Dempsey rotation. Biography
In our turbulent times, history, including sports history, seems to have split into many unrelated stories, each of which can be interpreted completely differently - depending on who and how this interpretation is carried out. But the further this plot goes into the past, there are fewer and fewer free interpretations, and the main line – the line of understanding – becomes more and more clearly visible. And if it – this line – does not correspond to one’s own perception of reality, then the best way out is simply not to delve into this story, to forget about it, unless specifically reminded.
The history of boxing is, of course, no exception. And the times of Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey and Harry Greb are so far in the past that it seems that we are talking, at least, about the Battle of Kulikovo, if not about the baptism of Rus'. Just as many people tend not to remember the Mongol-Tatar yoke once again, so admirers of the heroes of modern times often look down upon, or even with contempt, at the not very respected “old men”. But the prototypes of modern legends are in the past.
The prototype of Mike Tyson as a boxer was not Sunny Liston, with whom Iron Mike was more related mentality, how much is Jack Dempsey from the town of Manassa, Colorado. Today, when Dempsey is included among the best heavyweights (and sometimes boxers) of all time, not many understand why - he has long been bronzed, becoming the same legend (in which truth is very difficult to separate from fiction), like, for example, Dmitry Donskoy or Prince Igor. They were glorious men, warriors, but how they fought, for what, why they were glorious - few will remember.
Dempsey fought for the world heavyweight title, held it for more than 7 years (but defended it only 5 times), and all his fights were remarkable in some way - it’s impossible to forget Jack. But what will definitely be remembered along with the titles is his style, his rage, in which there was something primitive. The kind of rage that made Jeff Fenech, Roberto Duran, Tyson and a few (few) others famous. All the more curious is the transformation that Jack underwent within the framework of just one fight. This transformation did not save him from defeat, but it showed the depth of his potential more than all his victories.
Dempsey's road was unique in its own way, but overall typical of American boxing at the beginning of the last century. There were no patterns or beaten paths back then - people made themselves, including champions. Dempsey, who began fighting seriously at age 16, was no exception. No one knows when his professional career began, but what is certain is that by the end of 1916 he was the No. 1 boxer in the state of Utah, where William Harrison Dempsey (“Jack” is a pseudonym for Billy’s idol, the legendary “Peerless” middleweight, also named Jack Dempsey). It took another two years to prepare for the championship fight. Not everything went well, but the “magic month” at the beginning of 1918, when Jack successively went against Billy Brennan, Homer Smith, former abuser Joe Flynn and Carl Morris - all fights were won ahead of schedule - made him one of the main contenders for the title world champion. And his rights were finally confirmed in the second half of the magical 1918 (the best year of his career) with victories over Barney Lebrowitz (KO 3), Ed Smith (KO 2) and once again Morris (KO 1).
The champion at that time was the giant Jess Willard - a boxer of both impressive size (not for that time, but in general: height - 199 cm, arm span - 211 cm), and modest boxing talent. Until now, many are sure that he became a champion only because the great Jack Johnson was offered some, let’s say, help, which he simply could not refuse. Not only did Willard not grab stars from the sky, but he was even too lazy to pick up things that weren’t lying well on the ground. During the 4 years of his championship, the title was defended only once - against the little-known Frank Moran.
Meanwhile, Dempsey, under the tutelage of excellent manager Jack Kearns (with whom they would later quarrel), grew by leaps and bounds. In July 1918, he knocked out Fred Fulton (40-5-1), a fighter of Willard's identical size, in just 23 seconds. This would give some pause, but bookmakers still saw Willard as a slight favorite (bets were taken at 6/5 in his favor). Meanwhile, Kearns bet $10,000 that Dempsey would beat the champion in a round. Then many twisted their heads, but later this moment will be remembered in a different context...
The fight was scheduled for a memorable date - July 4th, US Independence Day, exactly nine years after the memorable "Shame of the Nation" in the form of Jim Jeffries' defeat by Jack Johnson, in Toledo, Ohio, at 43 degrees in the shade. What follows must be seen, but not necessarily read:
The right side of Willard's face was so badly smashed (“like a peach that had been thrown onto the asphalt many times”) that rumors immediately began that “something was fishy.” Like, gypsum powder - you understand... The story, which was not worth a damn, received promotion, but was soon refuted and forgotten (thanks to connoisseurs of relics, including bantam champion Pete Herrmann, who kept Dempsey's gloves and his bandages as relics)... until 1958 year, when the elderly Jack Kearns decided to bring the truth to light. Few believed him, because by that time (and, in fact, much earlier) Dempsey’s relationship with Kearns had been completely ruined.
… Jack was generally a heavy fellow, and his life was far from the “Barbie House” of Oscar De La Hoya, Vladimir Klitschko and some other “model champions.” For example, Jack’s first wife was a certain Maxine Cates, a girl, let’s say, of not the most difficult behavior, for whom Dempsey helped earn money - in other words, he brought her “to the panel.” But these are personal matters, but “excuses” from the army (for a moment, active and participated in the First World War) on the basis of some dubious certificates “about the only breadwinner” were received ambiguously by society. In such a situation, it was necessary to defend the title confidently and not give rise to new quibbles.
However, this did not work out completely. Jack made his first defense against Billy Miske and knocked him out in the 3rd round. But this was not the same Miske with whom Dempsey fought before winning the title. Billy suffered from chronic nephritis, Bright's syndrome, and he didn't have long to live. Another thing is Bill Brennan, who was also beaten by Jack before. This guy was glowing with health, but was too unpolished. Nevertheless, he fought almost evenly until the 12th round, until he ran into an uppercut from Dempsey.
Thus, Dempsey was already a dominant champion, but he was viewed with suspicion. Dempsey's brilliant promoter Tex Rickard realized that: 1). Bad boys sell well; 2). In the long run, it's best to be a good boy. It was necessary to mold a bad boy into a good one, and what could be better for this than defeating a good boy in all respects. This turned out to be Georges Charpentier, a pilot-hero of the First World War and a multiple champion of France and Europe in almost all weights. Dempsey was a villain and a dodger, Charpentier was a favorite of women and a world-class technician. With 90,000 people in attendance, tickets ranged from $5.50 to $50 at those prices, making the fight the first million-dollar ticket in history. And after 4 rounds Everyone had already forgotten about Charpentier, and Dempsey began to climb out of the dive steeply.
Dempsey’s great career finally and irrevocably took shape in his most memorable fight: against the powerful Argentinean Luis Angel Firpo, nicknamed “The Raging Bull of the Pampas.” Firpo began his career at the age of 23 in his homeland, and reached America only in the 22nd year, when Dempsey was almost at the zenith of his fame. A year later, visiting the United States for the second time, Firpo successively knocked out Brennan, Willard and the strong Charlie Wainart, becoming a contender for the title. Jack was the favorite, but the 191cm, aggressive Firpo was truly dangerous. The fight took place on September 14, 1923 in New York became a classic world boxing:
Firpo returned to his homeland and gradually faded away, and then returned ten years later, but did not gain even a ghost of the glory that surrounded him after the lost massacre with Dempsey. However, the legend began to live separately from Firpo - statues began to be erected in his honor, name football teams and so on and so forth and so on...
For Dempsey himself, this was the last title defense and the penultimate significant victory. From 1923 to 1926 he did not hold official fights. And when he finally entered the ring, he found a more than worthy opponent in the person of Gene Tunney, who first defeated Dempsey once, and then - not without the help of the memorable "long count" - one more time. In the interval between these fights, Jack defeated the future world champion Jack Sharkey, who linked the period of 40 years and the era of Dempsey with the era of the fighter who surpassed him - Joe Louis.
Jack Dempsey (real name William Garrison) was born on June 24, 1895 in Colorado. Coming from the poorest sections of the population, until the age of 19 he was an auxiliary worker in the mines. One day in 1914, he was offered to perform in a boxing match for a small sum, and he agreed without hesitation, taking the sonorous surname Kid Black for the ring.
The start was promising. In addition to strength, Kid Black had a hot temperament and tenacity, because mixed Irish and Indian blood flowed in his veins. From match to match his self-confidence grew, and in the end the young man came to the conclusion that it would be easier for him to live in the ring than in the mines. The pseudonym soon seemed too modest to him, and he appropriated a new fighting name - Jack Dempsey, which was once borne by the first middleweight champion in history (1884-1891).
Over the course of two years (1915-1916), the second Jack Dempsey fought 29 fights, of which he lost only 2, and knocked out 18 opponents. The young boxer matured and, like no one before him, mastered close combat. He had unusually strong blows with both hands, and was very fast and dexterous, fully justifying the nickname “Jack the Tiger.”
The decisive match in Dempsey's career was a match with Fred Fulton in July 1918. Fred Fulton weighed 118 kg with a height of 190.5 cm and was a generally accepted candidate to meet world champion Jess Willard. Fulton's manager Michael Collins believed that another success on the way to the title of champion would only benefit his ward, and proposed a meeting between Fulton and Dempsey. The result of this battle amazed everyone. The hulking Fulton was Jack Dempsey's opponent for just 23 seconds (countout included).
Some sports observers considered Dempsey's victory to be accidental, but a series of knockouts in the following months convinced them that “Jack the Tiger” was a boxer with a great future. Thus, on July 4, 1919, on the day scheduled for the Fulton-Willard match, Jack Dempsey stood up against the powerful cowboy. Few people believed in Dempsey’s success in meeting such a colossus as Willard (111 kg, 198 cm). The difference in favor of the champion was 11 cm in height and 26.2 kg in weight.
And again - a surprise. The ease with which Dempsey dealt with Willard, his hurricane attacks and the formidable power of his blows, dispelled any remaining mistrust of him in boxing circles. America waited for a champion who, in the opinion of even seasoned experts, could stand comparison with the most remarkable masters of the past.
For more than 7 years, Jack Dempsey reigned unconditionally in the professional ring, and only on September 23, 1926, he gave up this place to the “boxer-philosopher” Gene Tunney. The rematch, which took place a year later, also brought victory to Gene Tunney.
Jack Dempsey maintained excellent physical shape into his old age. This is proven by the following: while the former champion was walking with his wife, two young men, snatching the purse from Mrs.’s hands, attempted to leave with impunity. But it was not there! “Jack the Tiger” caught up with the intruders and, without delaying the procedure, taught them a lesson so convincingly that the “adventure” seekers themselves hastened to surrender under the protection of the guardians of the law, who were somewhat late for the start of the moral lesson. This happened in 1977, by that day Dempsey had already turned... 82 years old (!).
Based on materials from the book “Cruel Rounds” by G. Shatkov and I. Altukhov
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Annotation
Jack Dempsey's book was first published in English in 1950, edited by Jack Cuddy and illustrated by Ed Aisch.
For a long time it was not translated into Russian, until a group of volunteers took on this project. Sergey Petrov, Valery Zavorykin, Oleg Fadeev and others took part in the translation of this book (unfortunately, they did not indicate their names). Layout and editing - Dmitry Kaznacheev.
Jack Dempsey
1. EXPLOSIVES IN TOLEDO
2. GOOD AND BAD CONSEQUENCES OF TOLEDO
3. KNOCKOUTS ARE NOT BORN - THEY BECOME KNOCKOUTS
4. WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK
5. DIFFERENCE between FIGHTING and BOXING
6. YOU'RE NEW TO KNOCKOUTS
7. IMPACT - WHAT IS IT?
8. FALLING STEP
9. LINE OF POWER
10. TRANSMISSION OF SHOCK PULSE AND EXPLOSION
11. STAND
12. FOOT WORK
13. DISTANCE
14. STRAIGHT KICKS WITH SHOULDER ROTATION
15. CONSISTENCY IN STROKES
17. UPPERCUTS
18. IMPACT TAKES FIRST PLACE
19. SPARRING PARTNER
20. GENERAL PROTECTION AND BLOCKING
22. PROTECTION BY CASE
23. FEATURES AND DAMAGES
24 TRAININGS
25. HOW TO WATCH A BOXING FAT CORRECTLY
Jack Dempsey
Fight like a champion. Explosive strikes and aggressive defense
1. EXPLOSIVES IN TOLEDO
What do you think would happen if a one-year-old child fell from the fifth floor onto the head of a burly truck driver standing on the sidewalk? Without any doubt, the driver will be knocked out, possibly die from a concussion or a broken neck. Even an innocent child will turn into a dangerous projectile, if the weight of his body is invested in acceleration.
You may feel as helpless as a one-year-old child in battle, but remember:
1. you weigh more than a child;
2. You don't have to jump out of a window to put your body weight into the punch.
Your body has weight, and you, in turn, have all the means to quickly set this weight in motion.
Moreover, you have explosives. You don't have to come across as explosive. You can look as safe as a stick of dynamite, which children can easily confuse with giant taffy.
You can bring the weight of your body into rapid motion, and “explode” your opponent with this rapidly flying weight with a stunning, crushing effect that puts an end to the fight.
By the way, the comparison with the child and the explosives reminds me of what happened in Toledo on the afternoon of the Fourth of July 1919. Standing in the hot Ohio sun that day, I felt like a child as I watched big Jess Willard take off his robe in the opposite corner of the ring.
Cowboy Jess was the heavyweight champion of the world, and he was a true giant. Moreover, he was a well-built giant - every centimeter of his body showed him as an athlete. It tapered downward from his shoulders as broad as a drilling rig, and his muscles rippled frighteningly under his tanned skin. He was one meter ninety-eight tall and weighed 111 kg. Compared to him, I looked like a child, at best a gnome, although I was one meter eighty-three tall and weighed 81.7 kg. Before the fight they announced that I weighed 85 kg, but in fact I only weighed 82.
As soon as I saw Willard, I said to myself, “Wow!” What a rock I have to blow up this time! ”
I knew what explosions were, I knew what dynamite was. I learned about dynamite in the mines of Colorado, Utah and Nevada, where I worked for about six years. I also knew a lot about dynamite in a fight. I've been studying fist dynamite since I was seven. It was at this age that I had my first fight, with a guy my age and build, it was in Manassa, Colorado, where I was born and spent my childhood.
Even before the Willard fight, my manager, Jack “Doc” Kearns, nicknamed me “Jack the Giant Slayer” because I was so hard on guys like Carl Morris and Fred Fulton. Yes, these were big guys, but they would simply be lost next to such a terrifying giant as the sweltering Willard.
In preparation for the Willard fight, I trained at the Overland Club in Maumee Bay, off Airy Bay. Almost every day, Kearns and my coach Jimmy DeForest insisted that I was in better shape than Willard.
But when I saw Big Jess in the opposite corner of the ring, without an ounce of fat on his huge body, the thought occurred to me that Kirn and DeForest were providing me with gratifying but false reports about my training - in order to maintain my fighting spirit. I wouldn’t say that looking at Willard I was scared, but I began to doubt whether I had enough dynamite in me to blow up this man-mountain.
Since this book is not my autobiography, I will not bore you with the details of this battle. I'll tell him briefly: I knocked him down six or seven times in the first round, and I finished him so badly in the third that Jesse was unable to continue the fight. Willard slumped helplessly into a chair in his corner, and as soon as the bell signaled the start of the fourth round, his trainers threw a towel into the ring. I won the world heavyweight championship by technical knockout.
I won the most coveted title in boxing by stopping a man much bigger and stronger than me, who weighed 30 kg more than me. I made him completely helpless using
against it is the acceleration of my own body weight. I I used my body weight, like the same hypothetical boy who fell out of the window and knocked out the hypothetical driver, and I used explosives.
The explosive effect of your body weight is the most important weapon in fist fighting and boxing.
Never forget this! I was at the top of his game that day when he faced Willard under the scorching Toledo sun. The entire weight of my body moved like lightning, and I exploded this weight in the direction of this giant. Even before the first round was over, Willard looked like the victim of a premature dynamite detonation in a coal mine.
2. GOOD AND BAD CONSEQUENCES OF TOLEDO
The explosives I used against Willard were soon advertised by promoter Tex Rickard to book five fights for more than $1,000,000 each. Those checks were truly remarkable; because when Willard and I got $452,224 in Toledo, that was the biggest payday we've ever seen for a fight. My five big money meetings were with Georges Carpentier from France, Luis Angel Firpo from Argentina, Jack Sharkey from Boston and Gene Tunney from New York (twice).
These enchanting fights gave the world a lot of information about the science of striking, because not only was I a good puncher, but my opponents in all five major fights were distinguished by strong striking. By the way, don't let anyone tell you that Gene Tunney couldn't hit. Many fight fans today have this wrong impression. At our first meeting in Philadelphia, where Gene snatched the title from me, he caught me with a counter right to the head that shocked me early in the first round. I he never recovered from that blow for the rest of the battle. And in Chicago in our second meeting, Gene put me on one knee with a blow to the head in the eighth round. Followed by when I put him down for the long count in the seventh. Indeed, I found Gentleman Gene to be very explosive.
William Harrison comes from the poorest sections of the population. Until the age of 19 he was an auxiliary worker in the mines. One day in 1914, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) - William Harrison was offered to perform in a boxing match for a small sum, and he agreed without hesitation, taking the sonorous surname Kid Black for the ring. The start was promising. In addition to strength, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) had a hot temperament and tenacity - mixed Irish and Indian blood flowed in his veins. From match to match, Dempsey Jack's (Kid Black) self-confidence grew, and in the end the young man came to the conclusion that it would be easier for him to live in the ring than in the mines. The pseudonym soon seemed too modest to him, and he appropriated a new fighting name - Jack Dempsey, which was once worn by the first middleweight champion in history from 1884-1891. Over the course of two years - 1915-1916, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) fought 29 fights, of which he lost only 2, and knocked out 18 opponents. The young boxer matured and, like no one before him, mastered close combat. Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) had unusually strong blows with both hands, and was very fast and dexterous, fully justifying the nickname “Jack the Tiger.” The decisive moment in the career of Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) was a match with Fred Fulton in July 1918. Fred Fulton weighed 118 kg with a height of 190.5 cm and was a generally accepted candidate to meet world champion Jess Willard. Fulton's manager Michael Collins believed that another success on the path to the title of champion would only benefit his ward, and proposed a meeting between Fulton and Dempsey. The result of this battle amazed everyone. The hulking Fulton was Dempsey Jack's (Kid Black) opponent for just 23 seconds, counting out. Some sports commentators considered Dempsey Jack's (Kid Black) victory to be accidental, but a series of knockouts in the following months convinced them that "Jack the Tiger" was a boxer with a great future. Thus, on July 4, 1919, in Toledo, Ohio, on the day scheduled for the Fulton-Willard match, Jack Dempsey stood up against the powerful cowboy. Few people believed in the success of Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) in a meeting with such a colossus as Jess Willard - 111 kg with a height of 198 cm. The difference in favor of the champion in height was 11 cm, and in weight - 26.2 kg. The ease with which Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) dealt with Jess Willard, knocking him out in the third round, his hurricane attacks and the formidable power of his punches dispelled any remaining mistrust of him in boxing circles. America waited for a champion who, in the opinion of even seasoned experts, could stand comparison with the most remarkable masters of the past. Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) managed to defend his title five more times. Thanks to the successful promoter J. Rickard, five matches involving Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) grossed over a million dollars - for the first time in boxing history. For more than 7 years, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) unconditionally ruled the professional ring, and only on September 23, 1926, he gave up this place to the “boxer-philosopher” Gene Tunney. In a rematch held in September 1927 in Chicago, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) again lost to Gene Tunney. After this, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) actually left the ring, performing only in exhibition matches until 1932. Dempsey Jack (Kid Black), after finishing his career as a fighter, entered the ring as a boxing and wrestling referee. During World War II, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) served in the Coast Guard, providing physical training to soldiers.
After leaving the sport, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) went into business and became the owner of a fashionable restaurant in New York, where he organized charity evenings for boxing veterans at Christmas. In 1954, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1977, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) published his biography. Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) has enriched the tactical and technical arsenal of boxing, developing several effective techniques, actions, strikes and defenses. One of his techniques is the “Dempsey sun” - a combined counterattack action in response to a direct blow from an opponent - a dive under the striking hand with a simultaneous blow to the body, a feint to the outside and a side blow to the head, which is still successfully used today.
Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) maintained excellent physical shape into his old age. During the walk of the former champion with his wife, two young men, snatching the purse from Mrs.'s hands, attempted to leave with impunity. Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) caught up with the intruders and, without delaying the procedure, taught them a lesson so convincingly that the “adventure” seekers themselves hastened to surrender under the protection of the guardians of the law, who were somewhat late for the start of the moral lesson. It happened in 1977, Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) was already 82 years old by that day. Dempsey Jack (Kid Black) died in 1983.
On July 2, 1921, a native of Russia, general manager of the newly formed Radio Corporation of America, David Sarnoff, conducted a sensational radio report on the match between heavyweight boxers Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier. If until that day the sale of radio receivers was not going well, then in the next three years the company managed to sell them for an amount exceeding $80 million. This match, which ended with Dempsey winning by knockout in the fourth round, is notable for more than that. Promoter Dempsey Tex Rickard, who organized this match in Jersey City, managed to receive revenue of more than one million dollars for the first time in boxing history. He managed to achieve this feat five times, achieving a record breaking achievement of $2 million six years later. It was closed only in the mid-70s. during the era of Muhammad Ali.
"Sunshine Dempsey" is a technique of the legendary American boxer Jack Dempsey.. Dempsey often used this deadly combination of punches in his career when entering the professional ring.
"Dempsey's Sun" can be roughly divided into four main phases. This way it will be easier to learn it in phases. Having worked one until it becomes automatic, move on to the other. Having worked out the other phase, move on to training both phases together, and so on.
- Phase 1 - from the basic boxing stance, movement of the body with a squat from right to left, transferring body weight to the left leg and simultaneously taking a half step forward. This is the beginning of "Dempsey's Sunshine" (illustration below);
- Phase 2 - having reached the left extreme position, straighten up on your feet and, without squatting, make a semicircle from left to right, transferring your body weight to your right leg, moving half a step forward (illustration below);
- Phase 3 - repetition of phase 1;
- Phase 4 - semicircle, squatting to the right, returning to the main stance.
Blows that are delivered at the end of the movement of each phase:
- at the end of phase 1 - left side or bottom;
- at the end of phase 2 - counter right, if the opponent is of your height or shorter, or side from below, if he is taller than you;
- at the end of phase 3 a left straight is applied. If during the execution of the combination the opponent takes a step back and breaks the distance, then the left side is applied while jumping forward.
After learning the combination, be sure to fix the “Dempsey Sun”
