Manassa Mauler Knocks Out Giant in 1919

Medan du gör forskning, Jag hittade denna bild på Manassa Mauler utbildning för sin 4 juli, 1919 titel kamp med Jess Willard, World Heavyweight Boxing Champions. Willard had knocked out the great Jack Johnson in 1915 to become champion. Willard var en jätte av en man vid 6’06” och 235 pounds. He posed a threat to anyone based on size alone.

Emellertid, Willard entered the ring with Dempsey as a 37 year-old pugilist, a little long in the tooth. Willard was also challenging one of the most vicious finishers in boxing history. Willard would find the smaller Dempsey, who never weighed more than 190 pounds in shape, was more than a match for the giant.

Dempsey almost stopped Willard in the first round. Willard gamely fought on but had a broken jaw, several dislocated teeth and other facial injuries. Mercifully, Willard’s corner did not let him come out for the fourth round.

After the fight, Willard claimed Dempsey’s gloves were loaded. I 1964, “Doc” Kearns, Dempsey’s former manager, also claimed Dempsey’s gloves were covered with Plaster of Paris. Kearns’ accusations are suspect though as he never forgave Dempsey for firing him in the 1920s. Kearns gave the story to Sports Illustrated for their January 20, 1964 issue.

The problem with this theory is Nat Fleischer, the respected founder of Ring Magazine, watched Dempsey’s hands being wrapped for the Willard fight. Fleischer was adamant Dempsey did not load his gloves. Willard also inspected Dempsey’s hand wraps before the fight. Dempsey’s fists were loaded not his gloves.

Dempsey had power to spare and didn’t need to use a foreign substance on his wraps. If Dempsey’s gloves were loaded, Willard would have gone to the morgue. You can see the shock on guys face the first time they are hit by someone with incredible punching power like Chuck Liddell or Anderson Silva.

If you observe the fight above, you notice the fight was fought under the old rules. Dempsey was allowed to stand over Willard instead of going to a neutral corner. He could hit Willard as soon as he rose to his feet. This tactic would cost Dempsey in his fight with Gene Tunney, when the new boxing rules were implemented, directing a fighter to the neutral corner for a knockdown. Emellertid, the Manassa Mauler mauled Willard in this fight under the old rules.

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