The Most Vicious Heavyweight In History - Jack Dempsey 

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Jack Dempsey saved my life, no joke. When I was homeless on Toronto he found me begging for change on the street, but instead of passing me by like everyone else he took the time to ask how I was doing and how I ended up in my situation. I told him everything and we cried together, suddebly he took my hand and said "come with me, kid". I had nothing to lose so I went with him. He brought me to his hotel, cleaned me up, bought me some new clothes, helped me write a resume and even offered to act as a reference. As if that wasn't enough already, he gave me a thousand dollars in cash as I was leaving. I can't thank him enough, he's the reason I went from a suicidal street person to a father of three beautiful daughters.

My dad boxed in the Navy during WWII. He turned pro as a welter weight after the war, that is until he met my mom in 1946. She made him give it up. Anyway, my dad used to tell the story how he saw Jack Dempsey at the train station in Chicago. Jack Dempsey was one of my dad's heroes growing up. He told my mom he was going to go say hi to him. My mom, being very shy, was horribly embarrassed. But my dad went and introduced himself and they chatted for about 20 minutes. Dad told that story to me probably a dozen times over the years. It was one of his life’s highlights.

“He was knocked down seven times. Because he was a champion, he got up eight.” Man, well said. And respect to Willard.

You can definitely tell Tyson took some of his style. I love how much respect he had for him.

Jack Dempsey literally fought for his bread and his life. I can only imagine some of the experiences he had.

The quality of that 1919 footage of the Dempsey Willard fight is amazingly good. It's wonderful that we can watch that fight 103 years later.

The fact that there are people in the comments with personal stories about Jack is just insane to me... That just goes to show how much of a boxing god he is..

🥊 Jack Dempsey ~ massive respect ~ no wonder Tyson speaks so highly of him ~ wow . May he rest in peace . 🙏🏼

As part of the war effort Dempsey trained US servicemen, the manual he wrote says it all "How To Fight Tough". As a kid, I recall the mugging incident. He was leaving his NY restaurant (Dempsey's) with the cash proceeds of the night, 3 knife wielding toughs approached him, in seconds it was over with all three unconscious on the ground. The TV reporter reporting the story only called him an "Elderly NY Restauranteur" until the end when he said, "and that restauranteur was Jack Dempsey". I just remember my Dad smiling when he heard that.

I visited Jacks grave 23rd May in Southampton cemetery Tuckahoe Long Island as one on my bucket list, its a very simple grave surrounded with hedges, a simple stone saying DEMPSEY and just in front of the stone a small stone flag with a pair of boxing gloves on saying World heavyweight champion 1919-1927, well worth my journey from England

That is a true strong man with great inner strength and a heart of gold. RIP MR Jack Dempsey God bless you in heaven

You deserve an Oscar for this video! Everything is so well put together, the narration, the music, the film. Legendary 🔥🔥👌

Old school boxing rules were absolutely insane.

Willard died at 86 in 1968. The oldest that a heavyweight champ had ever achieved. Of course, Dempsey outlived him by a year and died at 87 in 1983.

He is buried in Southampton, NY. I was led to the champ's resting spot by the almighty! His epitaph reads, " A Gentleman and Gentle Man." A truly great American boxing champion and human! Rest in peace🤩🇺🇸👍

One of the best analogies ever: “Jess Willard looked like a baby Deer learning to walk in a ring…, with a Wolverine”. 😂

My respects for Willard. He’s a true champion. He got up so many times, he didn’t quit no matter what. After that lose he even congratulated Dempsey. These are the boxers we need today.

When Mike Tyson respects someone, you know they deserve that respect.

Willard deserves respect. He held on heroically. His opponent was Jack Dempsey, after all.

I never saw him fight, but remember when he died in the 80s. Even growing up all through the 60s his name was still big in boxing. Everyone knew the name Jack Dempsey.

You know the man was dangerous if Mike Tyson said "There is no one like him in intensity"

Jack Dempsey had 4 professional fights in one month. Hard times create hard men.

Everyone overlooks the heart and determination of Big Jesus Willard. When I first got into being a fan of the sport. I remember the first thought I had when I saw that Dempsey Willard fight was how heroic Big Jess was. Continuing to get pummeled like that and to continue to get up and try his best to fight. He didn't have to continue. But his courage, integrity, and honor told him to. Big Jess is overlooked nowadays because people hated that fact he dethroned Johnson. And for their love of Jack Dempsey. But even tho Jess really never cared for the sport. He will always be a fighter that I always liked simply because of how he handled that fight. You can tell a lot about a man when he is down and out.

Not enough gets said about Jack's conditioning and cardio. Anyone that has trained/competed in combat sports, i.e. Muay Thai, Boxing, Kickboxing, MMA, knows how grueling it is to not only have a punching bag for an opponent - hitting a punching bag at a furious pace non-stop is raxing - but, to yank your hands free from an opponent who is holding them, is tiring. Jack mauled for 12 minutes with only 3 minutes of rest, pulling his hands free constantly, and with Willard leaning on him to tire him out, another grind on the cardio. Insane endurance Jack had to go with his mental toughness, doggedness, will, and downright meanness in the ring. A fight I always would have loved to have seen, but they were separated by eras, was a bout between Dempsey and Marciano.

“All of those people owned the same hats…” Best line in the entire video.

Just loved it when Dempsey rushed in to congratulate his opponent after losing. What a man from a bygone era.

The Dempsey Roll: the most horrifying maneuver to ever grace the ring. Legends say you could hear jet engines screaming when it's put into effect

Mr Jack Dempsey, what a Man wgat a great human being. Jack has my great respect and appreciation for who he was and his contribution to Boxing.

At 15 years old I met Jack Dempsey in a trailer just before his presentation of his life's boxing history at a film documentary in Lewiston Idaho in 1963. My father Buford Webb was on the county fair board which sponsored this occasion and I was invited by the fair manager Jerry Storer to come to this trailer in the back of the fair grounds just as the movie started. I walked up the camper steps and there was Jack Dempsey sipping scotch whiskey with my father and Jerry. I remember shaking hands with this man and how big and gnarly his hands were. I spoke not a word but sat in awe of this great boxer and thought how lucky I was to meet him . Mr. Dempsey invited us to his restaurant in NYC and told me to return to the film because the last part was the best. This memory so long ago will never be forgotten. Just thought I would share.

Is no one going to appreciate the cardio? The fact Dempsey didn't gas out is amazing.

"Fred Willard got knocked down seven times and got up eight times because that's what champions do". Props to you for showing respect for Willard like that. That was beautiful.

Never seen Dempsey fight before ,WOW ,he was unreal im in shock

My Dad was of this type. Irish kid growing up in the Depression .Had to fight for street corners to sell his newspapers. He was a WWII Marine in the Pacfic and feared no man. Only 5'9" but tough as nails. With a heart of gold. Miss him terribly.

Even though jess willard lost he deserves a medal or a title for staying in for that long. he sustained a broken jaw, cheekbone, and ribs, as well as losing several teeth from that single fight. What a legend!

In my late teens (1964-65?) I met and had my photo taken with Jack Dempsey at his restaurant in downtown New York City. I remember how HUGE his right hand was. Over the following years a number of boxing fans have expressed their envy about this brief encounter. Jack made me feel very welcome.

What they didn't mention about Willard is that in 1913 he killed another fighter in the ring. How? Accounts differ. Some say that a combination of punches broke the man's jaw and drove a piece of it through his skull and into his brain stem. Other sources list the cause of death as simply a cranial hemorrhage; still others say it was a broken neck. He was actually tried and acquitted for 2nd degree murder. Willard was very lucky to survive another couple rounds with his own jaw fractured into multiple pieces.

I met Jack Dempsey when I was a boy in the 1970s. We were in an elevator in the Empire Stare Building, and my Grandpa recognized Jack, who was in his 70s. Jack was extremely gracious to a bunch of star-struck Iowans. Joe even gave me a little fake punch to the jaw! I'll never forget it...

Jack Dempsey was my Grandad's favorite boxer. My Dad took my Grandad and our family to meet him back in 1966 when I was 10. While I talked to him he playfully hit me in the arm. I thought wow, he is strong and I felt proud I did not go down. My Grandad's love of boxing made me a lover of boxing, thanks to Jack Dempsey.

12:29 "Sometimes the only winning move is not to play." That's deep !

Willard showed more heart and strength than any fighter I’ve ever seen. Much respect to that man

Jess Willard vs Jack Johnson is an amazing tribute of how warriors really built our sport. 26 rounds of 45. Wow

A scheduled 45 rounds in a mere 100 degree climate w/climbing heat. To last 26 rounds in it is absolutely amazing. This era of boxing was truly built for only the real men of boxing. JD is one of the greats and fathers of boxing.

One of the coolest things about this video is the absolute class and sportsmanship on display. No egos, no trash talk, just mutual respect. It makes the competition so much more enjoyable.

“It took a mere 26 rounds in a fight scheduled to last 45.” We just gonna ignore that? Edit: the reason I wanted to point it out was because the reason that 15 rounds were shortened to 12 was because of the fighter’s “health”

I love the quote "he was knocked down 7 times but because he's a champion he got up 8" Wow

This is just WOW! The fighting back then was simply cage match, with the Ref pretty much non-existent. Jack was Jacked based on these old videos. His back was sculpted like a marble statute. I can understand his fight since if you have nothing you are surviving, and this was his way out. Amazing.

What an incredible story and truly a legend in sport and life for a reason. That was a great video, thanks for uploading.

"All of those people owned ... the same hats." Loved that little laugh line in the middle of the dramatic buildup to the fight with Jess Willard, well played!

You've really got to hand it to Willard for standing up to that beating in that heat, that takes an unheard-of amount of fortitude and mental strength I've never seen before!! He has earned my deepest respect for this!!

Gene Tunney is so underrated. A fantastic boxer.

This is a tremendous piece on a legendary champion! This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels.

Different breed of human back then , Willard showed heart beyond belief . And folks $100,000 dollars 100 year ago is monstrous amounts of money hahah , thanks for another quality upload I love watching this old footage

After boxing career over he opened a restaurant about 1/2 block from Times Square, NY. My parents, sister & I went for cheesecake after seeing Hello Dolly on Broadway. Jack came to every table chatting & shaking hands. My adult female hand in his looked like a newborn's in mine. I am 79 now & to this dy have never seen such an enormous hand since. He shook gently & was sweet.

My Granpa fought pro in Portland OR in the late 20's. He went 28-1 and gave it up when Portland Lbr Mills made him General Manager. He taught me some moves with my left...He said my left was fast and hit hard, but he said my right hand was slow and should stick to defense....Good advice. Anyway, he said Dempsey used to practice in a crate, where he had to crouch. When Dempsey threw a punch it came up from his toes. Willard was perfect for Dempsey's style....

Fast + Aggressive + Technician Is A Dangerous Combination Jack Dempsey Was A Masterpiece Himself.

Finally, a story of a boxer who lived into his old age and enjoyed life. It seems like way too many boxers come to some pretty miserable ends, it’s nice to see that isn’t the case here.

Jack Dempsey and James Braddock walked into an amateur fight show in North Bergen, NJ in 1976, the crowd went crazy as they entered the ring to be honored. They say you can feel the presence of a great person when they enter a room, well we all certainly felt it that night when two great men, two great fighters walked into the arena. I didn't get to shake their hands, but on their walk in they passed within a few feet of where I stood, I'll never forget that moment and how it felt being an 18 yr old amateur fighter seeing these two all time greats up close like that!

I’ve learned so much from this channel btw. Thanks! Jack is an amazing man.

Willard is one tough dude. I think that is understated in his fight against dempsey. The guy kept getting up

Bro got up after 7 KO's and kept fighting for another round. Nobody has heart like that anymore. Also a fighter conquering a 30+lb and 10" reach advantage is absolute madness

Jack Dempsey figured he started "training" to be heavyweight champion when he was 11 years old. He was basically a vagrant for most of his youth, and starting around the age 16 one of the ways he'd feed himself was to walk into a bar, penniless, 16 years old and scrawny (weighing 135lbs) and declare in his high-pitched voice "I can lick any man in this joint... for a buck." And he'd usually get action, by grown men, and he'd win most the time. That'd be enough for a square meal or two (and/or a broken nose) and he viewed it as training. If that happened today it'd make the news. 100 years ago it was just normal stuff that happened in a bar.

For six decades, I knew nothing about J.D. except his name until this video. Dude was remarkable, to say the least.

There is no shame in losing to Gene Tunney. Tunney was one of the best ever.

When Mike Tyson thinks you're a badass fighter nothing else need be said.

In a few days it will be 103 years since he won the World Heavyweight Championship, he was simply one of the most insane boxers in history.

What a fantastic look at a great champion who popularized boxing in the early 20th century. Thank you!

I boxed amateur as teenager , there is nothing else like it. The training, the coaching . Getting your hands wrapped before the fight . The adrenaline when the bell rings . When you hit your opponent so hard you see their eyes roll up in their heads as they fall to the canvas . Good times 😊

I found a jack Dempsey autograph on a postcard in my father's belongings. Truly a surprise and a treasure.

I named my boxer dog Dempsey after Jack. He started out thin and almost starved to death when we got him at 11-months, but he became an 85lb beast with the heart of a lion!

Mr. Dempsey was born nearby where I live in South-Central Colorado. He was born in the Hispano/Mormon town of Manassa Colorado. His parents were Mormon missionary types. His father struggled to find work and Jack dropped out of elementary school, leaving home by 16. He began to fight in the San Luis Valley of Colorado in ruckus mining towns such as Creede, CO. My ancestors mined ore in these places, and I figure some of them saw him fight. If anyone has the chance visit Manassa, CO. The miniature home in which he was born in stands along Main Street (Hwy #142) with an elegant bronze statue of him outside. I have a lot of respect for this man now gone. Thank you, sir.

Jack Dempsey's signature move "The Dempsey roll" is also featured in the japanese anime/manga called "Hajime no Ippo" (now with 1421 eps in manga and 3 or 4 season in anime). Higly recomend this series if you are a boxing/martial artist fan.

My wife is a Dempsey, directly related! Jack is a legend and the topic of regular conversation in our home. He will live forever..

My great grandfather was a marshall on passenger trains for awhile in the 30s and he got to know Jack Dempsey pretty well he told my dad he was one of the nicest people he ever met

"All of those people owned the same hats..." Same intonation, doesn't miss a beat. Cracked me up.

"The same hats". perfect timing, as each person who watches that clip is thinking that 1 second before you say it. Kudos to you!

It is believed Dempsey had approximately 300 bare knuckle fights before turning pro.He was a beast fighter,but was known to be a good guy outside the ring.

The sheer stubborn will to not lose from willard whilst being used as a heavy bag with legs is nothing short of amazing.

Thanks for making this ❤

“All of those people owned… the same hats” 😂

That story of Dempsey, as an old man, dealing with muggers is hilarious. The way found it written was an account of where Dempsey was in the back of a limo. Some mugger thought this old, rich guy would be an easy target. He opened the door and reached in the back seat to accost the old guy only to find Dempsey's huge right hand flying across to connect with the mugger's face. The story says the mugger learned a vital lesson that day. Never mess with an old guy.

2:16 "It took a mere 26 rounds of a fight scheduled to go 45". Dang! I am just going to say it, folks back then were just plain way tougher than us folks today.

Thank you very much for this !

Its 2024, me and my mates are big boxing fans, and we still discuss Jack Dempseys fights. A great fighting man and a real gent! God bless him.

What’s most impressive is Dempsey’s accuracy. His punches were right on the button almost every throw

Wow, the part about Willard being alone and crying is heart breaking.

Excellent job with great footage,well done !

Thank you for this! I've never seen these films.

These were some hard lads back in the day. Very impressive how much heart all these men had.

Incredible story. I knew Dempsey was a huge champion, but I've never known the details of his violence in the ring. If Tyson says you're savage, well, you're savage!

Jack Dempsey was one hell of a fighter 🔥

It’s always so interesting to see how boxers take inspiration from other boxers, I can’t even tell you how many people Tyson knocked out with that Dempsey double shift

"all of those people owned... the same hats." had me dying

Mike Tyson modelled his whole game on Jack Dempsey, he simply loved the man and had so much respect for him which gives me a warm feeling inside, I have a lot of respect for Mike Tyson, and especially the way he went to his opponents after he brutally knocked them out to see if they were OK. What a man Mike Tyson was, and what an animal Jack Dempsey was

Good video. Well done. Thank you.

Well done, sir. That was great

I just love Mike, he gets wiser and more humble each year.

When the GOAT, Mike Tyson says you're a badass, you're a badass 💪

I like Mike Tryson, he doesn't go around saying he's the best in the world, He gives the greats of the past their due respect.

Awesome video! ❤