Jack Dempsey, who held the world heavyweight title between 1919 and 1926, is widely regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, champions of all time. Known as "The Manassas Mauler," Dempsey was a tremendous puncher famous for his exciting fights, many of which set financial and attendance records. Dempsey was the first athlete to garner a “Million-Dollar Gate” when he faced Frenchman Georges Carpentier in 1921. Carpentier, who had been a war hero during WWI, was extremely popular on both sides of the Atlantic. The bout was shrewdly promoted by Tex Rickard, emphasizing the differences between the two men, and George Bernard Shaw, who claimed that Carpentier was "the greatest boxer in the world" stacked the odds 50 to 1 against Dempsey. The anticipation for this bout was tremendous. Dempsey-Carpentier took place in July 1921 at Boyles Thirty Acres, New Jersey, drawing a crowd of 91,000. Though it was deemed "The Fight of The Century," and Carpentier was favored 50 to 1, the match was not nearly as close as many assumed it would be. Dempsey overpowered his opponent in the third round and administered a brutal beating to Carptentier. The Frenchman was eventually stopped in the 4th round. This original clip bound 11-page contract, dated October 27, 1920 between “The Manassas Mauler” Jack Dempsey, the reigning Heavyweight Champion of the World, and challenger “Gorgeous Georges” Carpentier, the French Lightweight Champion of the World, ushered in the Roaring Twenties and would be boxing’s very first million dollar gate. All signatures, including both fighters, their attorney’s and promoter Tex Richard’s, are in bold ink and rate anywhere from an 8 to 10. The contact has a center fold, some chipping and fraying on the covers but the pages themselves are secure and in tact.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.