Old flicks with Battling Nelson, Ad Wolgast and Joe Rivers

[BattlingNelson]

There are not many old fights to be found on the internet IMO. I just found these very old flicks with Battling Nelson in his last fight with Ad Wolgast for the lightweight title and a flick of one of the most controversial stoppages in boxing history.

You can see them here:



If anyone has found some old footage please post it.

[TheGreatA]

Some footage of the Battling Nelson vs Joe Gans 1 fight at the start of this vid. Nelson flies out of the ring at 01:00...


Bob Fitzsimmons vs "Gentleman Jim" Corbett HW world title fight 1897.


"The Human Windmill" Harry Greb sparring with Philadelphia Jack O'Brien.


Sam McVey fighting against Battling Jim Johnson.


Sam Langford vs Fireman Jim Flynn.


Jack Johnson vs Jess Willard. Johnson claimed he took a dive against Willard but this vid proves that it is untrue. He gets knocked out by a clean punch right on the jaw.

Lots of old footage on youtube...

[BattlingNelson]

Lots of old footage on youtube...[/QUOTE]

Thanks a lot. You really are a shark on youtube. I like your find of the great Harry Greb.

There is a lot on youtube yes, but I would like to find some more of Battling Nelson.

Here's one where Joe Gans supposedly took a dive against Terry McGovern. And yes: Some of the knock-downs do look a bit fake.

[TheGreatA]

Max Schmeling wins the vacant world heavyweight title.


Schmeling defends his title and KO's Young Stribling. FOTY 1931.


An old Harry Wills gets viciously knocked out by Uzcudun.


Ike Williams beats down Beau Jack.


Jack Johnson vs Jim Jeffries.


Jack Johnson knocks Stanley Kethel cold.

[TheGreatA]

Gene Tunney fights Jack Dempsey:


Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

This is their first fight.

Tunney completely neutralized Dempsey's aggressive swarming style by moving, jabbing and clinching, scoring with the occasional fast combinations.
Dempsey had heart and kept coming until the end even though he was losing badly.

[LondonRingRules]

Gene Tunney fights Jack Dempsey:
This is their first fight.

Tunney completely neutralized Dempsey's aggressive swarming style by moving, jabbing and clinching, scoring with the occasional fast combinations.
Dempsey had heart and kept coming until the end even though he was losing badly.

** General description of the fight is accurate, but in no way did Gene "completely" neutralize Dempsey unless the expectation was that Dempsey was supposed to KO Tunney, nor was he losing badly.

Which brings up the question of expectations in a fight like this. Tunney did better than any previous Dempsey opponent, backing him up on occasion. Dempsey was a tiger in parts of the fight, a *****cat in others. The captions are all pro Tunney, a cheerleading section that influences perception. There's a current boxrec summary of JMM/Pac 2 that is 100% bias to JMM for example. Moderns know how to manipulate perceptions and woe be to the poor chap who is victimized by these perceptions in a decisioned fight or legal proceedings.

Don't know the scores of the fight and the fight incomplete with rds cut short and a missing rd. After the 4th it's not clear what the rd it is.

I had this as essentially an even fight. Dempsey landed a series of left hooks on Tunney early in the 4th which staggered him into the ropes where he has to hang on to keep from going down and puts Tunney well on the back foot for most the rest of the rd. Lands another left hook in the latter part of the fight that has Tunney checking his teeth. Why Dempsey didn't pounce at this moment is probably the result of his new soft Hollywood lifestyle.

Except for significant lapses that allow Tunney back into the fight, Dempsey the aggressor who lands the biggest punches and a hundred short inside hooks and uppercuts on Tunney. Tunney clearly a master boxer/puncher uses the whole of the ring with footwork, a jab, an incredible chin, and the moxie to trade and get the better of Dempsey at times.

It wasn't so much that Dempsey did badly as much as he was no longer prime Dempsey who doubtless would have polished off Tunney pronto in the 4th in his prime. I also noted that Dempsey ducked and slipped many of Gene's fabled jabs and rights.

Credit to Dempsey for never whining about the decisions and twists of fate that worked against him like many modern fighters. The guy was a gentleman to the end and always credited other fighters.

[TheGreatA]

I only saw Dempsey miss a lot while Tunney landed many clean punches, perhaps Dempsey landed some punches to the body but those clearly did not have much of an effect on Tunney who was still moving effortlessly in the 10th round while Dempsey himself had slowened down quite a bit.

It is true that Dempsey makes Tunney miss with his head movement but when he does that and tries to get inside, Tunney is quick to clinch and get back to working the jab again.

The video, however, is not clear enough to accurately score the bout.
It is said that Dempsey's face looked like a mess after the fight which is why he said to his wife that he 'forgot to duck'.

The judges scored it as a 'wide' decision for Tunney.

To be fair to Tunney, one of Dempsey's own greatest victories came over a 38 year old Jess Willard who had been inactive for 3 years.

[warp1432]

Did Greb really fight that wild? I mean I knew he was dirty, but I've heard rumours that the spar with Jack O'brian was just showing off for the cameras.

[BattlingNelson]

Does anyone know why the Dempsey-Tunney fights were 10-rounders? It's the shortest distance for a HW championship as far as I remember.