The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19
DEMPSEY NOT AN
/ OVERRATED BOXER
Present Champion Compares
Favorably With His Famous
Predecessors in Title.
vANQUISHED HIS RIVALS
Reversal of Form in Two Bouts
With Brennan Puzzles
Boxing Fans.
nv CHARLES F. MATHIsoN.

As n result of Dempsey's Indifferent
performance against Brennan last Tues
day night disposition to characterize
the champion as an overrated boxer has
manifested itself Strangely enough. these
utterances' come for the most part from
those who had overweening confidence
in the ability of big Jess Willard to
subjugate Dempsey at Toledo. There is
also a tendency to disparage Dempsey
In favor of his predecessors In the cham
pionship, Sullivan, Corbett, Fitzsimmons
and Jeffries being held as greatly SUI
perior to the present title holder.
1t is a reasonable proposition that
CHAMPIONS status is established by his
performance against the best boxers
of the period in which he holds title.
Judged on~that basis, Dempsey must De
conceded to possess remarkable ability
for he has shown overwhelming superior
ity over the best heavyweights or his
time Then comes the charge that
Dempsey's opponents have been pugilsts
OF small calibre. There is no more foun-
dation for this statement than for the
: claim. following the Dempsey-Brennan
bout that Brennan had been under
rated.
It is impossible to arrive at an ac-
curate conclusion as to the comparative
merits Of the heavyweights of quarter
of a century ago and the men OF the
same class to-day.
Therefore. it is but just to rate
champion according to what he has &C
complished against the best boxers OF
his time Dempsey knocked out Will
lard and Fulton in Jig time. willard.
who had never been knocked down pre-
viously, was without doubt the most
powerful man that ever entered the ring.
He was stronger than even the adaman-
tine Jeffries.
Dempsey has twice knocked out Bren-
nan, who since last Tuesday night has
come TO be regarded as a very capable
heavyweight. Dempsey has knocked out
Miske a very resourceful tighter, ana
has stopped a score of other heavies
OF more or less ability 1t cannot there
fore be denied that Dempsey stands at
the head of all American heavyweights
suIIivan's Status.
In attempting to show that Dempsey
does not class with former holders OF
the heavyweight championship the name
of John l.. Sullivan is brought forward
This is a fatal mistake, for, judged on
the basis of conquering all the best men
of his time, Sullivan is eliminated from
the list of great champions. Sullivan
won his title from Paddy Ryan. a gutter,
who never had but five bouts in his life
and who won the title from Joe Goss. a
man 4S years of age at the time of the
contest. 1t took Ryan eighty-seven
rounds TO subdue Co.'S Ryan's other
bouts were with Sullivan and Joe Nc
Auliffe, and Ryan'e sole victory was
over the decrepit Goss During the time
that Sullivan was in his prime he abso-
lutely declined to meet Peter Jackson,
Joe Goddard, Frank Slavin or Bob Fitz-
simmons.
Sullivan met only two first class
heavies In the ring-Charlie Mitchell
and Jim Corbett. Both whipped Sulli-
van, but Mitchell. for a consideration,
consented 70 a draw. The best man that
Sullivan defeated was Jake Kilrain, a
second rater, and II took Sullivan sew
enty-five rounds to finish the Balti-
MORGAN.
Kilrain's status Is established by the
fact that the best he could do with Jem
Smith, the third rate champion of Eng
land, was draw. Peter Jackson made
the same Smith jump the ropes in two
rounds. In the list of men knocked out
by Sullivan there does not appear a
single one who possessed the slightest
class.
AS a champion Sullivan at his best
did not compare with Dempsey of to-
day. Dempsey as he is to-day would
have defeated Sullivan at his best.
Jim Corbett's status as the ablest de-
fensive boxer in the history of the game
was established when he boxed Peter
jackson sixty-one rounds to a draw.
jackson insisted that lame ankle pre-
vented him taking the aggressive. but
Corbetts defence at that time was i'm
pregnable.
The Californian did not damage Jack
son. but the negro. who was a powerful
hitter and good boxer, was unable to
reach Corbett with effective blows.
Corbett wore Sullivan down with jabs
at a time when the former champion
was on the down grade. but Corbett
would have disposed of Sullivan at his
best