Editing Jack Dempsey (section)

===Title fight and controversy===
On July 4, 1919, Dempsey and world heavyweight champion [[Jess Willard]] met at [[Toledo, Ohio|Toledo]] for the world title. Pro lightweight fighter [[Benny Leonard]] predicted a victory for the 6'1", 187-pound Dempsey even though Willard, known as the "Pottawatamie Giant", was 6'{{frac|6|1|2}}" tall and 245 pounds. Ultimately, Willard was knocked down seven times by Dempsey in the first round.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/179547-10-notable-july-4-fights/10 | title=Notable July 4th fights | work=The Ring | date=July 4, 2013 | access-date=January 24, 2015 | first=Lee | last=Groves | archive-date=September 4, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904130130/http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/179547-10-notable-july-4-fights/10 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Accounts of the fight reported that Willard suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs, several broken teeth, and a number of deep fractures to his facial bones. This aroused suspicion that Dempsey had cheated, with some questioning how the force capable of causing such damage had been transmitted through Dempsey's knuckles without fracturing them.<ref name="Boxing 2004"/>

Other reports, however, failed to mention Willard suffered any real injuries.<ref name="coxscorner.tripod.com">{{cite web |url=http://coxscorner.tripod.com/dempsey_gloves.html |title=Were Dempsey's Gloves Loaded? You Decide! |first1=Monte D. |last1=Cox |first2=John A. |last2=Bardelli |first3=Bob |last3=Caico |first4=Jeff |last4=Cox |first5=Dan |last5=Cuoc |first6=Chuck |last6=Johnston |first7=Clay |last7=Moyle |first8=Frank |last8=Stallone |first9=Miles |last9=Ugarkovich |display-authors= 4 |date= December 1, 2004|access-date= July 11, 2012}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} account of the fight described severe swelling visible on one side of Willard's face, but did not mention any broken bones.<ref>The New York Times. July 5, 1919. Saturday Section: Sports, p. 18.</ref> A still photograph of Willard following the fight appears to show discoloration and swelling on his face.<ref name="Boxing 2004"/>

Following the match, Willard was quoted as saying, "Dempsey is a remarkable hitter. It was the first time that I had ever been knocked off my feet. I have sent many birds home in the same bruised condition that I am in, and now I know how they felt. I sincerely wish Dempsey all the luck possible and hope that he garnishes all the riches that comes with the championship. I have had my fling with the title. I was champion for four years and I assure you that they'll never have to give a benefit for me. I have invested the money I have made".<ref name="coxscorner.tripod.com"/> Willard later said he had been defeated by "[[gangsterism]]".<ref name="Boxing 2004"/>

After being fired by Dempsey, manager Jack Kearns gave an account of the fight in the January 20, 1964, issue of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' that has become known as the "loaded gloves theory". In the interview, Kearns said he had informed Dempsey he had wagered his share of the purse favoring a Dempsey win with a first-round knockout. Kearns further stated he had applied [[plaster of Paris]] to the wrappings on the fighter's hands.

Boxing historian [[J. J. Johnston]] said, "the films show Willard upon entering the ring walking over to Dempsey and examining his hands." That, along with an experiment conducted by a boxing magazine designed to re-enact the fight have been noted as proof that Kearns' story was false.<ref name="coxscorner.tripod.com"/>

''[[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]]'' founder and editor [[Nat Fleischer]] said he had been present when Dempsey's hands were wrapped, stating, "Jack Dempsey had no loaded gloves, and no plaster of Paris over his bandages. I watched the proceedings and the only person who had anything to do with the taping of Jack's hands was Deforest{{clarify|date=January 2025|reason=Who was this person? With whom or what organization was he affiliated?}}. Kearns had nothing to do with it, so his plaster of Paris story is simply not true."

Deforest himself said that he regarded the stories of Dempsey's gloves being loaded as libel, calling them "trash", and said he did not apply any foreign substance to them, "which I can verify since I watched the taping."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fleischer |first1=Nat |author-link=Nat Fleischer|title=50 Years At Ringside|location=New York |publisher=Fleet Publishing Corp |year=1958 |page=118}}</ref> [[Sports writer]] [[Red Smith (sportswriter)|Red Smith]], in Dempsey's obituary published by ''The New York Times'' was openly dismissive of the claim.<ref name="Smith">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0624.html |date=June 1, 1983 |title=OBITUARY: Jack Dempsey, 87, is Dead; Boxing Champion of 1920s |first1=Red |last1=Smith |author-link1=Red Smith (sportswriter) |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=June 23, 2012}}</ref>

Another rumor is that Dempsey used a [[knuckleduster]] during the first round. Some speculated that the object used was a [[rail spike]].<ref name="Boxing 2004"/> In the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' on July 3, 1979, Joe Stone, an ex-referee and boxing writer, asserted that in a film taken of the fight, an object on the canvas could be seen after the final knockdown. He further asserted that the object appears to be removed by someone from Dempsey's corner. In the same film, however, Dempsey can be seen at various times during the fight pushing and holding with Willard with the palm of the glove in question and holding on to the ropes with both hands, making it next to impossible that he had any foreign object embedded in his glove, and the object resembles a cigar.<ref name="coxscorner.tripod.com"/>

Further controversy was fueled by the fact that Dempsey left the ring at the end of the first round, thinking the fight was over. This was seen as a violation of the rules, however Willard's corner did not ask for enforcement in order for the referee to disqualify Dempsey.<ref name="Boxing 2004"/>