BOXING.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1926, Page 2

BOXING.

TUNNEY WINS. FIGHT DESCRIBED. 1. "Australian ifc N.Z. Cable Association.] , NEW YORK, September 23. The odds were reduced down to two , to one as the men entered the ring. Rain fell in the first round. FIRST ROUND. Dempsey started in tigerishly in the • first round against Tunney, and there C was a quick exchange of blows. Tun- • ney was being continually forced on • to the ropes. Tunney, however, then .managed to land two heavy blows oil Dempsey’s 'head, when the champion’s attempt to land a right uppercut fail- ’ ed. 1 . SECOND ROUND. In the second round again the champion rushed in savagely, and he drew t blood front Tunuey’s mouth with a - glancing left .hook. Then both the e men furiously exchanged blows. Dempy sey was still continually forcing Tun- ;. ney oiC to the ropes. The champion notv fought in a frenzy, rocking Tunney with two hooks to the jaw, but • the hitter retaliated with two rights ’ in the same place. Yet Dempsey cona tinned to force the fighting, but then l ~ Tunney whipped blows to Dempsey’s 1C body anil to bis head, and the ’> champion leaned back on the ropes as tile second round ended. r ~ THIRD ROUND. The champion came from his corner „ for this round slowly, Tunney meeting him midway in the ring. Then, the j_ challenger, with swift precision, lanclx cd a right uppercut and a left to the j. head. Dempsey now bled at the nose ,t and mouth. Tunney was now jabbing n him, apparently at will, and once the „ challenger nearly dropped him with a left hook when they came out of a j clinch. Dempsey was sparring for . time when the round ended. •p FOURTH ROUND. „ In the next round Dempsey nearly ie knocked Tunney over the ropes with a „ wild left swing. The champion literj_ ally swarming over the challenger, fighting light a madman, and he landed a | r terrific right to the head and a. left to the stomach. Tunney, however, then opened a wound in his opponent’s right eye, and Dempsey appeared to he t tiring, and .was hurt by a straight g right to the ear, which drew blood, i The referee next had to warn Dempr sey when the latter started hitting on ■- the hack of the neck, that the “ rabbit punch ” was not allowable. Both men now boxed more cautiousg ly. Tunney blocked a terrific left for the body, and countered with an uppsre cut, thereby hacking Dempsey on to •_ toe ropes. Tunney was now doing his 1 first forcing in tiie fight. He shot u both rights® and lefts to the . body, Dempsey appeared to be much on the defensive, and lie was driven on only s by his fighting heart. Tunney again e backed up Dempsey to the ropes with two hard rights to the body as the belt sounded. r AN EVEN SIXTH ROUND. ] In the sixth round there was an opportunity for Tunney of securing victory, but it appeared to be doubtful whether the challenger had enough strength left in him. Dempsey’s 'resources. however, were not yet ended Jack launched from his corner like a S raging lion, and lie verily smothered ’ his opponent with blows. • " A PROTEST. Tunney here protested to the referee ’■ about Dempsey’s rough work in the C clinches. They were sparring when the 1 sixth round ended, and the punches of ’ both .seemed to lack power. ’ \ SEVENTH ROUND. 1 It was still raining dismally. Dempc sey opened the seventh round with a i left to the jaw that put Tunney hack 1 on his heels. Dempsey then t opened ’’ Tmmey’s right eye witn a left hook. ,t; The challenger, however, staggered - Dempsey with rights and lefts to the 1 head, but Dempsey held on to it. There was a furious exchange of blows then y in the middle of the ring. Tile men a clinched and then the boll rang, f EIGHTH ROUND, o For the eighth, Dempsey" came out e from his corner slowly, and lie circled f, about the eager challenger. Jack now o seemed to be weak on his legs. Dempo sey felt" obliged to clinch to recover from two heavy body punches, but Tunney forced him off, and lie then hurt Dempsey so badlv with a left to " the body that the champion grunted painfully. Dempsey was now. missing e with nearly all his leads. Tunney landed a light left to the face. c j NINTH ROUND. For the ninth round, Dempsey appeared in very had shape, his seconds having frantically to go over him. i Tunney now seemed to he confident; !• yet the champion’s; fury was not even ~ yet ended. He leaped from his corner L swinging viciously, hut ineffectively, a Dempsey succeeded in landing one hard right to the stomach, but .then Tunney staggered him with a right to 4 the head and a left to the body, f Dempsey’s eye was then almost closed 7 by a hard left. 1 ' LAST ROUND. As the tenth round began. Tunney seemed to he a certain winner, by a > decision at least. There was now a j. downpour, and as the men shook hands r for the final round, they slipped, and p went sliding in the wet. Dempsey suddenly shot at Tunnev with an overwhelming avalanche of crashing body : blows that drove the challenger to the ! ropes. Tunney. however, then crowded ' in on the champion, and . he began hammering him with blows that sounded like a machine-gun. and Dempsey could hardly stand up. As the hell rang, Tunney won the judge’s decision, and lie became the new champion of the world. - DEMPSEY NEARLY “OUT.” ' NEW YORK, Sept. 23. It was only the State of Pennsylvania’s ancient laws regulating the length of a prize fight which saveo Jack Dempsey to-day from the ignominy of a knock-out, in what proved to be one of the world’s finest heavyweight bouts, which was staged before the greatest fighting gallery in the world’s history. There was. however, not a single knock-out in the entire contest; but there never was a championship fight in which the victor more truly won every step of the way. Tunney was nervous as if he were a bashful singer, when he stepped into ( the ring, hut he got all over that feeling after the first stiff exchange , with Jack, who probably was as much , surprised at the quality'of his opposition as was the challenger himself. ( When Tunney found he could stand j tiyi there and take anything, and could f give it hack with interest, he simply j perked up to a state of calmness .and , confidence which nothing could break. Dempsey rushed at Tunney. and even ] swore at him, and also used his elbows in the clinches, and. in fact, did everything short of a foul, hut Tunney was over the mental hazard, and, really Dempsey never had a chance. Dempsey was an awful spectacle at the fin- A ish of the fight. His face was swollen s to twice its natural size, and, when h the gong for the last round sounded J Dempsey dropped into his chair and his ( seconds worked the full minute to re- e vice him. If there had been an eleventh round. Dempsey probably could not have come out for it. That last round was a curious spectacle. It was raining heavily, and there was the crowd roaring for Tunney to gain a victory that seemed certain. Demp- G sey would literally throw himself "

against Tunney, crowding him on to the ropes, hut the challenger’s arms were going like pistons every moment, and Dempsey’s left eye became totally closed. Blood was now streaming down Deriipsel’s face. Tunney simply swarmed all over him, but Jack had ability enough to avoid the last fatal blow. Tunney was amazing to his supporters by the manner in which he was outgaming and outfighting the sevenyear champion. The judges, who called Gene the winner, believed that Tunney almost knocked out Dempsey with a hard right- to the jaw " just hefoi’A the bell rang the first round down. Tunney won every round except the seventh, which was an even one. Dempsev has gone hack heavily since his bout with Firpo. DEMPSEY’S REFLECTIONS. NFAV Y t ORK. Sept. 23. < It was a record-breaking crowd of i more than 130 thousand'people that witnessed the fight, which finished ill a downpour of rain. Dempsey took tlic decision gamely. “It is the same old story—the liest man won I” he said, as he was called out of the ring.