BOXING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 49, Issue 14959, 10 July 1923, Page 3

BOXING.

The fact that a boxer 34 years of age could go with Dempsey for !•> rounds indicates pretty conclusive v tHat he is not the wonderful fighter that some of his followers 'nave believed him to be, and that his psinh is not so devastating as was generally believed. DEMPSE T’S RECORD. Dempsey is a lad from Salt Lake City, and* he came into prominence during the war period, by a string of knock-cut victories. He has lost to four opponents, but three oil" these defeats happened when he was a raw novice. A one-round knock-out by Jim Flynn was the only really black mark on Dempsey’s record. Writing of his career recently, an American cr'.tie said: —

The bout with Flynn took place _ at Salt ‘Lake City in i1<917. xVt that time Dempsey was unheard of in the east, and the* result of the bout attracted no attention there, 'although it was considered rather strange that the ancient fireman could find anyone who couid be stopped so quickly. Ringsiders say that the contest was over before it had got well started. Dempsey walked out of his corner carelessly, with his guard down, and Flynn met him with a right swing to the jaw. Dempsey went down, and his brother,"who was acting as his chief second, tossed in the towel, Dempsey now denies that he was knocked out. He says that he could have got ou his feet 'before 10 had been counted, but that his brother became excited and threw in the towel. Dempsey, declares that never again will he allow a member olf his family to act as Second for him.

One year later Dempsey faced Flynn again. Flynn was outclassed so badly that the match was little short of a crime, and the ancient fireman took the count in the first round. Dempsey has been defeated only once since he became a star performer. Ho met Willie Meehan, the California heavyweight, in an exhibition bout of four rounds, and the. referee awarded Meehan the decision. Dempsey says lie knocked Meehan down twice, but that the referee refused to count over him. However, it is a fact that Dempsey has had more trouble with Meehan than with any other boxer he has faced. The first time they Viet Dempsey won the decision, but after that the best lie could get was a draw. As all their bouts were of four rounds’ duration, there is no means of telling how Dempsey would fare in a longer battle. Meehan is generally looked upon as more or less of a joke boxer, because of his peculiar build. He is the fattest boxer of any prominence in the ring to-day, but in spite of the excess beef that lie carries, he is no slouch of a mixer. Meehan knows how to fight, and he is able to go at top speed for four rounds —the distance on the coast. That he has Teal a’ ility is shown by the fact that he has victories over Bam Langford, Jack Dillon and Hairy Greb, and scores of lesser lights. In 11)16 Dempsey was shaded in ten rounds by John Lester Johnson, but, instead of being a setback, the result was a great boost for Dempsey, as Johnson was an experienced fighting man, while Dempsey was a mere novice.” The champion’s record is as follows: —

Rounds. Bob McAlister K.O. 1 Jim Flynn K.O. by 1 Al. Norton K.O. 1 Homer Smith K.O. 1 Jim Flynn K.O. 1 Carl Morris K.O. 6 Bill Brennan K.O. 6 Arthur Pelky K.O. 1 Tom Reilly K.O. 1 Tom Macarthy K.O. 1 Dan Ketchell K.O. 1 Porky Flynn K.O. 1 Jack Smith K.O. 1 Bob Devere K.O. 1 Willie Meehan N.D. 4 Willie Meehan N.D. 4 Billy Miske N.D. 10 Charley Miller K.O. 1 Terry Keller K.O. 1 Gunboat Smith K.O. 4 Tom McCarthy K.O. 1 Tex McCarthy K.O. 1 Fred Fulton K.O. 1 Terrv Keller K.O. 5 Willie Meehan L.D. 4. John Lester Johnson ... N.D. 10 Jack Moran K.O. 1 Carl Morris K.O. 1 Tex McCarthy K.O. S Bob Devere K.O. 1 Povkv Flynn K.O. 1 Billy’ Miske N.D. 6 Battling Levinsky K.O. 3 Porky Flynn K.O. 1 Gunboat Smith K.O. 2 Billy Miske N.D. 6 ■ Carl Morris K.O. 1 1910. Jan. 22 Big Jack Hiekcv K.O. 1 Jan. 23 Kid Harris K.O. 1 Jan. 29 Kid Henry K.O. 1 Jan. 13 Eddy Smith .... K.O. 1 April 2 Tory Drake .... K.O. 1 July 4 Jess Willard .... K.O. 4

1920. Sept. 6 Billy Miske .... Iv.O. 3 Sept. Bill Brennan .... K.O. 12 1)921. July 2 Geo. Carpentier .. K.O. 4 1923. July 4 Tom Gibbons ... W.P. 15 GIBBONS ’ .RECORD. Tommy Gibbons is a younger brother of the better known Mike Gibbons, and was born in St. Paul’s, Minnesota, in 1889, so that he is now 34 years of age, six years older than Dempsey. He began his boxing career in 1913, in which year he knocked out Bill Brennan. He won a number of contests in 1914, including one with Billy Miske, whom he boxed to a draw next year. He also fought a draw with Battling Levinskv in 1917, and beat George Chip twice in 1918. His later fights included: — 0.919. Jan. 25 Bartley Maddon N.D. Jan. 30 Lon Rowlands N.D. Feb. 10 Larry Williams N.D. April 11 George Chip W. April 28 Captain Bob Roper .... N.D. June 19 Billy Miske N.D. July 4—George Iv. O. Brown .. N.D. Nov. 28 Mick King W. Dec., Jimmy Darcy W. 1920. , Feb. 3 K. O. Brown N.D. Feb. 11 Bov McCormick D. April 9 Bob Roper N.D. May 15 Harry Greb N.D. July 22 Clay Turner N.D. July 31 Harry Greb N.D. Nov. 11 Hugh Walker N.D. Dec. 6 Chuck Wiggins N.D. 1921. March 18 Al Reich K.O. April 12 Larry Williams K.O. April 29 Hugh Walker K.O, N.D. No decision. W. Won. D. Draw, K.O. Knock-out.