DEMPSEY DROPS PROTEST

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1927, Page 1

DEMPSEY DROPS PROTEST

£50,000 TO GO TO LONDON. NEAV YO.RK, Sept. 28. Jack Dempsey has abandoned his protest over last Thursday’s fight decision. He claimed the title because, he said, Gene Tunney, the victor, was down for 13 seconds in the seventh round. It was explained that tho extra time allowed Tunney (10 seconds is the limit for n knock-out) was due to the delay of Dempsey in obeying the rule which says that after a knock-down the standing fighter must go to a neutral corner before the count ljogins. Most sport writers believe that a third match between Dempsey and Tunney is inevitable next year. Dempsey has received an offer from England guaranteeing him £50,090 to. meet Phil Scott, the English heavyweight, in London, in November.

Tunney has announced that lie will bo ready next year to defend the championship again, and if Dempsey was his opponent the result would lie the same.

Demjxey says; “T intend to keep fighting because I am looking forward to another chance for the championship.”

Dempsey says that, when he returned homo after Thursday’s fight his wife greeted him as the victor, she having left the radio when the incorrect announcement was made that Tunney had been counted out. “I don’t remember ever having been told by the referee that he could not start to count until the boxer scoring the knock down had reached a neutral corner,” said the oxl-champion. “Such a. rule is foolish on the face of it. Under that rule a referee could delay starting to count for half an hour.

Tunney has given a remarkable interview, describing his reactions, menial and physical, in Thursday’s fight.

“Ever since I entered the professional ring in 1919,” he said, “T have known that sooner or later I must he knocked down. I also knew that I must get up and go on and win tiespite the handicap.

“I worked out two lines of action The first was to get up and camouflage my real condition by letting go a right-hander with everything behind it. including a prayer. The second was to get up and dive in to a clinch, holding on desperately, no matter how tho referee tried to break us, and, if necessary to go down for another count of nine. J even planned to go down a third time to allow my senses time to clear.

“After Thursday’s knock-down, and when I was on my feet again Dempsey said to me: “Come on and tight’ admitting his own inability to control the situation. This was gratifying. I Iw'as 'again (master after being on the floor a few seconds.

“The cinema startles me. because it. shows Dempsey landed .six times on my chin before the ‘ crash in the seventh round. T felt only the first three, and my next connected thought, was “Gosh! How uncomfortable this floor is.” “This fight lias taught me that u is useless to try to outslam a master slamnfer at his own game,”

Two-motor-cyclists'were”in front' of the coach. One" of them swerved to avoid the eat, and the other, who was following, swerved to avoid his companion. Both were thrown off. The driver- of • the motor-coach jammed on his brakes and swerved sharply to avoid running over . the cyclists. The coach swung completely round and turned over, imprisoning many of the passengers. ■