On July 27, 1918, Jack Dempsey transformed himself from a rising heavyweight contender into one of boxing’s most feared men. Facing the larger and more established Fred Fulton at Federal League Baseball Park in Harrison, New Jersey, Dempsey needed only 23 seconds to score one of the fastest knockouts in heavyweight history.
Fulton entered as the betting favourite and one of the division’s most respected contenders. Known as the “Rochester Plasterer,” he weighed around 208 pounds compared with Dempsey’s 188 and was regarded as one of the hardest punchers in boxing. His size, reach, and experience convinced many that he would stop Dempsey’s climb toward a world title shot.
Dempsey gave him no time to use any of those advantages. He charged forward from the opening bell, drove a left hand into Fulton’s body, and followed with a crushing right to the jaw. Fulton collapsed before he could land a meaningful punch, and referee Johnny Eckhardt counted him out less than half a minute into the scheduled eight-round contest.
The result stunned the boxing world - Dempsey had destroyed his opponent before the fight had truly begun. Newspapers treated the knockout as a sensation, and any doubts about whether Dempsey’s violent, aggressive style could succeed against elite opposition disappeared instantly.
The victory earned Dempsey the biggest purse of his career to that point and pushed him toward a heavyweight title opportunity the following year.
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