HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING

Northern Advocate, 23 September 1927, Page 6

HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROLL. MEN WHO HAVE HELD THE TITLE SINCE 1892. The results of the world's heavyweight championship fights since 1892 are as follow: — September 7, 1892. —J. .1. CORBETT beat J. L. Sullivan, 21 founds. New Orleans. January 25, 1894, —J. J. CORBETT beat Charlie Mitchell, 3 rounds, Jacksonville, Florida. March 17, 1897.—808 FITZSIMMONS beat J, J. Corbett, 14 rounds, Carson City. June 9, 1899.—J, J. JEFFRIES beat Bob Fitzsimmons, 14 rounds, Coney Island, N.Y. November 3, 1899. —-JAMES J. JEFFRIES beat Tom Sharkey, 25 rounds, Coney Island, N.Y. July 25, 1902,—J. J, JEFFRIES beat Bob Fitzsimmons, 8 rounds, San Francisco. August 14, 1903.—-J. J. JEFFRIES beat J. J. Corbett, 10 rounds, San Francisco. August 25, 1904.—J. J. JEFFRIES beat Jack Munro, 2 rounds, San Francisco. February 23, 1906. —TOMMY BURNS beat Marvin Hart, 20 rounds, Los Angeles, May 7, 1907.—TOMMY BURNS beat Jack O'Brien, 20 rounds, Los Angeles. December 25, 1908. —JACK JOHNSON beat Tommy Burns, 14 rounds, Sydney, N.'S.W. Police stopped fight. October 16, 1909.—JACK JOHNSON beat Stanley Ketehell, 12 rounds, Colma, California. July 4, 1910.—JACK JOHNSON beat J. J. Jeffries, 15 rounds, Reno, Nevada. July 4, 1912. —JACK JOHNSON beat Jim Flynn, 9 rounds, New Mexico. June 27, 1914.—JACK JOHNSON beat Flank Moran, 20 rounds, Paris. April, 6, 1915.—JESS WILLARD beat Jack Johnson, 26 rounds, Havana, Cuba.

July 4, 1919.—JACK DEMPSEY beat Jess Willard, 3 rounds, Toledo, Ohio.

September 6, 1920.—JACK DEMPSEY beat Billy Miske, 3 rounds, Benton Harbour, Michigan. December 14, 1920.—JACK DEMPSEY beat Billy Brennan, 12 rounds. New York.

July 2, 1921.—JACK DEMPSEY beat Georges Carpentier, 4 rounds, Jersey City. July 4, 1923.—JACK DEMPSEY beat Tom Gibbons on points, Shelby, Montana. September 14, 1923.—JACK DEMPSEY beat Louis Firpo, 2 rounds, New York. September 23, 1926.—GENE TUNNEY beat Jae Dempsey on points, 10 rounds, Philadelphia. FACTS ABOUT TUNNEY. NEVER KNOCKED DOWN. ONLY ONCE DEFEATED. A native New Yorker, born and bred in Greenwich Village; an enlisted man in the United States Marine Corps in the World War, handsome and capable, as the ideal marine should be; an allservice champion; a man well read, as much at ease on the golf links as in the ring—that is the holder of the heavyweight crown, Gene Tunney. Tunney’s ascent to the position of heavyweight champion parallels the meteoric rise of Dempsey himself. From a little known and comparatively obscure marine champion when mustered out of service in 1919 to challenger in 1926 is the record of the New York marine, but only in the span of the last two years did Tunney come forward as a possible heavyweight contender.

Previous to 1924 Tunney, because of his weight w r as not regarded as a potential king of the heavyweights. Since then he has built himself up to 190 pounds and more, and with his increased poundage came increased prestige, with knock-outs of Georges Carpentier, Tommy Gibbons and Bartley Madden.

KNOCK-OUT OF GIBBONS A SEN-

SATION. His knock-out of Carpentier established Tunney among the heavyweight elect; a year later, on June 5, he stopped Tommy Gibbons, the man who had never before been knocked down or out and the man who had stayed fifteen rounds with Jack Dempsey. Tunney was a marked man then and lie burnished his record by knocking out Bartley Madden three months later, another of those hardy perennials who never before had been wafted into dreamland and a fighter who had gone the- route with Harry Wills. It was only a matter of time, therefore, until Tunney reached his objective—a match with Dempsey for the heavyweight title. A GREAT RECORD. Known in his earlier career as a purely defensive boxer and lacking the instinct to batter his opponent into helplessness, Tunney has apparently added the lust for battle to his other ring attainments. He went into this last battle with a great record of never been knocked down and with only one defeat to mar an otherwise unblemished escutcheon—the setback ha received in 1922 at the himds

Harry Greb in fifteen rounds in Madison Square Garden, when he lost the American light heavyweight championship title which he had wrested from Battling Levinsky the same year. Subquently Tunney regained the A.mcriean championship from Greb in 1923, trouncing him again the same year and whipped him in subsequent no-decision bouts in 1924 and 1925.

Tunney was born at 111, Bank Street, New r York, on May 25, 1898, which makes him a twenty-nine-year-old challenger. All of his youth and early manhood Gene spent in New York. He was working as a clerk in a mercantile establishment when the United States entered the war and Tunney enlisted in the Marines and got his first taste of fighting in France.

Boxing was compulsory in the marines and Gene soon developed a liking for fisticuffs. His instructors found it rather difficult to hold this young man in cheek in their friendly bouts, and so it did not surprise his buddies when Gene fought his way to the championship of his regiment in France; then the championship of his camp and finally the championship of all the marines. KNOCK-OUTS. His record is:— 1919. —Bob Pierce, 2. 1920. —Whitey Allen, 2; Jim Monohan, 1; Al. Roberts, -3; Ed. Kinley, 5; K. O. Sullivan, 1; Jeff Madden, 2; Ole Anderson, 3; Sergeant Ray Smith, 2. 1921. —Young Ambrose, 1; Soldier Jones, 7; Jack Burke, 2; Wolf Larsen, 7; Eddie O’Hara, 6, 1922. Jack Clifford, 6; Jack Burk, 9; Ray Thompson, 3; Jack Hanlon, 1; Charlie Weinert, 4; Whitey Wenzel, 5. 1923. Jack Clifford, 8. WON PROM. 1919.—80 b Martin, 4; K. O, Sullivan, 10; Ted Jamison, 10. 1921. —Martin Burke, 10; Eddie Josephs, 12; Herbert Crossley, 7. 1922. —Batt Levinsky, 12; Fay Kaiser, 10; Chuck Wiggins, 10. 1923. —Chuck Wiggins, 12; Harry Greb, 15; Dan O’Dowd, -12; Harry Greb, 15.

NO DECISIONS. 1919. —Dan O’Dowd, 8. 1920. —Paul Sampson, 10; Leo Houck, 6; Leo Houck, 10. 1922. —Fay Kaiser, 10; Charlie Weinert, 12; Tom Loughran, 8. 1923, —Jim Delaney, 10. LOST. 1922—Harry Greb, 15 (lost championship). NO CONTEST. 1923. —Jack Renault, 4. 1924. January 15. —Harry Foley, Grand Rapids, Mich., N.D., 10. January 24, —Ray Thompson, Palm Beach, Fla., K. 0., 2, February 15. —Martin Burke, New Orleans, La., won, 15. March 17. —'Jimmy Delaney,-St Paul, Minn., N.D., 10. June 26. —Ermine Spalla, New York City, K. 0., 7. July 24. —Georges Carpentier, New York City, Tech., K. 0., 15. Amgust 18.—Joe Lohmann, Columbus, Ohio, K. 0., 8. September 17. —Harry Greb, Cleveland, Ohio, N.D., 10. October 27.—Harry Foley, Memphis, Tenn., K. 0., 1. November 10. —Buddy McHale, Memphis, Tenn., K. 0., 2, December 8. —Jeff Smith, New Orleans, La., N.D., 15. 1925. June 5. —Tom Gibbons, U.S., K. 0., 12. 1926. September 23.—Beat Dempsey on points, 10 rounds, for title.

DEMPSEY’S RECORD. METEORIC RISE TO FAME. KNOCKED OUT 48 OPPONENTS. Jack Dempsey gained championship honours after a meteoric rise in the professional ranks. He got the title in quicker time from starting his career than anyone else, and he held it longest. Born on June 24, 1896, at Manassa, Col., of Scoteh-Irish-Araerican parentage, Dempsey blossomed out as a fighter of parts in 1914 at the age of eighteen. But not as a boxer. William H.arrison Dempsey, as he "was christened, was a rvorker in the mines of his native State and sometimes in the field during harvest time. In the mining camps he had plenty of opportunities to display his prowess with his fists, and soon he established himself as the best scrapper in the camp. He weighed then about 150.1 b. Lads in his own camp came to recognise his superiority, and there was no fighting left for him to do. It was only four years after his entry into the professional ring, and but a year after he had made a nnlme for himself as a fighter, that Dempsey gained his opportunity for a championship bout with. Jess Willard and overthrew the giant Kansan in three rounds at Toledo oh July 4, 1919, Dempsey made a record then and there, for never before had the heavyweight title changed hands in a bout of such short duration. Since then he has smashed other precedents. He has held the title longer than James J. Jeffries and Jack Johnson; one of his championship bouts attacted the second largest spotting

crowd ever to see a boxing'contest, and the same bout set a new high-water mark for gate receipts with a gross of more than 1,500,000 dollars. In the seven years from 1919 to 1926, Dempsey defended his world’s laurels successful against five men, and only one of the five lasted the route with him. That. distinction went to Tommy Gibbons, of St. Paul, who stood up against Dempsey, the might hitter, for fifteen rounds at Shelby, Mont., on July 4', 1923. In 1920 Dempsey knock; od out Billy Miske in three rounds, and Bill Brennan in twelve rounds. In 1921 in the first of his international combats the champion knocked out Georges Carpentier, of France, in four rounds, and in 1923, after his victory over Gibbons, he knocked out Luis Angel Firpo, of Argentina, in the second round of the wildest bout of Dempsey’s championship career. FROM RAGS TO RICHES. From rags to riches in the approved fiction manner, and from the lowly station of hobo of indeterminate status to wealthy hotelkeeper and real estate operator, has been the rise of Jack Dempsey through the might in his fists and the ability to “take it.” Dempsey has been an ideal son. Out of his early winnings he bought a 20,000 dollar home in Salt Lake City for his parents, and he amply provided for his brothers and sisters. In the ring he has been acclaimed as one of the greatest of all heavyweight champions in point of natural ability. Veteran of 79 battles, Dempsey has finished on the small end only four times in his career. On the other hand, he has ended 48 of his contests by knock-out, while but once was he stopped in less than the scheduled number of rounds. This instance was in 1917, when he was knocked out by Jim Flynn in the first round. In addition he has won eleven decisions, drawn four times, fought two no-deeision fights, and engaged in ten exhibitions. His record follows; —

1915-16.

Knock-outs. —Kid Hancock, 1; Billy Murphy, 1; Chief Gordon, 6; Johnny Person, 7; Ananias Campbell, 3; Joe Lyons, 9; Fred Woods, 4; George Copelin, 7; Andy Malloy, 3; Two-Round Gillia, 1; Jack Downey, 2; Boston Bearcat, 1; Battling Johnson, 1; George Christian, 1; Jack Koehn, 4; Joe 10; Dan Ketchel, 5; Bob York, 4. Won From. —Johnny .Sudenberg, 10; Terry Keller, 10; Andre Anderson, 10; Wild Burt Kenny, 10; John Lester Johnson, 10. Draw.—Jack Downey, 4; Johnny Sudenberg, 10; Andy Malloy, 20. Lost. —Jack Downey, 4. 1917. , Knock-outs—Al Norton, 1; Charlie Miller, 1. Won from. —Willie Meehan, 4; Bob McAllister, 4; Gunboat iSmith, 4; Carl Morris, 4. Draw. —Willie Meehan, 4. Knocked Out by —Jim Flynn, 1. 1918. Knock-outs. —Homei Smith, 1; Jim Flynn, 1; Bill Brennan, 6; Bull Sadee, 1; Tom Riley, 1; Dan Ketchel, 2; Arthur Pelky, 1; Kid McCarthy, 1; Bob Dover, 1; Porky Flynn, 1; Fred Fulton, 1; Terry Kellery, 5; Jack Moran, 1; Battling Levinsky, 3; Porky Flynn, 1; Carl Morris, 1; Gunboat Smith, 2. Won from. —Carl Morris (foul), 6. Exhibition. —Clay Turner, 4, No Decision.—Billy Miske, 10; Billy Miske, 6. Lost. —Willie Meehan, 4. 1919. Knock-outs. —Big Jack Hickey, 1; Kid Harris, 1; Kid Henry, 1; Eddie Smith, 2. 1920. Exhibition. —Terry Keller, 3. Tony Drake, 1; Jess Willard, 3 (for ■heavyweight championship), CHAMPIONSHIP BOUTS. September 6, 1920. —Knocked out Billy Miske, 3. December 14, 1920. —Knocked out Bill Brennan, 12. July 2, 1921.—Knocked out Georges Carpentier, 4. July 4, 1923. —Won from Tom Gibbons, 15. September 14, 1923. —Knocked out Luis Angel Firpo, 2. September 23, 1926,- —Lost decision and world’s championship to Gene Tunney, 10.

July 21, 1927—Knocked out Jack Sharkey, 7.