(1895–1983). Regarded by many as the perfect boxer, Jack Dempsey held the world heavyweight boxing title from 1919 to 1926. His fierce and brutal style of fighting earned him the nickname the Manassa Mauler. The most popular fighter of his time, he attracted the first 5 million-dollar gates (attendance receipts) in boxing history.
William Harrison Dempsey was born on June 24, 1895, in Manassa, Colo. He began boxing in 1914 under the name of Kid Blackie. He had fought more than 80 professional fights by the time he was 24 and had compiled enough knockouts to earn a title fight with Jess Willard, the heavyweight champion, in 1919. Dempsey attacked ferociously and knocked Willard to the floor seven times in the first round. Dempsey captured the title in the third round after Willard’s side threw in the towel.
In a title match against the Argentine heavyweight Luis Angel Firpo in New York City in 1923, Dempsey was knocked out of the ring in the first round. The primitive intensity of the fight continued, and Dempsey battered Firpo to defeat him in the second. It was his fifth successful defense of his title. For the next three years he fought only exhibition matches.
In 1926 Dempsey lost the title to Gene Tunney in a 10-round decision fight. The two boxers met again a year later in Chicago in what became the famous controversy of the long count. After knocking Tunney down in the seventh round, Dempsey missed his chance for a knockout by failing to retire immediately to a neutral corner of the ring. The official count thus began after a few seconds’ delay, so Tunney had extra time to recover. Tunney got up on the count of nine and went on to win another 10-round decision. During the 1930s Dempsey competed in many exhibition fights but was never again a serious contender for the championship. He later became a successful restaurant owner in New York City, where he died on May 31, 1983.