Were Dempsey's gloves loaded?

Good read, you decide:

http://coxscorner.tripod.com/dempsey_gloves.html

Good thread Ring. I've watched the fight more times than I can count. At first, I thought they were, but gloves back then were an inch away from bare knuckles. Also, he went on to become a great champion with power being his main asset. Jess Williard was too big to have any type of movement and Dempsey used his size against him. Also, there was not a neutral corner rule in those days. Jack stood over him when he knocked him down. Williard was dazed everytime he tried to get up and Jack just knocked him further into queer street. Honestly, I think it was a fair fight. However, people will debate about it for years. If we had more films of early 20th cent. fights, I think it would've been less of a controversy.

ive read several articles over the years and have concluded dempseys gloves were regulation..doc kerns was a great con man and for a buck could sceem up anything.

4445Frank wrote:

Good thread Ring. I've watched the fight more times than I can count. At first, I thought they were, but gloves back then were an inch away from bare knuckles. Also, he went on to become a great champion with power being his main asset. Jess Williard was too big to have any type of movement and Dempsey used his size against him. Also, there was not a neutral corner rule in those days. Jack stood over him when he knocked him down. Williard was dazed everytime he tried to get up and Jack just knocked him further into queer street. Honestly, I think it was a fair fight. However, people will debate about it for years. If we had more films of early 20th cent. fights, I think it would've been less of a controversy.

I just believe Dempsey was a badass mo-fo, he was used to fighting bigger men, and before he fought Willard for the HW title he was coming off 5 first round KO's. Willard just ran into a buzzsaw, Dempsey didn't need any help from loaded gloves, he already had dynamite in his fists.

Damar, Doc Kearns was just making another buck off Dempsey by saying he loaded his gloves, he was a con artist and a liar who would say anything to make a dollar.

Ring wrote:

4445Frank wrote:

Good thread Ring. I've watched the fight more times than I can count. At first, I thought they were, but gloves back then were an inch away from bare knuckles. Also, he went on to become a great champion with power being his main asset. Jess Williard was too big to have any type of movement and Dempsey used his size against him. Also, there was not a neutral corner rule in those days. Jack stood over him when he knocked him down. Williard was dazed everytime he tried to get up and Jack just knocked him further into queer street. Honestly, I think it was a fair fight. However, people will debate about it for years. If we had more films of early 20th cent. fights, I think it would've been less of a controversy.

I just believe Dempsey was a badass mo-fo, he was used to fighting bigger men, and before he fought Willard for the HW title he was coming off 5 first round KO's. Willard just ran into a buzzsaw, Dempsey didn't need any help from loaded gloves, he already had dynamite in his fists.

Damar, Doc Kearns was just making another buck off Dempsey by saying he loaded his gloves, he was a con artist and a liar who would say anything to make a dollar.

Agreed and well said.

Jess Willard's bones were not broken

they were shattered and his jaw bone was permanently dented

He would point to his jaw and say "no man can dent this with his hands"

bird willards wrong..there are several examples of a fight injury in and out of the ring and or car accidents etc etc where a high cheeckbone in the orbital area gets crushed by a blow causing a dent in the face and or a sag also that corrective plastic surgery can remedy..jess took full force with dempseys first left hook..its like a guy standing still and saying to dempsey take your best shot..to cause that damage in a street fight one does not have to hit hard like a dempsey..placed right with adaquate force can do the job.

we all have our opinions I dont even really have one but i lean 60 percent loaded 40 percent not loaded also depends what day of the week you catch me on

Willlard definitely thought he loaded though thats only point i was trying to make

Birdofthad wrote:

we all have our opinions I dont even really have one but i lean 60 percent loaded 40 percent not loaded also depends what day of the week you catch me on

Willlard definitely thought he loaded though thats only point i was trying to make

Good point. I stated in my other post that I originally thought he loaded his gloves too, though when I looked at the event closer and saw Dempsey's reign as a great champion, I was sure that it was a clean fight. Bird, some guys just have a talent for hitting and Williard wasn't that far way from Primo Carnaro. Big, slow and helpless to a great HW which Dempsey was. Also, when I hear Sugar Ray Leonard talk about his fights with Duran, he said that Duran's fists felt like stone, hence the nickname, "Hands Of Stone." This name was earned long before he fought Leonard but Ray understood why that was his nickname after their first fight. Williard was just a big guy that kept getting up from instinct. Jack was hitting him with gloves that might as well have been bare knuckles. At least that's my take.