"WHITE HOPES."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 20, 24 January 1936, Page 5

"WHITE HOPES."

TO BEAT JOE LOUIS. JACK DEMPSEY'S SCHEME. SEARCH FOR REAL FIGHTERS. (Prom Our Own Correspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, December 31. Jack Dempsey announced in New York his determination to conduct a mammoth "white hope" elimination tournament during 1936 among the young huskies of the United States and Canada to find a white boy who can defeat the formidable negro flash Joe Louis. This tournament idea developed from the amazing response which greeted Dempsey's announcement recently that he was looking for a "white hope." 'Since then his New York tavern has been deluged with mail, telegrams, telephone calls and visitors from all parts of the American continent. "Take a look at that table," said Dempsey proudly. He pointed to'a table heaped with letters, telegrams, pictures of muscular young men and their records. "Seems everybody wants to fight. Everybody wants to be a white hope. Why, there are fellows in there from towns I never even heard of —from Miami in Florida to Alberta in Canada, and from coast to coast," said Jack. "You know, what I would like to do? I would like to bring the whole gang to New York and let them fight it°out! You would then see some real fighting. I am convinced there would be found three or four great heavy-weight prosspects. I like their spirit. Every one I of those chaps thinks 'I am the guy Uvho can lick Joe Louis.' That is the spirit that takes. Confidence, determination and every one of those guys knows I used to be champion—and yet each one tried to sell me the idea that with proper training he could lick Joe Louis. And in all seriousness, too, with no smart aleckv business;: no bragging. They are certainly a great bunch of foOTg," . , j

Bring the Best. Then the Manassa Mauler admittted regretfully that he could not bring the crowd of aspirants to New York and said it would require a Morgan or a Rockefeller to finance such a proposition of that scale. But he said he could bring the best of them to Broadway, after proving their ability by eliminating the other contenders in their sections. "We have received over a thousand letters and telegrams from young fighters, brothers of fighters, sisters of fighters, friends of fighters and managers of fighters," he continued, "and we have had over 500 telephone calls and visits. I don't need any further proof that there is a tremendous interest all over the continent in this white hope business—and I'm going to put on this tournament." Dempsey and his assistant, Maxie Waxnian, will begin negotiations immediately with promoters in cities throughout the United States and Canada to arrange "white hope"' eliminations in their areas. Promoters in small cities will send winners-»to promoters in major sectional cities, and the sectional winners will fight it out in the New York final gathering contest. Professional Basis. "The whole thing will be on a professional basis," Dempsey explained. "Even if a boy never had the gloves on before ha will turn professional—for the time anyway—when he enters the tourney. He will 6ign a contract binding him to fight for Jack Dempsey if he comes through and wins the New York final. I will take the winner and probably one or two of the best and give them plenty of schooling before turning them loose in the ring against allcomers, including, Louie." j Dempsey said he believed newspaper*' in many cities would rro-operate with j him and the local co-promoters. He would try to be present personally at J the larger sectional eliminations. He emphasised that his tournament would not compete with any amateur or pro-j fessional schedules in various cities andj that only heavy-weights or extremely: youthful and classy light-heavies would; be eligible. He hoped arrangements fori the tourney would be completed in a r ~~>tli or so—"so that the boys can get!