Top 21 Quotes & Sayings by Jack Dempsey

Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American boxer Jack Dempsey.

Last updated on September 17, 2024.

William Harrison Dempsey, nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. A cultural icon of the 1920s, Dempsey's aggressive fighting style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first million-dollar gate. He pioneered the live broadcast of sporting events in general, and boxing matches in particular.

American - Boxer | June 24, 1895 - May 31, 1983

Source: Wikipedia

A good fighter usually knows, to within a very few seconds, when a three-minute round is going to end.

Jack Dempsey

By forgetting the past and by throwing myself into other interests, I forget to worry.

Jack Dempsey

All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him.

Jack Dempsey

I was a pretty good fighter. But it was the writers who made me great.

Jack Dempsey

You know what a champion is? A champion is someone who's ready when the gong rings - not just before, not just after - but when it rings.

Jack Dempsey

Tell him he can have my title, but I want it back in the morning.

Jack Dempsey

A champion is someone who gets up when he can't.

Jack Dempsey

A champion owes everybody something. He can never pay back for all the help he got, for making him an idol.

Jack Dempsey

Nobody owes anybody a living, but everybody is entitled to a chance.

Jack Dempsey

Number 4 should have been number 1. Thanks, Honey.

Jack Dempsey

Tall men come down to my height when I hit 'em in the body.

Jack Dempsey

The best defense is a good offense.

Jack Dempsey

Honey, I just forgot to duck.

Jack Dempsey

Champions get up when they can't.

Jack Dempsey

A Gentle Man and a Gentleman.

Jack Dempsey

When I was a young fellow I was knocked down plenty. I wanted to stay down, but I couldn't. I had to collect the two dollars for winning or go hungry. I had to get up. I was one of those hungry fighters. You could have hit me on the chin with a sledgehammer for five dollars. When you haven't eaten for two days you'll understand.

Jack Dempsey

Nailing him was like trying to thread a needle in a high wind.

Jack Dempsey

For the first and only time, I was more worried about getting hurt by the crowd than by the guy I was fighting. I got a pretty good blast when introduced. The crowd was hollering and raising hell. I looked around for my bodyguard, a colorful New York character named Wild Bill Lyons, who packed two pearl-handled pistols and used to talk a lot about his days in the West. Wild Bill was under the ring, hiding.

Jack Dempsey

I never went to bed in my life and I never ate a meal in my life without saying a prayer. I know my prayers have been answered thousands of times, and I know that I never said a prayer in my life without something good coming of it.

Jack Dempsey