HISTORY OF GREAT BOXERS

Chronicle (Levin), 3 September 1946, Page 6

HISTORY OF GREAT BOXERS

TIJNNEY WAS TERRIFIC One of the most terrific boxers ever to enter the ring was Gene Tunney, named the "Giant Killer" because of his ruthlessness, a name he still bears to-day. To commence the life of Tunney we must tuni back the years to about 1908, when on his tenth birthday he receiyed his first pair of boxing gloves from his father. The next few days Tunney did nothing but fight. Relating back to this day, Tunney s^ys that he fought more matcnes during those few days than he did in his whole boxing career. Altnough he was keen on the game and everything cohnected with it, he failed to adopt it as a profession when he left school. His parents, like most Irish people, wanted him to become a priest as other members of the- family had done so, but Gene had other -ideas, and soon after he took up a position at a shipping office, where he worked himself up to be a clerksman. After six years at this job he decided to take up boxing as a. profession. When the i 9 14- 18 war came Tunney enlisted and served in

France. It was there that he won the championship of the American Expeditionary Force. Tunney had the makings of a champion, and when he returned to America he was determined to reach the top ranks. The only man who forer told his future was Billy Roche, a retired fighter-handler of the Yankee Stadium, who could see promise in Tunney. When Tunney lost his first match it seemed like the end for him as the critics said that he was only a second rate boxer. (To be Continued)