Dempsey, Jack

(born June 24, 1895, Manassa, Colo., U.S.—died May 31, 1983, New York, N.Y.) U.S. boxer. Dempsey started fighting in 1914 under the name Kid Blackie. After compiling an impressive number of first-round knockouts, in 1919 he was matched against world heavyweight champion Jess Willard.

Dempsey defeated Willard in three rounds. He then held the heavyweight title until his defeat by Gene Tunney in 1926 in a 10-round decision. In the next year's rematch, in the famous “Long Count” bout, Dempsey would not go to a neutral corner after knocking Tunney down; this delayed the start of the count against Tunney and gave him extra time to recover and win the fight. Nicknamed the “Manassa Mauler,” Dempsey was known as a ferocious fighter who kept continuously on the offensive. He fought exhibition matches in the 1930s before retiring in 1940; he later became a successful restaurateur. In 84 fights he compiled a record of 62 wins, 51 by knockout.

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