By Bobby Franklin

I have written about Jack Dempsey a number of times. Looking at his fights against Jess Willard and Tommy Gibbons I commented on his defensive skills. My take on the Willard fight surprised a few people as they stayed focused on the tremendous beating Dempsey handed out to Willard. What I tuned in on was the way Jack set the champion up to be hit with those fierce blows. He didn’t just run at Jess while throwing punches. He bobbed and weaved while feinting. He stepped in and back out again while circling and searching for an opening. Jack wasn’t looking to go toe to toe with a man who outweighed him by over 60 pounds. He was actually fighting defensively and strategically while setting up his assault. If it had just been a slugfest Dempsey would have been hit more than he was.

The Gibbons fight was a different story as the challenger was intent on lasting the fifteen rounds without getting kayoed, so Jack had to rely more on his boxing skills than his power. This is not to say Dempsey’s power did not play a part in his victory. It was that power that had Gibbons in such a defensive posture. 

I’m not implying Gibbons just ran or spent fifteen rounds covering up. He boxed beautifully. However, Dempsey proved to be the superior boxer. While not the most watched of Jack’s fights, it is the one that gives fans a great look at Dempsey’s skills as a keen tactician.  

Jack Dempsey will always be put into the slugger category, but he was not one to take two punches to land one. He may have been a knockout artist, but he was very savvy in there.

Recently, I came across a photo of the Dempsey vs Gibbons fight that illustrates the skills of both men. It is amazing what can be gleaned from a photo, a split second moment from a fight.

 In the photo, Gibbons is throwing a hard left jab at the champion. His head is down and his chin is protected by his left arm and shoulder while his right hand is in position to defend against Jack’s left hook counter. This is a punch Tommy is anticipating. Both of Tommy’s knees are bent a bit, the left more than the right which allows him to deliver the jab with force. It is an excellent execution of a left jab.

Now to Dempsey. As good as the Gibbons’ left jab is, Jack is parrying it. Note that Dempsey has not reached out to stop the punch. Instead he is catching it just as it reaches him. This allows him to be in position to throw the counter hook. If he had reached out to stop the punch he would have been vulnerable to be hit by a left hook. He has his left hand poised to let it go. Jack’s left foot is a bit off the mat because he was stepping in when the jab was thrown by Tommy. I say this because of the positioning of Jack’s right foot and leg which appear to be propelling him forward. If there were photos from the next second or two I believe you would see Jack firing that hook as his foot settles onto the canvas. It is likely Tommy tried to slip inside of it and probably attempted to clinch.

Back when boxers were well schooled, they would focus very much on how their opponents would respond when they threw a punch. As boxer was at his most vulnerable when throwing a punch, this was very important. It is also why all good fighters were counterpunchers. It’s why feinting, a long lost skill, was employed so often. 

Jack Johnson was probably the most noted heavyweight champ when it came to using feints, but Jack Dempsey was no slouch in that department.  Yes, he may have been a slugger, but he used feints to create the openings for his great combinations. 

Boxing has been called physical chess, and that’s what it was. In chess you have to think a few moves ahead. You have to anticipate how your opponent will respond to the moves you make and then you have to plan accordingly. The same was true of boxing. It was a game of anticipation. 

One other thing I noticed in the photo is how intently the fans are watching the fight. Of course, in a Dempsey fight a knockout could occur at any moment so that is one possibility for their focus. I also believe they understood what was happening in the ring and appreciating the skills being displayed. 

I maintain that not only were the fighters better schooled in boxing’s Golden Age, but the fans were too. The majority of them understood the intricacies of the game. 

One last thing. Check out the shadows cast by Jack and Tommy. It is almost surreal. Art cast by two men practicing the art of boxing. Cool.