Banner:
Interviewed at Huntington Mrs. Dempsey told of her desire to revisit girlhood scenes and inquired about old friends. She spoke of Uncle Dyke Garrett and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he is still living. Uncle Dyke read the interview and despite the nearness of his 86th birthday, came back up from his home back ofChapmanville to welcome Mrs. Dempsey. This beloved old mountain minister never knew Jack Dempsey, but he remembers Jack's mother as a girl, her maiden name being Cecilia Smoot. She was a daughter of Charles Smoot, who came to Logan fromBoone County, and who lived and died up on Island Creek. After his death, Mrs. Smoot (Jack Dempsey's grandmother) married Simpson Ellis, who died but a few years ago, after serving a long period on the county court. Scott Justice, who divides his time between Huntington and Logan, was among those who greeted Mrs. Dempsey at the Huntington Hotel yesterday. He remembers the marriage of Hiram Dempsey and Cecilia Smoot, and also recalls that the site on which the town ofHolden now stands was sold by Hiram Dempsey to Mr. Justice's father when the family decided to migrate westward. According to Mr. Justice, the tract of 200 acres changed hands for a consideration of $600. "Uncle" Enoch Baker was another caller to greet the challenger's mother. Mr. Baker was engaged in business in Logan county when the Dempseys lived here, being well acquainted with the family. While in Logan, Mrs. Dempsey will visit her half-brothers, Don Ellis of Stratton Street, and Joseph and John B. Ellis of Island Creek, and others."[10]
Mrs. Dempsey spent six days in Logan, quartering at the Aracoma Hotel. Her departure yielded an additional story:
By the time they reachedSharples, Mrs. Dempsey missed a hatbox containing a $3500 watch, a gift from her famous son, and two valuable rings. They returned at once to Logan and after an anxious search found the missing box with contents undisturbed alongside the Washington apartments. Evidently it had fallen into the street and some passerby had placed it against the building, presumably without knowledge or curiosity as to the nature of its contents. While Mrs. Dempsey seemed to have enjoyed her visit in West Virginia and expressed a hope that she could come back next year for a longer stay, she said she wouldn't want to live back here again because of the difference in climate. However, the people are more sociable here, she added, and are much more friendly upon first acquaintance."[15]
Because his father had difficulty finding work, the family traveled often and Dempsey dropped out of elementary school to work and left home at the age of 16. Due to his lack of money, he frequentlyrode the rods and slept inhobo camps.[16] Desperate for money, Dempsey would occasionally visit saloons and challenge for fights, saying "I can't sing and I can't dance, but I can lick anySOB in the house." If anyone accepted the challenge, bets would be made. According to Dempsey's autobiography, he rarely lost these bar room brawls.[17] For a short time, Dempsey was a part-time bodyguard for Thomas F. Kearns, president ofThe Salt Lake Tribune and son of Utah's U.S. SenatorThomas Kearns.[18]
Dempsey often fought under the pseudonym, "Kid Blackie", although during his stint in theSalt Lake City area, he went by "Young Dempsey".[19] Much of his early career is not recorded, and stated thus, inThe Ring Record Book as compiled byNat Fleischer.
He first competed as "Jack Dempsey" (by his own recollection) in the fall of 1914, inCripple Creek, Colorado. His brother, Bernie, who often fought under the pseudonym "Jack Dempsey"—this a common practice of the day, in fighters' admiration ofmiddleweight boxer and former champion,Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey—had signed to fight veteran George Copelin. Upon learning Copelin had sparred with then current world heavyweight championJack Johnson, and given Bernie Dempsey was nearing 40 years of age, he strategically decided to back out of the fight.[20] He substituted his brother, still unknown in Eastern Colorado, as "Jack Dempsey". The fans at ringside immediately knew this was not the man they had paid to see.
The promoter became violently angry and "sailed into us, barehanded", threatening to stop the fight.[19] Copelin himself, who outweighed Dempsey by 20 lbs. (165 to 145) upon seeing Dempsey's small stature in the ring, warned the promoter, "I might kill that skinny guy." The promoter reluctantly permitted the fight to commence, and in his first outing as "Jack Dempsey", the future champion downed Copelin six times in the first round and twice in the second.[21] From there, it was a battle of attrition ("Neither Bernie nor I had taken into consideration the high altitude at Cripple Creek."), until a last knockdown of Copelin in the seventh moved the referee to make the then-unusual move of stopping the fight once Copelin regained his feet. According to Dempsey "In those days they didn't stop mining-town fights as long as one guy could move."[22] This trial by fire carried with it a $100 purse. The promoter, angered at the switch pulled by the brothers, had laid no promised side bets, "... and even if I did, I wouldn't give you anything."[23]
Following the name change, Dempsey won six bouts in a row byknockout before losing on a disqualification in four rounds to Jack Downey. During this early part of his career, Dempsey campaigned in Utah, frequently entering fights in towns in theWasatch Mountain Range region. He followed his loss against Downey with a knockout win and two draws versus Johnny Sudenberg inNevada. Three more wins and a draw followed when he met Downey again, this time resulting in a four-round draw. Following these wins, Dempsey racked up 10 more wins that included matches against Sudenberg and Downey, knocking out Downey in two rounds. These wins were followed with three no-decision matches, although at this point in the history of boxing, the use of judges to score a fight was often forbidden,[citation needed] so if a fight went the distance, it was called a draw or a no decision, depending on the state or county where the fight was held.
After the United States entered World War I in 1917, Dempsey worked in a shipyard and continued to box. Afterward, he was accused by some boxing fans of being aslacker for not enlisting. This remained a black mark on his reputation until 1920, when evidence produced showed he had registered with theU.S. Army, but been exempted due to hardship (having a dependent wife).[A] After the war, Dempsey spent two years inSalt Lake City, "bumming around" as he called it, before returning to the ring.[24]
Among his opponents as a rising contender wereFireman Jim Flynn, the only boxer ever to beat Dempsey by a knockout when Dempsey lost to him in the first round (although some boxing historians believe the fight was a "fix"),[25] andGunboat Smith, (who was a formerly highly ranked contender who had beaten both World ChampionJess Willard and Hall of FamerSam Langford). Dempsey beat Smith for the third time on a second-round knockout. Dempsey had refused a match withSam Langford in 1916. According to Dempsey: "I think Sam Langford was the greatest fighter we ever had."
Before he employed the long-experiencedJack Kearns as his manager, Dempsey was first managed by John J. Reisler.[B][C]
One year later, in 1918, Dempsey fought in 17 matches, going 15–1 with one no-decision. One of those fights was with Flynn, who was knocked out by Dempsey, coincidentally, in the first round. Among other matches won that year were againstLight Heavyweight ChampionBattling Levinsky, Bill Brennan, Fred Fulton,Carl E. Morris, Billy Miske, heavyweight Lefty Jim McGettigan, and Homer Smith. In 1919, he won five consecutive regular bouts by knockout in the first round as well as a one-round special bout.[26]
On July 4, 1919, Dempsey and world heavyweight championJess Willard met atToledo for the world title. Pro lightweight fighterBenny Leonard predicted a victory for the 6'1", 187-pound Dempsey even though Willard, known as the "Pottawatamie Giant", was 6'6+1⁄2" tall and 245 pounds. Ultimately, Willard was knocked down seven times by Dempsey in the first round.[27]
Accounts of the fight reported that Willard suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs, several broken teeth, and a number of deep fractures to his facial bones. This aroused suspicion that Dempsey had cheated, with some questioning how the force capable of causing such damage had been transmitted through Dempsey's knuckles without fracturing them.[24]
Other reports, however, failed to mention Willard suffered any real injuries.[28]The New York Times' account of the fight described severe swelling visible on one side of Willard's face, but did not mention any broken bones.[29] A still photograph of Willard following the fight appears to show discoloration and swelling on his face.[24]
Following the match, Willard was quoted as saying, "Dempsey is a remarkable hitter. It was the first time that I had ever been knocked off my feet. I have sent many birds home in the same bruised condition that I am in, and now I know how they felt. I sincerely wish Dempsey all the luck possible and hope that he garnishes all the riches that comes with the championship. I have had my fling with the title. I was champion for four years and I assure you that they'll never have to give a benefit for me. I have invested the money I have made".[28] Willard later said he had been defeated by "gangsterism".[24]
After being fired by Dempsey, manager Jack Kearns gave an account of the fight in the January 20, 1964, issue ofSports Illustrated that has become known as the "loaded gloves theory". In the interview, Kearns said he had informed Dempsey he had wagered his share of the purse favoring a Dempsey win with a first-round knockout. Kearns further stated he had appliedplaster of Paris to the wrappings on the fighter's hands.
Boxing historianJ. J. Johnston said, "the films show Willard upon entering the ring walking over to Dempsey and examining his hands." That, along with an experiment conducted by a boxing magazine designed to re-enact the fight have been noted as proof that Kearns' story was false.[28]
The Ring founder and editorNat Fleischer said he had been present when Dempsey's hands were wrapped, stating, "Jack Dempsey had no loaded gloves, and no plaster of Paris over his bandages. I watched the proceedings and the only person who had anything to do with the taping of Jack's hands was Deforest[clarification needed]. Kearns had nothing to do with it, so his plaster of Paris story is simply not true."
Deforest himself said that he regarded the stories of Dempsey's gloves being loaded as libel, calling them "trash", and said he did not apply any foreign substance to them, "which I can verify since I watched the taping."[30]Sports writerRed Smith, in Dempsey's obituary published byThe New York Times was openly dismissive of the claim.[31]
Another rumor is that Dempsey used aknuckleduster during the first round. Some speculated that the object used was arail spike.[24] In theLos Angeles Times on July 3, 1979, Joe Stone, an ex-referee and boxing writer, asserted that in a film taken of the fight, an object on the canvas could be seen after the final knockdown. He further asserted that the object appears to be removed by someone from Dempsey's corner. In the same film, however, Dempsey can be seen at various times during the fight pushing and holding with Willard with the palm of the glove in question and holding on to the ropes with both hands, making it next to impossible that he had any foreign object embedded in his glove, and the object resembles a cigar.[28]
Further controversy was fueled by the fact that Dempsey left the ring at the end of the first round, thinking the fight was over. This was seen as a violation of the rules, however Willard's corner did not ask for enforcement in order for the referee to disqualify Dempsey.[24]
Following his victory, Dempsey traveled around the country, making publicity appearances with circuses, staging exhibitions, and appearing in a low-budget Hollywood movie. Dempsey did not defend his title until September 1920, with a fight againstBilly Miske inBenton Harbor, Michigan. Miske was knocked out in three rounds.
Dempsey's second title defense was in December 1920 against Bill Brennan atMadison Square Garden, New York City. After 10 rounds, Brennan was ahead on points, and Dempsey's left ear was bleeding profusely. Dempsey rebounded to stop Brennan in the 12th round.
Dempsey's next defending fight was against FrenchWW I heroGeorges Carpentier, a fighter popular on both sides of the Atlantic.[D] The bout was promoted byTex Rickard andGeorge Bernard Shaw, who claimed that Carpentier was "the greatest boxer in the world".[32]
The Dempsey–Carpentier contest took place on July 2, 1921, atBoyle's Thirty Acres inJersey City, New Jersey. It generated the first million-dollar gate in boxing history;[33] a crowd of 91,000 watched the fight. Though it was deemed "the Fight of the Century", experts anticipated a one-sided win for Dempsey. Radio pioneerRCA arranged for live coverage of the match viaKDKA, making the event the first national radio broadcast.[34][35]
Carpentier wobbled Dempsey with a hard right in the second round. A reporter at ringside, however, counted 25 punches from Dempsey in a single 31-second exchange soon after he was supposedly injured by the right.[32] Carpentier also broke his thumb in that round, which crippled his chances. Dempsey ended up winning the match in the fourth round.
Dempsey did not defend his title again untilJuly 1923 againstTommy Gibbons inShelby, Montana. Dempsey won the match as result of a 15-round decision.[36][37]
Jack Dempsey vs. Luis Ángel Firpo
The last successful title defense for Dempsey was in September 1923 at New York City'sPolo Grounds inDempsey vs. Firpo. Attendance was 85,000, with another 20,000 trying to get inside the arena. Firpo was knocked down repeatedly by Dempsey, yet continued to battle back, even knocking Dempsey down twice. On the second occasion he was floored, Dempsey flew head-first through the ring ropes, landing on a ringside reporter's typewriter. At this point he was out of the ring for approximately 14 seconds, less than the 20 second rule for out-of-ring knockouts. He was helped back into the ring by the writers at ringside. Ultimately, Dempsey beat Argentinian contenderLuis Ángel Firpo with a second-round KO. The fight was transmitted live by radio toBuenos Aires.[38]
Dempsey's heavyweight title-defending fights, exhibition fights, movies, and endorsements, made Dempsey one of the richest athletes in the world, putting him on the cover ofTime.[39]
Dempsey did not defend his title for three years following the Firpo fight. There was pressure from the public and the media for Dempsey to defend his title againstBlack contenderHarry Wills. Disagreement exists among boxing historians as to whether Dempsey avoided Wills, though Dempsey claimed he was willing to fight him. When he originally won the title, however, he had said he would no longer fight Black boxers.[40]
Instead of continuing to defend his title, Dempsey earned money with boxing exhibitions, product endorsements, and by appearing in films, such as the adventurefilm serialDaredevil Jack. Dempsey also did a lot of traveling, spending, and partying. During this time away from competitive fighting, Dempsey married actressEstelle Taylor in 1925 and fired his long-time trainer/manager Jack "Doc" Kearns. Kearns repeatedly sued Dempsey for large sums of money following his firing.[41]
In April 1924, Dempsey was appointed to an executive position in theIrish Worker League (IWL). The IWL was aSoviet-backedCommunist group founded inDublin by Irish labour leaderJim Larkin.[42]
In September 1926, Dempsey fought theIrish American and formerU.S. MarineGene Tunney inPhiladelphia,[E] a fighter who had only lost once in his career. In spite of his record and Dempsey's inactivity, Tunney was considered the underdog against Dempsey.
The match ended in an upset, with Dempsey losing his title on points in 10 rounds. When the defeated Dempsey returned to his dressing room, he explained his loss to his wife by saying, "Honey, I forgot to duck."[31] Fifty-five years later presidentRonald Reagan borrowed this quote when his wifeNancy visited him in the emergency room after theattempt on his life.[43]
Following his loss of the heavyweight title, Dempsey contemplated retiring but decided to try a comeback. It was during this time period that tragedy struck his family when his brother, John Dempsey, shot his estranged wife Edna (aged 21) and then killed himself in amurder–suicide, leaving behind a two-year-old son, Bruce. Dempsey was called upon to identify the bodies and was emotionally affected by the incident.[44]
During a July 21, 1927, fight atYankee Stadium, Dempsey knocked out future heavyweight championJack Sharkey in the seventh round. The fight was an elimination bout for a title shot against Tunney. The fight was very competitive until the end. The fight ended controversially when Sharkey claimed Dempsey had been hitting him below the belt. When Sharkey turned to the referee to complain, he left himself unprotected and Dempsey crashed a left hook onto his foe's chin. Sharkey was unable to beat the ten-count. At the time of the knockout, Dempsey was leading on the scorecards.
The Dempsey–Tunney rematch took place inChicago, on September 22, 1927 – one day less than a year after losing his title to Tunney. Generating more interest than the Carpentier and Firpo bouts, the fight brought in a record-setting $2 million gate. Reportedly, gangsterAl Capone offered to fix the rematch in his favor, but the referee was changed to prevent that from happening.[45] Millions around the country listened to the match by radio while hundreds of reporters covered the event. Tunney was paid a record one million dollars for the rematch. Today's equivalent in U.S. currency would be approximately $18,100,000.00.[46]
Dempsey was losing the fight on points when in the seventh round he knocked Tunney down with a left hook to the chin then landed several more punches. A new rule instituted at the time of the fight mandated that when a fighter knocked down an opponent, he must immediately go to a neutral corner. Dempsey, however, refused to immediately move to the neutral corner when instructed by the referee. The referee had to escort Dempsey to the neutral corner, which bought Tunney at least an extra five seconds to recover. Even though the official timekeeper clocked 14 seconds Tunney was down, Tunney got up at the referee's count of 9. Dempsey then attempted to finish Tunney off before the end of the round, but failed to do so. Tunney dropped Dempsey for a count of one in round eight and won the final two rounds of the fight, retaining the title of world heavyweight champion on a unanimous decision. Ironically, the neutral corner rule was requested during negotiations by members of the Dempsey camp. Another discrepancy was, when Tunney knocked Dempsey down, the timekeeper started the count immediately, not waiting for Tunney to move to a neutral corner.[47] Because of the controversial nature of the fight due to the neutral corner rule and conflicting counts, the Dempsey–Tunney rematch remains known as "The Long Count Fight".
Dempsey retired from boxing following the Tunney rematch, but continued doing exhibition bouts with over one hundred matches between 1930 and 1931 alone. Following retirement, Dempsey became known as a philanthropist. In June 1932, he sponsored the "Ride of Champions" bucking horse event atReno, Nevada, with the "Dempsey Trophy" going to legendarybronc riderPete Knight. In 1933, Dempsey was approached byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer to portray a boxer in the film,The Prizefighter and the Lady, directed byW. S. Van Dyke and co-starringMyrna Loy. Dempsey portrayed himself in the role of referee of the climactic fight betweenMax Baer (playing the role of Steve Morgan) andPrimo Carnera (playing himself), a fictional battle that foreshadowed their actual championship bout only a year later. Dempsey attempted a boxing comeback in 1940 at the age of 45, setting a match against Cowboy Luttrell on July 1. The fight resulted in Dempsey knocking Luttrell out in the second round. Dempsey won two more exhibitions with early knockouts before deciding to call off the comeback and retire for good.[48]
The Riviera del Pacifico Cultural and Convention Center inEnsenada, Baja California, Mexico, built in 1930, was a gambling casino supposedly financed by Al Capone and managed by Dempsey.[49] Its clientele includedGeorge Raft,Errol Flynn,Myrna Loy,Lana Turner,Rita Hayworth, andDolores del Río.
In 1935, Dempsey opened Jack Dempsey's Restaurant in New York City on Eighth Avenue and 50th Street, across from the thirdMadison Square Garden. The restaurant's name was later changed toJack Dempsey's Broadway Restaurant when it relocated toTimes Square onBroadway between 49th and 50th Streets. It remained open until 1974.[50] Dempsey was also a co-owner of theHoward Manor inPalm Springs, California.[51]
Dempsey married four times; his first two wives were Maxine Gates (married from 1916 to 1919) andEstelle Taylor (married in 1925).[52] Dempsey divorced Taylor in 1931, and marriedBroadway singer and recent divorceeHannah Williams in 1933. Williams was previously married to bandleaderRoger Wolfe Kahn. Dempsey and Williams had two children together and divorced in 1943. Dempsey then married Deanna Piatelli, remaining married to her until his death in 1983. The couple had one child, a daughter, whom they adopted together, and who would later write a book on Dempsey's life with Piatelli.[52]
When the United States entered World War II, Dempsey had an opportunity to refute any remaining criticism of his war record of two decades earlier. He joined theNew York State Guard and was given a commission as afirst lieutenant, later resigning that commission to accept a commission as a lieutenant in theCoast Guard Reserve. He reported for duty in June 1942 at Coast Guard Training Station,Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn,New York, where he was assigned as "Director of Physical Education". As part of the ongoing war effort, he made personal appearances at fights, camps, hospitals, andwar bond drives. He was promoted tolieutenant commander in December 1942 andcommander in March 1944. In 1944, he was assigned to the transportUSS Wakefield (AP-21). In 1945, he was on board the attack transportUSS Arthur Middleton (APA-25) for theinvasion of Okinawa. He also spent time aboard theUSS General William Mitchell (AP-114), where he spent time showing the crew sparring techniques. He was released from active duty in September 1945 and received anhonorable discharge from the Coast Guard Reserve in 1952.[3][53]
After retiring from boxing, Dempsey became involved inprofessional wrestling as a featured attraction and a frequentreferee in those said featured attractions. The first match that Dempsey refereed was at a show inDallas on January 9, 1931, between Jim O'Dowd and Billy Edwards. In the match, Dempsey retaliated against an attack from Edwards with a straight punch, which caused O'Dowd to win the match. Six years later, on October 18, 1937, he refereed an entire show at the Jaffa Mosque inAltoona, Pennsylvania, where the main event was betweenWally Dusek and Ray Steele.[54] In April 1947, he and Jack Sharkey co-refereed a two-out-of-three falls tag team match between Emil Dusek and Ernie Dusek of theDusek Family againstYvon Robert andLarry Moquin inMontreal. Robert and Moquin, who were the faces, defeated the brothers.[55]
He famously refereed a match on June 21, 1950, between"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers and theNWA World's Heavyweight ChampionLou Thesz. Thesz won the bout after getting Rogers stuck between the top and middle ropes in a choke hold, which prompted Dempsey to do a 10 count to signal a stoppage.[56] Later that year, in December, he refereed a bout betweenPrimo Carnera andChief Don Eagle. The match was noted for being the first time since 1937 that Dempsey had been physically involved against a wrestler when, after Carnera, who was playing theheel in the match, drew the ire of Dempsey by way of illegal tactics during the match, Dempsey hit Carnera with two punches before Eagle pinned him.[57]
The last match he guest refereed was a June 28, 1958 match betweenPat O'Connor andKiller Kowalski. The 63 year old Dempsey took a shot to the back of the head, which prompted a scare for the promoter and ring-side crew, but did not have any major or life-threatening injuries as a result.[54]
Dempsey wrote a book on boxing titledChampionship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense and published in 1950. The book emphasizes knockout power derived from enabling fast motion from one's heavy bodyweight.[58]
After the world-famousLouis–Schmeling fight, Dempsey stated he was glad he never had to faceJoe Louis in the ring; when Louis eventually fell on hard times financially, Dempsey served as honorary chairman of a relief fund to assist him.[34]
From the time they boxed together in 1921, Dempsey remained close friends with French world championGeorges Carpentier. They visited each other in New York and Paris, got together to commemorate the anniversary of their famous bout and exchanged birthday greetings.
Dempsey made friends with former opponents Wills and Tunney after retirement, with Dempsey campaigning for Tunney's son, DemocratJohn V. Tunney, when he successfully ran for theU.S. Senate, fromCalifornia. He was also one of many boxers to attend the funeral ofFeab S. Williams, who boxed under the name of George Godfrey.[59]
One of Dempsey's best friends was JudgeJohn Sirica, who presided over theWatergate trials.[60]
Dempsey was engaged toMamie Van Doren, when she was Joan Olander, in 1951. Van Doren details the relationship in her autobiography.
Dempsey was an inaugural 1954 inductee toThe Ring magazine'sBoxing Hall of Fame (disbanded in 1987),[52] and was an inaugural 1990 inductee to theInternational Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1970, Dempsey became part of the "charter class" in the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.[61]
He recounted an incident where he was assaulted while walking home at night, telling the press in 1971 that the two young muggers attempted to grab his arms, but he broke free and laid them both out cold on the sidewalk. The story of the encounter appeared in theHendersonville Times-News, and reported the incident had taken place "a few years [earlier]".[62]In 1977, in collaboration with his daughter Barbara Lynn, Dempsey published his autobiography, titledDempsey. In tribute to his legacy and boxing career, a 2004PBS documentary summarized "Dempsey's boxing style consisted of constantly bobbing and weaving. His attacks were furious and sustained. Behind it all was rage. His aggressive behavior prompted a rule that boxers had to retreat to a neutral corner and give opponents who had been knocked down a chance to get up."[34] According to theEncyclopædia Britannica, constant attack was his strategic defense.[3]In 2011, Dempsey was posthumously inducted into the Irish American Hall of Fame.[63]
Dempsey was aFreemason and member of Kenwood Lodge #800 inChicago.[64][65][66][67]
On May 31, 1983, Dempsey died of heart failure at the age of 87 in New York City.[31] His body was buried atSouthampton Cemetery inSouthampton, New York.
| 84 fights | 63 wins | 6 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 53 | 1 |
| By decision | 9 | 5 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| Draws | 9 | |
| Newspaper decisions/draws | 6 | |
Allnewspaper decisions are officially regarded as "no decision" bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | Loss | 63–6–9(6) | Gene Tunney | UD | 10 | 22 Sep 1927 | Soldier Field, Chicago,Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | For NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 83 | Win | 63–5–9(6) | Jack Sharkey | KO | 7 (15),0:45 | 21 Jul 1927 | Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 82 | Loss | 62–5–9(6) | Gene Tunney | UD | 10 | 23 Sep 1926 | Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Lost NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 81 | Win | 62–4–9(6) | Luis Ángel Firpo | TKO | 2 (15),0:57 | 14 Sep 1923 | Polo Grounds, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 80 | Win | 61–4–9(6) | Tommy Gibbons | PTS | 15 | 4 Jul 1923 | Arena,Shelby, Montana, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 79 | Win | 60–4–9(6) | Georges Carpentier | KO | 4 (12) | 2 Jul 1921 | Boyle's Thirty Acres,Jersey City, New Jersey U.S. | Retained NYSAC andNBA heavyweight titles |
| 78 | Win | 59–4–9(6) | Bill Brennan | KO | 12 (15),1:57 | 14 Dec 1920 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained NYSAC heavyweight title |
| 77 | Win | 58–4–9(6) | Billy Miske | KO | 3 (10),1:13 | 6 Sep 1920 | Floyd Fitzsimmons Arena,Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S. | RetainedNYSAC heavyweight title |
| 76 | Win | 57–4–9(6) | Jess Willard | RTD | 3 (12) | 4 Jul 1919 | Bay View Park Arena,Toledo, Ohio, U.S. | Wonworld heavyweight title |
| 75 | Win | 56–4–9(6) | Tony Drake | KO | 1 | 2 Apr 1919 | New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 55–4–9(6) | Eddie Smith | KO | 1 | 13 Feb 1919 | Altoona, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 73 | Win | 54–4–9(6) | Kid Harris | KO | 1 | 29 Jan 1919 | Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 72 | Win | 53–4–9(6) | Kid Harris | KO | 1 | 23 Jan 1919 | Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 71 | Win | 52–4–9(6) | Big Jack Hickey | KO | 1 | 20 Jan 1919 | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 70 | Win | 51–4–9(6) | Jack Maguire | KO | 1 | 16 Jan 1919 | Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 69 | Win | 50–4–9(6) | Gunboat Smith | KO | 2 (8) | 16 Dec 1918 | Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 49–4–9(6) | Carl Morris | KO | 1 (20),1:00 | 16 Dec 1918 | Louisiana Auditorium,New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 67 | Win | 48–4–9(6) | Billy Miske | NWS | 6 | 28 Nov 1918 | Olympia Athletic Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 66 | Win | 48–4–9(5) | Dan Flynn | KO | 1 (6),2:16 | 18 Nov 1918 | Olympia Athletic Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 65 | Win | 47–4–9(5) | Battling Levinsky | KO | 3 (6) | 6 Nov 1918 | Olympia Athletic Club,Philadelphia, U.S. | |
| 64 | Win | 46–4–9(5) | Jack Moran | KO | 1 (10),1:10 | 14 Sep 1918 | Moana Springs Arena, Reno, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 63 | Loss | 45–4–9(5) | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 13 Sep 1918 | San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 62 | Win | 45–3–9(5) | Terry Kellar | TKO | 5 (15) | 24 Aug 1918 | Westwood Field Gym,Dayton, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 61 | Win | 44–3–9(5) | Fred Fulton | KO | 1 (8),0:23 | 27 Jul 1918 | Harrison Park,Harrison, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 60 | Win | 43–3–9(5) | Dan Flynn | KO | 1 (10) | 6 Jul 1918 | Municipal Auditorium,Atlanta, U.S. | |
| 59 | Win | 42–3–9(5) | Bob Devere | KO | 1 (12) | 4 Jul 1918 | Joe Becker Stadium, Joplin, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 58 | Win | 41–3–9(5) | Tom McCarty | KO | 1 (12),0:30 | 1 Jul 1918 | Tulsa Convention Hall,Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 57 | Win | 40–3–9(5) | Arthur Pelkey | KO | 1 (15),1:00 | 29 May 1918 | Stockyards Stadium,Denver, U.S. | |
| 56 | Win | 39–3–9(5) | Dan Ketchell | KO | 2 (10) | 22 May 1918 | Excelsior Springs, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 55 | Win | 38–3–9(5) | Billy Miske | NWS | 10 | 3 May 1918 | Auditorium,Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 54 | Win | 38–3–9(4) | Tom Riley | KO | 1 (15) | 25 Mar 1918 | Southwest Athletic Club,Joplin, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 53 | Win | 37–3–9(4) | Fred Saddy | KO | 1 (8) | 16 Mar 1918 | Phoenix Athletic Club,Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 52 | Win | 36–3–9(4) | Bill Brennan | TKO | 6 (10) | 25 Feb 1918 | Milwaukee Auditorium,Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
| 51 | Win | 35–3–9(4) | Fireman Jim Flynn | KO | 1 (10),1:10 | 14 Feb 1918 | Fort Sheridan, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 50 | Win | 34–3–9(4) | Carl Morris | DQ | 6 (10) | 2 Feb 1918 | Broadway Auditorium,Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 49 | Win | 33–3–9(4) | Homer Smith | KO | 1 (10),1:15 | 24 Jan 1918 | Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
| 48 | Win | 32–3–9(4) | Carl Morris | PTS | 4 | 2 Nov 1917 | Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 31–3–9(4) | Gunboat Smith | PTS | 4 | 2 Oct 1917 | Recreation Park, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 30–3–9(4) | Bob McAllister | PTS | 4 | 26 Sep 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 29–3–9(4) | Charley Miller | TKO | 1 (4) | 19 Sep 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 28–3–9(4) | Willie Meehan | TKO | 1 (4) | 19 Sep 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 43 | Draw | 27–3–9(4) | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 7 Sep 1917 | Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 42 | Draw | 27–3–8(4) | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 10 Aug 1917 | Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 27–3–7(4) | Al Norton | KO | 1 (4) | 1 Aug 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 40 | Win | 26–3–7(4) | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 25 Jul 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 39 | Draw | 25–3–7(4) | Al Norton | PTS | 4 | 11 Apr 1917 | West Oakland Club, Oakland, California, U.S. | |
| 38 | Loss | 25–3–6(4) | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 28 Mar 1917 | Arena,Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 37 | Draw | 25–2–6(4) | Al Norton | PTS | 4 | 21 Mar 1917 | West Oakland Club,Oakland, California, U.S. | |
| 36 | Loss | 25–2–5(4) | Fireman Jim Flynn | KO | 1 (15),0:25 | 13 Feb 1917 | Trocadero Hall, Murray, Utah, U.S. | |
| 35 | Win | 25–1–5(4) | Young Hector | KO | 2 | 29 Nov 1916 | The Rink,Salida, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 24–1–5(4) | Dick Gilbert | PTS | 10 | 16 Oct 1916 | Salt Lake Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 23–1–5(4) | Terry Kellar | PTS | 10 | 7 Oct 1916 | Bijo Hall, Ely, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 22–1–5(4) | Young Hector | RTD | 3 (15) | 28 Sep 1916 | Fire Hall,Murray, Utah, U.S. | |
| 31 | Draw | 21–1–5(4) | John Lester Johnson | NWS | 10 | 14 Jul 1916 | Harlem Sporting Club,Harlem, New York, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 21–1–5(3) | Bert Kenny | NWS | 10 | 8 Jul 1916 | Fairmont Athletic Club, Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 29 | Win | 21–1–5(2) | Andre Anderson | NWS | 10 | 24 Jun 1916 | Fairmont Athletic Club,Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 21–1–5(1) | Bob York | KO | 4 (6) | 30 May 1916 | Eko Theatre, Price, Utah, U.S. | For Pacific Coast light-heavyweight title |
| 27 | Win | 20–1–5(1) | Dan Ketchell | TKO | 3 (10) | 17 May 1916 | Mozart Theatre, Provo, Utah, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 19–1–5(1) | Terry Kellar | PTS | 10 | 3 May 1916 | Alhambra Theatre, Ogden, Utah, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 18–1–5(1) | Joe Bonds | PTS | 10 | 8 Apr 1916 | Bijo Hall, Ely, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 17–1–5(1) | George Christian | KO | 1 (15) | 17 Mar 1916 | Eko Theatre,Price, Utah, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 16–1–5(1) | Cyril Kohen | KO | 4 (6) | 9 Mar 1916 | Mozart Theatre,Provo, Utah, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 15–1–5(1) | Boston Bearcat | KO | 1 | 23 Feb 1916 | Armory,Ogden, Utah, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 14–1–5(1) | Jack Downey | KO | 2 | 21 Feb 1916 | Grand Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 13–1–5(1) | Swede Johnson | KO | 2 | 5 Feb 1916 | Bijo Hall, Ely, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 12–1–5(1) | Johnny Sudenberg | KO | 2 | 1 Feb 1916 | Bijo Hall,Ely, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 11–1–5(1) | Jack Gillian | TKO | 1 (4) | 20 Dec 1915 | Grand Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 17 | Draw | 10–1–5(1) | Jack Downey | PTS | 4 | 13 Dec 1915 | Grand Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 10–1–4(1) | George Coplen | KO | 6 (10) | 19 Nov 1915 | Lyric Opera House,Cripple Creek, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 9–1–4(1) | Andy Malloy | KO | 3 (10) | 23 Oct 1915 | Moose Hall, Montrose, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 8–1–4(1) | Andy Malloy | NWS | 10 | 7 Oct 1915 | Gem Theatre,Durango, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 8–1–4 | Fred Woods | KO | 4 | 23 Sep 1915 | Moose Hall,Montrose, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 12 | Draw | 7–1–4 | Johnny Sudenberg | PTS | 10 | 11 Jun 1915 | Airdome,Tonopah, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 11 | Draw | 7–1–3 | Johnny Sudenberg | PTS | 10 | 31 May 1915 | Hippodrome,Goldfield, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 7–1–2 | Emmanuel Campbell | TKO | 4 (4) | 26 Apr 1915 | Airdrome Arena,Reno, Arizona, U.S. | |
| 9 | Loss | 6–1–2 | Jack Downey | PTS | 10 | 5 Apr 1915 | Garrick Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 6–0–2 | Chief Gordon | KO | 6 | 1 Apr 1915 | Utah, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 5–0–2 | John Pierson | KO | 7 | 3 Mar 1915 | Utah, U.S. | |
| 6 | Draw | 4–0–2 | Chief Geronimo | PTS | 4 | 26 Feb 1915 | Pocatello, Idaho, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 4–0–1 | Joe Lyons | KO | 9 | 2 Feb 1915 | Utah, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 3–0–1 | Battling Johnson | KO | 1 | Jan 1915 | Utah, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 2–0–1 | Billy Murphy | KO | 1 (4) | 30 Nov 1914 | Garrick Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 1–0–1 | Young Hancock | KO | 1 (4) | 2 Nov 1914 | Garrick Theater,Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 1 | Draw | 0–0–1 | Young Herman | PTS | 6 | 18 Aug 1914 | Ramona Athletic Club Arena,Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. |
| 84 fights | 68 wins | 6 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 53 | 1 |
| By decision | 14 | 5 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| Draws | 10 | |
Record with the inclusion ofnewspaper decisions to the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | Loss | 68–6–10 | Gene Tunney | UD | 10 | 22 Sep 1927 | Soldier Field, Chicago, U.S. | For NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 83 | Win | 68–5–10 | Jack Sharkey | KO | 7 (15),0:45 | 21 Jul 1927 | Yankee Stadium, New York City, U.S. | |
| 82 | Loss | 67–5–10 | Gene Tunney | UD | 10 | 23 Sep 1926 | Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia,, U.S. | Lost NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 81 | Win | 67–4–10 | Luis Ángel Firpo | TKO | 2 (15),0:57 | 14 Sep 1923 | Polo Grounds, New York City, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 80 | Win | 66–4–10 | Tommy Gibbons | PTS | 15 | 4 Jul 1923 | Arena,Shelby, Montana, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 79 | Win | 65–4–10 | Georges Carpentier | KO | 4 (12) | 2 Jul 1921 | Boyle's Thirty Acres,Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained NYSAC andNBA heavyweight titles |
| 78 | Win | 64–4–10 | Bill Brennan | KO | 12 (15),1:57 | 14 Dec 1920 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S. | Retained NYSAC heavyweight title |
| 77 | Win | 63–4–10 | Billy Miske | KO | 3 (10),1:13 | 6 Sep 1920 | Floyd Fitzsimmons Arena,Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S. | RetainedNYSAC heavyweight title |
| 76 | Win | 62–4–10 | Jess Willard | RTD | 3 (12) | 4 Jul 1919 | Bay View Park Arena,Toledo, Ohio, U.S. | Wonworld heavyweight title |
| 75 | Win | 61–4–10 | Tony Drake | KO | 1 | 2 Apr 1919 | New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 60–4–10 | Eddie Smith | KO | 1 | 13 Feb 1919 | Altoona, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 73 | Win | 59–4–10 | Kid Harris | KO | 1 | 29 Jan 1919 | Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 72 | Win | 58–4–10 | Kid Harris | KO | 1 | 23 Jan 1919 | Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 71 | Win | 57–4–10 | Big Jack Hickey | KO | 1 | 20 Jan 1919 | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 70 | Win | 56–4–10 | Jack Maguire | KO | 1 | 16 Jan 1919 | Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 69 | Win | 55–4–10 | Gunboat Smith | KO | 2 (8) | 16 Dec 1918 | Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 54–4–10 | Carl Morris | KO | 1 (20),1:00 | 16 Dec 1918 | Louisiana Auditorium,New Orleans, U.S. | |
| 67 | Win | 53–4–10 | Billy Miske | NWS | 6 | 28 Nov 1918 | Olympia Athletic Club, Philadelphia, U.S. | |
| 66 | Win | 52–4–10 | Dan Flynn | KO | 1 (6),2:16 | 18 Nov 1918 | Olympia Athletic Club, Philadelphia, U.S. | |
| 65 | Win | 51–4–10 | Battling Levinsky | KO | 3 (6) | 6 Nov 1918 | Olympia Athletic Club,Philadelphia, U.S. | |
| 64 | Win | 50–4–10 | Jack Moran | KO | 1 (10),1:10 | 14 Sep 1918 | Moana Springs Arena, Reno, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 63 | Loss | 49–4–10 | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 13 Sep 1918 | San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 62 | Win | 49–3–10 | Terry Kellar | TKO | 5 (15) | 24 Aug 1918 | Westwood Field Gym,Dayton, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 61 | Win | 48–3–10 | Fred Fulton | KO | 1 (8),0:23 | 27 Jul 1918 | Harrison Park,Harrison, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 60 | Win | 47–3–10 | Dan Flynn | KO | 1 (10) | 6 Jul 1918 | Municipal Auditorium,Atlanta, U.S. | |
| 59 | Win | 46–3–10 | Bob Devere | KO | 1 (12) | 4 Jul 1918 | Joe Becker Stadium, Joplin, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 58 | Win | 45–3–10 | Tom McCarty | KO | 1 (12),0:30 | 1 Jul 1918 | Tulsa Convention Hall,Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 57 | Win | 44–3–10 | Arthur Pelkey | KO | 1 (15),1:00 | 29 May 1918 | Stockyards Stadium,Denver, U.S. | |
| 56 | Win | 43–3–10 | Dan Ketchell | KO | 2 (10) | 22 May 1918 | Excelsior Springs, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 55 | Win | 42–3–10 | Billy Miske | NWS | 10 | 3 May 1918 | Auditorium,Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 54 | Win | 41–3–10 | Tom Riley | KO | 1 (15) | 25 Mar 1918 | Southwest Athletic Club,Joplin, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 53 | Win | 40–3–10 | Fred Saddy | KO | 1 (8) | 16 Mar 1918 | Phoenix Athletic Club,Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 52 | Win | 39–3–10 | Bill Brennan | TKO | 6 (10) | 25 Feb 1918 | Milwaukee Auditorium,Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
| 51 | Win | 38–3–10 | Fireman Jim Flynn | KO | 1 (10),1:10 | 14 Feb 1918 | Fort Sheridan, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 50 | Win | 37–3–10 | Carl Morris | DQ | 6 (10) | 2 Feb 1918 | Broadway Auditorium,Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 49 | Win | 36–3–10 | Homer Smith | KO | 1 (10),1:15 | 24 Jan 1918 | Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
| 48 | Win | 35–3–10 | Carl Morris | PTS | 4 | 2 Nov 1917 | Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 34–3–10 | Gunboat Smith | PTS | 4 | 2 Oct 1917 | Recreation Park, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 33–3–10 | Bob McAllister | PTS | 4 | 26 Sep 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 32–3–10 | Charley Miller | TKO | 1 (4) | 19 Sep 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 31–3–10 | Willie Meehan | TKO | 1 (4) | 19 Sep 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 43 | Draw | 30–3–10 | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 7 Sep 1917 | Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 42 | Draw | 30–3–9 | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 10 Aug 1917 | Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 30–3–8 | Al Norton | KO | 1 (4) | 1 Aug 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 40 | Win | 29–3–8 | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 25 Jul 1917 | Arena, Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 39 | Draw | 28–3–8 | Al Norton | PTS | 4 | 11 Apr 1917 | West Oakland Club, Oakland, California, U.S. | |
| 38 | Loss | 28–3–7 | Willie Meehan | PTS | 4 | 28 Mar 1917 | Arena,Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 37 | Draw | 28–2–7 | Al Norton | PTS | 4 | 21 Mar 1917 | West Oakland Club,Oakland, California, U.S. | |
| 36 | Loss | 28–2–6 | Fireman Jim Flynn | KO | 1 (15),0:25 | 13 Feb 1917 | Trocadero Hall, Murray, Utah, U.S. | |
| 35 | Win | 28–1–6 | Young Hector | KO | 2 | 29 Nov 1916 | The Rink,Salida, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 27–1–6 | Dick Gilbert | PTS | 10 | 16 Oct 1916 | Salt Lake Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 26–1–6 | Terry Kellar | PTS | 10 | 7 Oct 1916 | Bijo Hall, Ely, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 25–1–6 | Young Hector | RTD | 3 (15) | 28 Sep 1916 | Fire Hall,Murray, Utah, U.S. | |
| 31 | Draw | 24–1–6 | John Lester Johnson | NWS | 10 | 14 Jul 1916 | Harlem Sporting Club,Harlem, New York, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 24–1–5 | Bert Kenny | NWS | 10 | 8 Jul 1916 | Fairmont Athletic Club, Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 29 | Win | 23–1–5 | Andre Anderson | NWS | 10 | 24 Jun 1916 | Fairmont Athletic Club,Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 22–1–5 | Bob York | KO | 4 (6) | 30 May 1916 | Eko Theatre, Price, Utah, U.S. | For Pacific Coast light-heavyweight title |
| 27 | Win | 21–1–5 | Dan Ketchell | TKO | 3 (10) | 17 May 1916 | Mozart Theatre, Provo, Utah, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 20–1–5 | Terry Kellar | PTS | 10 | 3 May 1916 | Alhambra Theatre, Ogden, Utah, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 19–1–5 | Joe Bonds | PTS | 10 | 8 Apr 1916 | Bijo Hall, Ely, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 18–1–5 | George Christian | KO | 1 (15) | 17 Mar 1916 | Eko Theatre,Price, Utah, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 17–1–5 | Cyril Kohen | KO | 4 (6) | 9 Mar 1916 | Mozart Theatre,Provo, Utah, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 16–1–5 | Boston Bearcat | KO | 1 | 23 Feb 1916 | Armory,Ogden, Utah, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 15–1–5 | Jack Downey | KO | 2 | 21 Feb 1916 | Grand Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 14–1–5 | Swede Johnson | KO | 2 | 5 Feb 1916 | Bijo Hall, Ely, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 13–1–5 | Johnny Sudenberg | KO | 2 | 1 Feb 1916 | Bijo Hall,Ely, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 12–1–5 | Jack Gillian | TKO | 1 (4) | 20 Dec 1915 | Grand Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 17 | Draw | 11–1–5 | Jack Downey | PTS | 4 | 13 Dec 1915 | Grand Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 11–1–4 | George Coplen | KO | 6 (10) | 19 Nov 1915 | Lyric Opera House,Cripple Creek, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 10–1–4 | Andy Malloy | KO | 3 (10) | 23 Oct 1915 | Moose Hall, Montrose, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 9–1–4 | Andy Malloy | NWS | 10 | 7 Oct 1915 | Gem Theatre,Durango, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 8–1–4 | Fred Woods | KO | 4 | 23 Sep 1915 | Moose Hall,Montrose, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 12 | Draw | 7–1–4 | Johnny Sudenberg | PTS | 10 | 11 Jun 1915 | Airdome,Tonopah, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 11 | Draw | 7–1–3 | Johnny Sudenberg | PTS | 10 | 31 May 1915 | Hippodrome,Goldfield, Nevada U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 7–1–2 | Emmanuel Campbell | TKO | 4 (4) | 26 Apr 1915 | Airdrome Arena,Reno, Arizona, U.S. | |
| 9 | Loss | 6–1–2 | Jack Downey | PTS | 10 | 5 Apr 1915 | Garrick Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 6–0–2 | Chief Gordon | KO | 6 | 1 Apr 1915 | Utah, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 5–0–2 | John Pierson | KO | 7 | 3 Mar 1915 | Utah, U.S. | |
| 6 | Draw | 4–0–2 | Chief Geronimo | PTS | 4 | 26 Feb 1915 | Pocatello, Idaho, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 4–0–1 | Joe Lyons | KO | 9 | 2 Feb 1915 | Utah, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 3–0–1 | Battling Johnson | KO | 1 | Jan 1915 | Utah, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 2–0–1 | Billy Murphy | KO | 1 (4) | 30 Nov 1914 | Garrick Theater, Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 1–0–1 | Young Hancock | KO | 1 (4) | 2 Nov 1914 | Garrick Theater,Salt Lake City, U.S. | |
| 1 | Draw | 0–0–1 | Young Herman | PTS | 6 | 18 Aug 1914 | Ramona Athletic Club Arena,Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World boxing titles | ||||
| Inaugural champion | The Ring heavyweight champion 1922 –September 23, 1926 | Succeeded by | ||
| Preceded by | World heavyweight champion July 4, 1919 –September 23, 1926 | |||
| Records | ||||
| Previous: John L. Sullivan 2 566 days | Longest world heavyweight championship reign 2 638 days (7 years, 2 months, 19 days) 2 567 days on July 14, 1926 September 23, 1926 – September 12, 1944 | Next: Joe Louis | ||
| Awards | ||||
| Previous: David Lloyd George | Cover ofTime magazine September 10, 1923 | Next: Israel Zangwill | ||
