--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Jack Dempsey's early days he had a…" description: "\"In Jack Dempsey's early days he had a fight contract, which paid him two dollars per fight for the fights he won. He received nothing for the fights he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/111/sterling-w-sill-9927_contracts_in-jack-dempsey-s-early-days-he-had-a-fi_3161539.jpg" --- # In Jack Dempsey's early days he had a fight contract… ![“In Jack Dempsey's early days he had a fight contract, which paid him two dollars per fight for the fights he won. He received nothing for the fights he lost. Jack Dempsey said that in his early days he was knocked down a lot of times and he usually was tempted to stay down because he knew that no…” quote by Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/111/sterling-w-sill-9927_contracts_in-jack-dempsey-s-early-days-he-had-a-fi_3161539.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/111/sterling-w-sill-9927_contracts_in-jack-dempsey-s-early-days-he-had-a-fi_3161539.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/111/sterling-w-sill-9927_contracts_in-jack-dempsey-s-early-days-he-had-a-fi_3161539.jpg) > “In Jack Dempsey's early days he had a fight contract, which paid him two dollars per fight for the fights he won. He received nothing for the fights he lost. Jack Dempsey said that in his early days he was knocked down a lot of times and he usually was tempted to stay down because he knew that no one would hit him again until he started to get up. But Jack was a hungry fighter and he knew that if he was going to eat, he must get up in order to get the two dollars. He tells of one occasion when he was knocked down 11 times in one fight, and 11 times he got up in order to win the $2.” [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persistence and resilience are rewarded; effort despite setbacks leads to eventual gain. **In simple terms:** Keep trying despite failures. Key Takeaway Never give up for reward. Themes resilience effort reward Mood determined inspired Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - sports competition - career setbacks - personal goals - financial incentives Key Concepts perseverance motivation Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to rise after failure? - How do you balance risk and reward? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex struggles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contracts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contracts/) [Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dempsey-243956/) [Dempsey Early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dempsey-early-5717016/) [Dempsey Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dempsey-said-1650775/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Fight Contract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight-contract-2789157/) [Fighter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighter/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Get up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-up/) [Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger/) [Hungry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hungry/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Jack Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jack-dempsey-3592098/) [Knocked down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knocked-down/) [Losing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losing/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Paid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paid/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Temptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temptation/) [Tempted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tempted/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/) ## Related quotes > [“You my door gunner?” Dempsey said. “Door gunner, aircrew, combat medic, and ass kicker, sir.” “PJ?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-wilson/you-my-door-gunner-dempsey-said-door-gunner-aircrew-combat-medic-and/) [Jeffrey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-wilson/) > [“He looked like every glossy frat boy in every nerd movie ever made, like every popular town boy who’d ever looked right through her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-crusie/he-looked-like-every-glossy-frat-boy-in-every-nerd-movie-ever-made/) [Jennifer Crusie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-crusie/) > [“My parents are spies. That’s not something you can simply pretend away.” “Sure you can,” Dempsey said. “My parents were Democrats, but I found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-wilson/my-parents-are-spies-that-s-not-something-you-can-simply-pretend-away/) [Jeffrey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-wilson/) > [Dempsey himself said you only spend so much time in the spotlight before they change the bulb. He had a very clever way with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kahn/dempsey-himself-said-you-only-spend-so-much-time-in-the-spotlight/) [Roger Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kahn/) > [“A champion is someone who gets up when they can’t.- Jack Dempsey”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-prescott/a-champion-is-someone-who-gets-up-when-they-can-t-jack-dempsey/) [R.J. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-prescott/) > [I did six years of planning to win the championship from Jack Dempsey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-tunney/i-did-six-years-of-planning-to-win-the-championship-from-jack-dempsey/) [Gene Tunney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-tunney/) > [Jack Dempsey and I became friends in the very early 1920s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jack-dempsey-and-i-became-friends-in-the-very-early-1920s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For sheer strength of character, I wouldn't have dared to cross swords with Callas. I would rather have gone six rounds with Jack Dempsey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-huston/for-sheer-strength-of-character-i-wouldn-t-have-dared-to-cross-swords/) [John Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-huston/) > [The fight with Gastelum, I believe that was the last fight on my contract, or it was the second-to-last fight, but it was close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cannonier/the-fight-with-gastelum-i-believe-that-was-the-last-fight-on-my/) [Jared Cannonier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cannonier/) > [You can't just be only going to the gym when you sign a fight contract or you'll just be the same fighter every time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/you-can-t-just-be-only-going-to-the-gym-when-you-sign-a-fight/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [Gene Tunney called Gibbons 'the perfect boxer.' Gene said he learned more about the technique of boxing and punching from watching Mike training in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-aaron-barton/gene-tunney-called-gibbons-the-perfect-boxer-gene-said-he-learned/) [George Aaron Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-aaron-barton/) > [Clint Dempsey scored a last-minute winner to earn Tottenham a 1-1 draw against United.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-brazil/clint-dempsey-scored-a-last-minute-winner-to-earn-tottenham-a-1-1/) [Alan Brazil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-brazil/) > [Can you get any better than Patrick Dempsey? I don't think so!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-pompeo/can-you-get-any-better-than-patrick-dempsey-i-don-t-think-so/) [Ellen Pompeo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-pompeo/) > [If there is a less likely sight on this earth than Clint Dempsey, the Texas trailer-park kid, doing downward-facing dog poses, or the stalwart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/if-there-is-a-less-likely-sight-on-this-earth-than-clint-dempsey-the/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [Dempsey could beat anybody he could hit. The only reason that he couldn't do anything with fellows like Tunney or Greb or myself was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-gibbons/dempsey-could-beat-anybody-he-could-hit-the-only-reason-that-he/) [Tommy Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-gibbons/) ## More by Sterling W Sill > [Hang on the walls of your mind the memory of your successes. Take counsel of your strength, not your weakness. Think of the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/hang-on-the-walls-of-your-mind-the-memory-of-your-successes-take/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [I heard of somebody once who said he was interested in doing the greatest amount of good for the greatest number, and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/i-heard-of-somebody-once-who-said-he-was-interested-in-doing-the/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Make sure that your ambitions are really lofty - not just seem to be. Sometimes instead of engaging in those so called "mountaintop employments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/make-sure-that-your-ambitions-are-really-lofty-not-just-seem-to-be/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Planning is the mother of almost every other ability. Make your plan and set a timetable for its accomplishment in writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/planning-is-the-mother-of-almost-every-other-ability-make-your-plan/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Building a successful life is much like building anything else: it should be thoroughly thought about in advance and then carried through to completion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/building-a-successful-life-is-much-like-building-anything-else-it/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [When in our minds we pre-live our marriage, we help to determine the kind of person that we would like to be when that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/when-in-our-minds-we-pre-live-our-marriage-we-help-to-determine-the/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [A story is told that Whistler once painted a tiny picture of a spray of roses. The artistry involved in the picture was magnificent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/a-story-is-told-that-whistler-once-painted-a-tiny-picture-of-a-spray/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [The greatest opportunity of our lives is to wake ourselves up and get going. There is so much to be done and so little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/the-greatest-opportunity-of-our-lives-is-to-wake-ourselves-up-and-get/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Life begins when we begin and each day we ought to be born again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/life-begins-when-we-begin-and-each-day-we-ought-to-be-born-again/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Wealth is not only what you have but it is also what you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/wealth-is-not-only-what-you-have-but-it-is-also-what-you-are/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Everything depends on attitude. We are ambitious or lazy, enthusiastic or dull, loyal or undependable, according to our attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/everything-depends-on-attitude-we-are-ambitious-or-lazy-enthusiastic/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [We insist on near perfection in everyone except ourselves. But if our course is questioned we become offended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/we-insist-on-near-perfection-in-everyone-except-ourselves-but-if-our/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Perhaps punctuality is a quality made even more valuable because it is found in so few people. Punctuality is not usually thought of in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/perhaps-punctuality-is-a-quality-made-even-more-valuable-because-it/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Punctuality is closely related to faithfulness and dependability. Being tardy can be linked to uninterest, apathy, slothfulness and procrastination...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/punctuality-is-closely-related-to-faithfulness-and-dependability/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [You can't judge a man by watching him live. . . . I personally watched Babe Ruth at bat three times, and he struck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/you-can-t-judge-a-man-by-watching-him-live-i-personally-watched-babe/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) [Explore all 69 Sterling W Sill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) ## More Contracts quotes > [So, in the last year, the whole cast sued for release from our contracts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-rettig/so-in-the-last-year-the-whole-cast-sued-for-release-from-our-contracts/) [Tommy Rettig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-rettig/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [It is merely the egoism of the man, who wants to bury a woman like a treasure. All attempts at using vows, contracts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/it-is-merely-the-egoism-of-the-man-who-wants-to-bury-a-woman-like-a/) [Leopold von Sacher-Masoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/) > [Record contracts are just like - I'm gonna say the word, slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince/record-contracts-are-just-like-i-m-gonna-say-the-word-slavery/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince/) > [These are the men who, without virtue, labour, or hazard, are growing rich, as their country is impoverished; they rejoice, when obstinacy or ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/these-are-the-men-who-without-virtue-labour-or-hazard-are-growing/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nowadays, in the contract that actors sign, you have to agree that you're going to do a certain amount of publicity-the hard part they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/nowadays-in-the-contract-that-actors-sign-you-have-to-agree-that-you/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [24.9 percent of American children live in poverty, while the proportions in Germany, France and Italy are 8.6, 7.4 and 10.5 percent. And once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hutton/24-9-percent-of-american-children-live-in-poverty-while-the/) [Will Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hutton/) > [Columbia tried to put me behind other groups, so I didn't wanna wait, they let me out of the contract and I'm glad they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmx/columbia-tried-to-put-me-behind-other-groups-so-i-didn-t-wanna-wait/) [DMX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmx/) > [I've proposed a contract with the American voter that will give the government back to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-ve-proposed-a-contract-with-the-american-voter-that-will-give-the/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I believe people ought to be treated fairly under the law. I see no reason why if the marriage contract conveys certain things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-believe-people-ought-to-be-treated-fairly-under-the-law-i-see-no/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [We sign contracts to fight, not to dip, duck and dodge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stephens/we-sign-contracts-to-fight-not-to-dip-duck-and-dodge/) [Jeremy Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stephens/) > [The earth itself assures us it is a living entity. Deep below surface one can hear its slow pulse, feel its vibrant rhythm. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-waters/the-earth-itself-assures-us-it-is-a-living-entity-deep-below-surface/) [Frank Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-waters/) > [Society is indeed a contract. It is a partnership in all science; a partnership in all art; a partnership in every virtue, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/society-is-indeed-a-contract-it-is-a-partnership-in-all-science-a/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I don't generate a storyline and then fill it out in the course of writing. The story actually generates in the course of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/i-don-t-generate-a-storyline-and-then-fill-it-out-in-the-course-of/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [Corporations are created by the people, acting through their governments. We grant them corporate charters that confer certain legal rights and privileges, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mcgovern/corporations-are-created-by-the-people-acting-through-their/) [Jim McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mcgovern/) [Browse all 1,004 Contracts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contracts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In Jack Dempsey's early days he had a fight contract, which paid him two dollars per fight for the fights he won. He received nothing for the fights he lost. Jack Dempsey said that in his early days he was knocked down a lot of times and he usually was tempted to stay down because he knew that no one would hit him again until he started to get up. But Jack was a hungry fighter and he knew that if he was going to eat, he must get up in order to get the two dollars. 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