Gene Tunney: Boxing Enigma

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 287, 24 February 1928, Page 10

Gene Tunney: Boxing Enigma

Tunney shot into the fistic firmament all of a sudden —that is to say, as a world’s champion. Up to the time when he first lifted the title from Dempsey, few people had given much thought to the studious young Marine, who seemed to think more of books than fighting, and whose chief qualifications were sedulous cultivation of physical fitness, close study of boxing tactics, and a sort of mental determination which had carried him from the ruck to the threshold of the world’s championship arena. When Gene wore the rusty fighting machine that was only a shadow of • the old Dempsey of Toledo down to a points decision, everybody sat up and asked, “Who is this Tunney?” TO RHYME WITH “ROONEY” First, they found that his name wasn’t pronounced the way it was spelt but to rhyme with “Rooney.” That wasn’t much to go on with, and the “great unwashed” scornfully rejected what they regarded as pure pretence, and still pronounced his name as if it was th«r designation of a well-known edible fish. Then somebody found out that Gene liked books better than fighting, that lie did not wear a dress suit as if it was a suit of armour, and that he was able to converse reasonably intelligently with men of affairs in business and public life. More insatiable delving into the champion’s private affairs disclosed the fact that Gene would sooner discuss some abst ruse point in modern philosophy with some of his literary friends than jcin the boys in a “night out.” That was the last straw. This flash guy was high-hatting the boxing game. Dempsey wasn’t such a bad husky after all, and he would sure make catsmeat of this young upstart. A LONELY FIGURE Anyhow Tunney gave the rank and file every opportunity to persist in that belief. He seemed either indifferent to public opinion or else had very little idea of how to go about the job of winning the public over to him. In the States the other day, someone broached the subject to Jim Corbett, whose case was at first analogous to that of Tunney. When he beat Sullivan, Corbett was too much of a “toff” to please the multitude. They liked the picturesque Sullivan, who used to drink himself to a standstill in the beer saloons, and fling his money about like a gentlemen—ahem! CULTIVATED THE PUBLIC To-day, Jim Corbett is a national figure in America, a head-liner in the movies, and a popular business man. Why? Because (.says Corbett) he went

Boy Who Missed Priesthood Public Opinion Slowly Coming Round MOT since James Corbett (“Gentleman Jim”) toppled the swashbuckling Sullivan off bis perch has the American prize-ring been so intrigued with a boxing champion than it is with Gene Tunney. He has been a complete enigma to the rank and file of the boxing public.

out and made himself popular. He" went everywhere, made himself a good fellow at picnics, picked out the plainest girls at dances, and made friendships with his most sceptical critics. Bays an American writer: “I think if Gene takes a leaf from Corbett’s book he can’t miss being popular with everybody. He must realise that he is in the same peculiar spot Corbett occupied after he tumbled Sullivan off the pedestal. Somebody had to destroy the great Sullivan, somebody had to wreck the great Dempsey. Corbett and Tunney had thankless jobs, but can anyone truthfully say that Jim Corbett hurt boxing with his victory? Can he say that Tunney has injured the sport because he conducted himself like a gentleman before the battles, in the batt’es, and since the battles? This is my answer to the current fears that we have fallen into a pinkribbon era. It is my answer to Gene Tunney’s conviction that he has walked in under a ten-gallon hat.” MARINES BEHIND TUNNEY A big point in Tunney’s favour Is that the men of the United States .Navy are behind him to a man. He is their fighting man. They have helped to create this battle of popularity, for it has simmered down to a real battle. Marines all over this globe watched the result with breathless emotions. If you didn’t like the cut and get-up of a marine, you were a Dempsey man as a matter of course. This battle, twice fought between Gene and Jack, has divided everybody. By now there are few lukewarms. You are either a downright Tunney man or you are a shouting Dempseyite. Nine out of ten persons hated Corbett because he was good-looking, dashing, clever, intelligent, and had crumpled a great idol in the palm of his hand. They felt sorry for him when Fitzsimmons knocked the wind out of him after he had whipped the famous redhead to a standstill. Jeffries they gazed upon in awe. He was like some caveman who had moped back out of the ages gone before. They forgot to sympathise with Fitzsimmons in their popeyed admiration of this shaggy giant. Then they knew that Johnson had pushed over only the ghost of Jeffries. Then Dempsey and now Tunney. Though Dempsey is about finished as a great fighter, nothing on earth will ever rob him of his popularity. In defeat he is running neck and neck with the man who has beaten him twice. A strange situation, indeed. But in America to-day public opinion is slowly swinging round to Tunney. They have discovered that the intel-