DEMPSEY TALKS OF FIGHTING !

NZ Truth, Issue 1062, 1 April 1926, Page 14

DEMPSEY TALKS OF FIGHTING !

World's Champion " Guff ing " Match There is still much "guff "being distributed m connection with that mirage of the boxing future, a Dempsey- Wills match.

rp OMMY . ANDREWS, m a letter .to /■_[_ Australia, states -that as' far' as -, the money, .aspect, is. .concerned, there is': now no. excuse for the match riot being: staged.' , Already over £300;000 has been subscribed towards a fund for the purpose) but .Dempsey has again discovered a flaw m the programme. "If vDempsey . is\ sincere .about Avahting to box,'-/ says Tommy, "then he has no need to fear on the money score. The Coliseum, the biggest theatre stadium here, has been offered for the contest. It already seats 90,000, and can be enlarged to accommodate 130,000. Dempsey, however, states that he will give Floyd Fitzsimmons, of Michigan, ten days m which to carry out the contract made some time ago. Should Fitz fail ' to. come through m that time then Dempsey expresses his willingness to talk business with Jack Doyle, who is seeking to arrange the match m California. Fitzsimmons, says Andrews, has failed to honor his contracts before, and nobody is taking him seriously except Dempsey, who says "he wants to be fair." Again there is a stumbling block. Kearns, Dempsey's manager, I:v ■ -

has signed up withi' Tex 'Rickarcl to have the contest .st'aged^in^tlie^asterri part: 'of America. -' ; • '/ ; '•■ ■■ ■. ■■'^' •'■' • ' ; In this Andrews show's a spir.it of optimism that is very, commendable. „ .We .m this part '.of th© world -have, grown tired of hearing about, this match. .It has been talked of f or- nearly five' >yfears; .-iTiri' still nothing haJs beeii,. doije. • ; 1 By tlie ;time they' mcct — if ' ever they will probably bo wheeled into the ring m a bath chair, and Wills will have to use crutches. Dempsey is the world's greatest "guff" artist. In aii interview with American scribes the other day he stated that' he was anxious to light, and have the matter settled one way or the other. " "But there are some angles / that must 1 be straightened out," states Dempsey, gravely. "I .want to be fair m this matter. I would like very much to do battle m Los Angeles, where my home is, but then there is the business aspect. One thing, however, is certain — I want to fight Wills and ( also Gene Tunney. They can throw , m this new invadei — Paolina — with them if they like."