TUNNEY RETAINS TITLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 157, 23 September 1927, Page 1

TUNNEY RETAINS TITLE

TENTH-ROUND DECISION

GENE HOLDS THE ADVANTAGE

By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. Received 3.5 p.m. CHICAGO, Thursday. r*BNE TUNNEY to-day retained the world’s boxing chamJ pionship, gaining the decision over Jack Dempsey after ;en rounds.

Dempsey scaled 13,1041 b. and Tunney 13.741 b. Rain began early before the bout commenced, but quickly stopped. There were 150,000 spectators. The gate receipts totalled 2,800,000 dollars.

ROUND ONE led with a left and missed. Tunney caught him with a left to the face. They clinched. The challenger landed a left to the heart, and Tunney rocked the challenger with a right to the jaw. They clinched again. Then Tunney landed a light right to the face. Dempsey hooked a left to the body at close range. Tunney landed a few light blows, and seemed to have the advantage at the bell. ROUND TWO Tunney crossed a hard right to the head and the challenger drove two hard blows to the head and body. Tunney fell into a clinch; They ex-

changed hard rights and blows at each other’s ears. They clinched. Demp sey landed a right on the break. Tunney hooked right and left to the jaw and sent the challenger’s tead back with a light left at the sounding of the bell. It again appeared Tunney’s round.

ROUND THREE Dempsey came out aggressively. They clinched immediately, and Tunney seemed to hold the challenger’s arm. The crowd jelled in approval as they sparred. Tunney jammed a hard left to the jaw. Dempsey punished him with short driven blows at close range. Dempsey hit TUnney three blows, but the champion did not complain. Dempsey again struck two low blows and one of the judges called it a foul; but the bout went on. Tunney came back with a right and left to the head and Dempsey put a right and left to the body. They clinched. Tunney crossed a right to Dempsey’s ear at the bell. Tunney still appeared to lead in the light.

ROUND FOUR Dempsey led with his left and the champion crossed left and right to face. Then Dempsey retaliated with a vicious left to Tunney’s body, who returned with a hard right to face. Tunney got in two lefts to the face and Dempsey appeared to butt him, whereon the referee warned the challenger. Tunney appeared to land blows more frequently, intermingling fast work and good boxing. He crossed his right to Dempsey’s head and shook him with another right. Tunney’s seconds then shouted at Dempsey for his butting tactics. Then the champion landed five hard blows rapidly and the challenger wobbled, hut the champion drove hard and chased him to. a neutral corner and had him hanging on at the sound of the bell in bad shape. His seconds had to work hard over him.

ROUND FIVE Dempsey appeared wary, stepping away. Tunney put a left to the face. Dempsey landed a right to the body and another low left to the body, but the champion did not complain. Tunney looped an overhand right to the head with Dempsey on the ropes. Dempsey backed away and Tunney fought him into the corner. Tunney landed a left hook to the mouth. Dempsey landed a left to the body and hung on when the champion bored into close range. Dempsey got home a left hook to the jaw, but was slow to follow it up. Tunney landed repeated blows to the head, body and the face, and landed a final blow flush on the jaw. It; was Tunney’s round. ROUND SIX They sparred continuously at the start. Dempsey landed three hard body punches. Dempsey came to close quarters, and Tunney pinned his arm. They hacked and the champion sent a right to the head that made the challenger go into a clinch. He seemed desperately anxious to put all his strength into close-range fighting, but Tunney’s boxing seemed safely to keep him at long range. Dempsey landed a right to the body which made Tunney dance away. Dempsey hooked a right and a left to Tunney’s jaw, which shook the champion, and again the challenger hooked a right to the face. He was strong and dangerous, now appearing at fris best. It was Dempsey’s round. ROUND SEVEN Dempsey floored Tunney with a right and left to the jaw. Tunney rose on the count of nine. E'empsey flew in determined to finish him. Tunney fell into a clinch. Dempsey landed

a right to the body and drove Tunney around the ring, the champion backing away, but suddenly driving a left to Dempsey’s jaw. Dempsey hooked a left to the jaw, and drove Tunney to the ropes with a right to the body. Tunney danced away with Dempsey pursuing. Dempsey waded in, apparently inviting close-range exchange. Dempsey put a left, right, and another left to the body. At the bell Tunney was very weak in his corner. It was a long left hook flush to the jaw which had floored the champion. ROUND EIGHT £ Dempsey again commenced pursuing the champion. Tunney crossed a light right and left to the head. Dempsey landed a low left to the body and head and Tunney danced away. Dempsey aimed for the body and

Tunney jabbed him in the face. Dempsey pounded Tunney's neck in a j clinch, and landed a right to the body.! Tunney dropped Dempsey with a left to the jaw, but he bounded up without a count. Tunney now forced the fighting, and put Dempsey on the ropes. Dempsey was now much slower. Tunney drove three lefts to the face. They exchanged rights to ■ the face. Both of Dempsey's eyes were badly cut. BOUND NINE Dempsey attacked and missed with bis left. He ponnded the champion in j a clinch. Tunney put a left and a | right to the head, and then wrestled I about the ring. Dempsey put two ] rights to the body and clubbed his | right to Tunney's head. Tunney | jabbed twice to the face with his left, I and Dempsey was bleeding badly. ! I „ !

Tunney aimed at the face with botn hands. Tunney shot a right to the jaw and a left to the body. Dempsey was shaky. Dempsey put a left and a right to the body. Tunney crossed a straight right. Dempsey’s face was now a mass of blood. It was Tu nev’s round. ROUND TEN They shook hands. Dempsey wrestled Tunney. There was an exchange of left hooks. Tunney crossed two rights to the- faee. Both were swinging wildly, trying for a knockout. Dempsey landed a left to the

head. Tunney put a lefl and then a ! right to the faee. Tunney jabbed the 1 challenger with two lefts to the face and a right cross to the head. Dempsey j appeared to be “groggy.” Tunney crossed two rights to the face. DempI s ®y landed to the jaw. Tunney jabbed j a left to the face and agai'n , a .hard right which stung. Dempsey I "'. as very weak, Tunney pummelling him with both hands. Tunney crossed a right to the jaw and a right and a left to the face. The unnoancer ] raised Tunney's hand as a signal of I victory. Whe-e Dempsey Failed Dempsey's inability to follow up ; the one terrific blow that floored j the champion cost him the fight. | His old-time ferocity and clear- | headedness seemed gone. He was i unable to break through the j skilful boxing defence which Tun--1 ney immediately brought into Pl av . after rising from the canvas. Toward the end the challenger weakened, while the champion showed greater strength, indicating to some observers that if the fight had gone longer than 10 rounds T:mn?y would have succeeded in knocking Dempsev out. . LAST YEAR’S FIGHT DEMPSEY BEATEN IN SAVAGE BATTLE A POINTS DECISION It was on September 23 last year that Tunney ana Dempsey first battled for the title. The bout was staged with the utmost elaboration at Philadelphia, and attracted an enormous number of spectators. The tickets sold realised X 340,000. Tunney was awarded the championship on points in a ten-round contest. Dempsey was unable to withstand the remarkable boxing strength ol his opponent. The fight, which was a savage and sensational one, was fought n pouring rain. A* the close, the judges awarded the verdict to Tunnoy. As a matter of fact, Tunney was within an ace of knocking out Dempsey in the first round, when he got in a hard right to the jaw just before the bell rang. The champion’s knees sagged, and he went to his corner distressed. After that Tunney fought cautiously, and outboxed the champion, repelling him before his attack. r.nd viciously pounding at every possible opportunity. Dempsey began to tire quickly after the seventh round. He stepped out for the final round bleeding: and with his left eye closed and his right eye cut. Dempsey accepted the decision gamely. “It is the same old story: the best man won,” he said as he crawled out of the ring.