Toledo in Lucas County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Dempsey-Willard Fight
"The Fight of the Century"
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 30, 2021
1. Dempsey-Willard Fight Marker
Jess Willard, the 6' 6" 245-pound boxing champion, was a shy and gentle Kansas native who had won the championship from Jack Johnson of Texas in 1915 in Havana, Cuba. Jack (William Harrison) Dempsey of Manassa, Colorado, hailed as the greatest fighter of the half-century by the Associated Press, began his career in 1911, defeating opponents with his trademark bobbing and weaving style. Dempsey's manager, Jack "Doc" Kearns, captured the attention of fight promoter Tex Rickard, who was looking for a Willard challenger. Despite the size and weight difference of the boxers, the bout was arranged.
On July 4, 1919, at what is now Bayview Park, a stadium built entirely of wood solely for this event seating 80,000, housed the Dempsey-Willard fight and 19,000 spectators. Water and newspaper were a dollar each, the latter being used to keep freshly cut wood from staining the attendant's pants. Dempsey, dwarfed by the defending champion, floored Willard seven times in the first round, and ultimately won after the third round, becoming heavyweight champion and earning $25,000. Receipts totaled $452,224 paving the way for future million-dollar boxing matches.
Erected 2003 by The Ohio Bicentennial Commission, Bayview Retirees Golf Course and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 45-48.)
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 4, 1919.
Location. 41° 41.587′ N, 83° 28.913′ W. Marker is in Toledo, Ohio, in Lucas County. It is on North Summit Street 0.3 miles north of East Manhattan Boulevard, on the right when traveling north. The marker is in the parking lot of the Bayview Retirees Golf Course. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3910 North Summit Street, Toledo OH 43611, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Ohio’s Lake Erie Shore. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bayview Retirees Golf Course (here, next to this marker); Canal Terminus / Manhattan (approx. Ό mile away); POW ★ MIA (approx. 0.3 miles away); AmVets Post No. 222 Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Lucas County Medal of Honor Recipients (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lucas County Vietnam Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lucas County WWII Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lucas County WWI Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toledo.
More about this marker. The marker is missing
Also see . . . Jack Dempsey vs. Jess Willard at 100: Looking back at one of boxing's landmark fights
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 30, 2021
2. Dempsey-Willard Fight Marker reverse
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 30, 2021
3. Dempsey-Willard Fight Marker
1920
4. Jack Dempsey
Credits. This page was last revised on June 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 1,558 times since then and 118 times this year. Last updated on June 8, 2026, by R Beach of Chillicothe, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 1, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
