Jack Dempsey takes on champion Jess Willard for the World's Heavyweight Title in 1919.

Jess Willard was the Goliath. At 6 ft 6 1⁄2 in and 235 lbs, Willard was the tallest and the largest heavyweight champion in boxing history, until the 270 pounds Primo Carnera won the title on June 29, 1933, and the 6 ft 8 in Vitali Klitschko won the WBC title in 2004. Willard won the title by defeating Jack Johnson, the first African American world heavyweight champion, in a 26 round fight. Some claim Johnson threw the fight, although others assert this was a rumor created by Johnson to save face.

Jack Dempsey was the David. He would become one of the most popular sports stars of his day, in league with Babe Ruth (And Ty Cobb, at least in terms of behavior). He was known for his heinous power and aggressive style. The asswhooping he administered to Willard was so severe that many people speculated a normal man couldn't inflict the damage Dempsey had caused. One rumor floating around was that Dempsey had dipped his fists in plaster before the fight. Years later, heavyweight contender Cleveland Williams experimented with the plaster theory by hitting a heavybag with a pair of loaded gloves. The plaster disintegrated.