DEMPSEY’S CHANCES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3904, 7 February 1929, Page 3

DEMPSEY’S CHANCES.

DEBATE WITH CORBETT. Jack Dempsey and James J. Corbett have engaged in an interesting debate relative to Dempsey’s prospects in the event of his seeking to come back, writes Artie Skinner, the Melbourne Sporting Globe’s American representative. Benny Leonard, retired lightweight champion, who has now become a hockey magnate, is all against Dempsey’s return to the ring. Corbett, on the other hand, is positive in the opinion that Dempsey, if he makes up his mind to do it, can come back. To prove his point, Coihett points to the fact that he made one of the greatest battles of his career at the age of 32 and after he had lost the title to Fitzsimmons. Coihett signed for a bout with Jim Jeffries and for that match spent hours on the road in addition to perfecting his boxing through the medium of many tedious gymnasium bouts. But it was in road woilk that put his legs in shape to outpace Jeffries for over twenty rounds, and, had he not grown careless afterwards, would have finished up to take a 25-round verdict from the heavyweight king. “What I did you can do,” Corbett told Dempsey. “It was your legs which beat you at Philadelphia, and it was your legs which beat you at Chicago. Get your legs in shape so that they will carry you along at top speed and you can still beat all the other heavyweights in the game to-day. You are not any older than I was when I made my come-back.” Corbett went 23 rounds with Jim Jeffries on the occasion he speaks of in 1900 before h ((.carelessly gave Jeffries the opening which beat him. Coihett was in top shape that night, and Jeffries has always insisted that Jim was the fastest and cleverest man he ever met —an opinion he formed during the course of that encounter. Corbett was in shape, and he kept his condition to the. end. Today’s contests run but 15 rounds and although Coihett trained a year for Jeffries, Dempsey with application, should be able to get himself in shape within six mouths to go ,15 rounds at top speed. The writer knows that Corbett’s advice has made a deep impression upon Dempsey. The fact that Jack is well provided for, however, is a point against him. Dempsey does not have to box. His only urge in the event of a return would be to engage Tunney once more and 1 doubt seriously whether Gene will ever perform again. Corbett was moved by the belief that he could defeat Jeffries who had whipped Fitzsimmons, a man who had never given him another chance at the title after having defeated him. The comeback was in search of personal satisfaction. Nothing like that moves Dempsey in this case, and for that reason the return road will be more difficult.