By: Sean Crose
Jess Willard was big. Very big. Even by today’s standards the former cowhand would be a good sized heavyweight. Standing over six and a half feet tall, weighing close two hundred fifty pounds without an ounce of fat on him, the onetime heavyweight champion was a specimen indeed. Yet even the guy known as the Pottawatomie Giant stood no chance against a highly skilled fighter. He may have won the heavyweight title from an aging Jack Johnson, but when a young Jack Dempsey answered the opening bell to fight Willard in 1919, brutality ensued.
You can see the nearly 102 year old fight on YouTube, but you can also take my word for it – Dempsey, who wouldn’t even rank as a heavyweight today, beat Willard senseless. That’s what happens when a smaller man who really knows what he’s doing steps in the ring to face a bigger man who happens to be way out of his league. That’s something Logan Paul and his handlers should register – not that they haven’t already. Here’s the truth – when Paul fight’s the one and only Floyd Mayweather next Sunday in an exhibition bout, he stands as good a chance as anyone who isn’t a top boxer of getting the better of the all time great.
Which means he barely stands any chance at all.
There’s nothing wrong with tuning into this one. Mayweather always makes for interesting viewing and there’s no doubt the production value here will be through the roof. Just don’t be be fooled by the large size advantage Paul will have over Mayweather. Remember, Paul doesn’t know how to fight on a professional level. If Mayweather were stepping in the ring to face a top ten heavyweight, it might be a different matter. That’s not what he’s doing, though. What Floyd, Logan, Showtime and everyone else is doing here is cashing in.
Good for them. I plan on watching the event and enjoying myself. I’m going to go into it with open eyes, however, and you should, too. This is entertainment, not a legit contest of any kind. And don’t be fooled by the age factor, either. Floyd is looking noticeably older in the run up to this event. His hair isn’t shaved, he’s grown a beard. Heck, the guy looks like a different person in some photos. As they say, it’s all part of the show. The same Dempsey who beat Willard in 1919 reportedly tuned up two robbers over fifty years later after they made the mistake of thinking the old man would be easy picking.
Remember, these guys know what they’re doing.
*Cover Photo From Getty Images