Live Auction 14139Out of the Ordinary
WILLIAM HARRISON 'JACK' DEMPSEY (1895-1983)A GOLD, DIAMOND AND ENAMEL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BELT
Lot 525 Property from the Collection of David Gainsborough Roberts

WILLIAM HARRISON 'JACK' DEMPSEY (1895-1983)A GOLD, DIAMOND AND ENAMEL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BELT

1919

Closed14 September 2016

Price Realised

GBP 25,000

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WILLIAM HARRISON 'JACK' DEMPSEY (1895-1983)
A GOLD, DIAMOND AND ENAMEL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BELT
1919
The central buckle designed as a rectangular panel with two boxers in raised relief around a central circular-cut collet-set diamond, flanked by diamond-set gloves, also with diamond stylised canopy and border, the polychrome enamel legend inscribed 'TEX RICKARD/ BELT/ HEAVY WEIGHT/ WORLD'S CHAMPION', on red, white and blue silk and leather belt; together with an autographed menu from Jack Dempsey's Broadway Bar and Cocktail Lounge, New York, inscribed 'Good Luck Pal/ Jack Dempsey'
The badge: 2 ¾ in. (7 cm.) wide

William Harrison 'Jack' Dempsey.
Gifted to previous owner.
Sotheby's, New York, 22 June 1990, lot 248.

Specialist note

Also known as 'The Manassa Mauler', Dempsey was a boxing icon of the 1920s, becoming one of the most popular boxers of all time.
This belt was awarded to him by Rickard (The promoter of Madison Square Garden at the time) after Dempsey's three round knockout of Jess Willard ('The Pottawatamie Giant') on 4th July 1919.
Dempsey went on to defend his heavyweight crown a further 5 times, only losing it in 1926 in a fight against Gene Tunney.
He was elected to the The Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954.
This lot is sold with a letter of provenance and an excerpt from The Ring Record Book and Encyclopedia.