TUNNEY’S TITLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 769, 16 September 1929, Page 13

TUNNEY’S TITLE

Argentine Giant Joins Select List THE MIGHTY CAMPOLO The struggle for the vacant world’s I heavy-weight title, which begins In 1 earnest this month in the United ; States, may not after all be confined I exclusively to Phil Scott, Jack Sharkey and Max Schmeling, says an Eng- ! lish writer. Others are joining in the argument, notably Victorio Campolo, an Argentine giant, who was engaged in roping steers on a South American ranch until he turned pugilist a year ago. j There is even a suggestion that Jack Dempsey will stage a dramatic “come- ! back’’ before the destination of the j championship is finally settled. - I Heeney’s pretension to the title was settled on August 14, when he was beaten by Campolo in a 10-rounds bout at Ebbetsfield, Brooklyn. Campolo stands a modest 6ft 75in, weighs 18st, and is so strong that he can lift two men clear off the ground on his extended arms. » Campolo is the second biggest heavy-weight in the world. The biggest is Primo Camera, a 20-year-old Italian, standing 6ft 10in, and weighing 20st, who incidentally may shortly visit London to box. He is now in France. The suggestion that Dempsey will emerge from retirement to meet the survivor of this bunch of aspiring giants can be dismissed, I believe, as S 9 much talk. Dempsey is in the position of being too rich to fight. For his seven championship contests, in which he boxed ,an aggregate of 47 rounds, Dempsey was paid £500,000. And he earned thousands more from minor contests, the films, music - halls, etc. His minimum price to return to the ring for one fight is a million dollars (£200,000). This fact surely rules him out of the present heavy-weight series when the last big fight—between Paolino and Schmeling—could draw only £30,000 gross receipts. The day of colossal guarantees has passed and in its place has dawned an era of moderation in fistic purses. Even so, American boxing purses are still considerably greater than those offered in Britain, and it is not to be •wondered at that England’s best boxers sooner or later drift to New York.