THE NEW CHAMPION

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1926, Page 4

THE NEW CHAMPION

UNUSUAL TYPE OF BOXER. 1 “Gene Tunnoy, soldier, boxer, student, philosopher and sportsman may never bo heavy weight champion of the world, but if he ever arrives, the j wido gap-between tho days of John L. Sullivan and tho present time will be 1 well bridged, for Tunnoy will he the 1 most popular king of the heavyweights C since John L.’s brilliant reign”(wrote) 1 Grant-land■ 'Rice in Collier’s Weekly.)” ' Tunnoy was born in New York City on May 25, 1898. War was declared 1 before Tumiey was nineteen years old, but he soon joined the marines in smirch of the most active service he could find. Ho was one of tho early arrivals in France, where he did his stuff up to tho final turn, and when the gunfire stepped lie soon became Hght-heavywcight champion of the Inter-Allied Armies. For six years since lie discarded the grey-green of the marines Tunnoy has been plodding upwards. And this ploddding has inrried him over handicaps that would have wrecked any average ambition. But he refused to be discouraged A.nd, while he lacked the killer instinct—the innate yearning to tear a rival apart and chuck the debris into a. garbage can-—he carried another quality of possibly even greater value. Tliis was his ability to take his share of punishment and the courage to face impossible odds and still carry on. Gene Tunney’s ring character was placed beneath tho searchlight in his various meetings with Harrv Grab, ■ one of the hardest men in the world to (beat. His first big jump dime in. knocking out Georges Carpentier after Tom Gibbous,had failed to stop the Frenchman. His great chance came in a meeting with Tom Gibbons, tho St. Paul heavyweight, the cool and shitty boxer who in thirteen years of fighting , had never been knocked down, and : who had lasted fifteen rounds with .Lick Dempsey. The general opinion was that Gibbons was too good a boxer 1 and too good a hitter to finish second in this meeting. But when they met before a big crowd at the Polo Grounds i in Now York, ringside opinions began - to change quite early when it was t noticed that Tunnoy was making brilliant use ol a good left hand and then j cutting through with the right at every chance. , Gibbons was meeting a Tunnev who [ had .improved 100 per cent within a ‘ year. He was meeting a bigger,’faster 1 Tunnoy, with a much better punch. Tunnoy took his time, through hard * and steady battering, until the wcak- ' oiled Gibbons was ready for the killing punch. Tho new Tumiey had atl’ived. to find only Harry Wills between' him and a vacillating champion who seemed to lie in a daze.

, So here was a new character oil the edge of the heavyweight kingdom. Here was one of the few boxers who had taken oil' the gloves to wear khaki at the first call. Here was one " of tile “story-book” typ's in real life, a. boxer who had never taken a drink, ’ who had never smoked, who reads good liteiyiture inveterately, and is at home in ,nnv circle. 11 Tunnoy has unusual qualities of concentration a.nd unlimited detormi'l* nation to see a tiling through, lie is ' (I one of the best-looking of all the ring .j. stars, standing over six loot, a tall, pleasant-faced blonde, with an attrac--1 Live smile, and more than his share of |ir magnetism. He has turned himself ” into a. student and a philosopher, and , n his friendly, pleasant manner has nwdc , lit in. a multitude of friends.