At 22 years of age, Dempsey was tearing through the heavyweight division with his aggressive style and crushing left hook. Miske, 24, had the benefit of fighting before his hometown supporters, but he was far more than a protected local attraction.
Dempsey weighed 187½ pounds, while Miske came in at 182.
Known as the “St. Paul Thunderbolt,” Miske was a fast, clever boxer who understood how to block punches, smother attacks, and work at close range. Those skills gave Dempsey one of his hardest tests during his climb toward Jess Willard’s heavyweight championship.
The local favorite supplied a tactical lesson f
