Everything changed after Dempsey destroyed Jess Willard on July 4, 1919. The heavyweight championship turned Dempsey into one of America’s biggest sports celebrities. Dempsey was only 28 after stopping Firpo, an age when a heavyweight champion might normally be approaching his best years. Tunney took advantage, outboxing Dempsey over 10 rounds to win a unanimous decision and the heavyweight championship. Tunney was an exceptional fighter who defeated Dempsey again in their famous 1927 “Long Count” rematch.