The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-09
Corbett's Daily Letter
On Great Sport Topics
nv LANES >. CORRECTLY


real lover of fair play, is just as much
entitled 20 match with Jess Willard
as is Fred Fulton. The amazing record
which the western heavyweight has com
piled during the past two years seems 10
justify The claim of his supporters that
he is as good as Fulton, if not better.
But Fulton has ignored Dempsey
challenges.
There are some-the Fulton partisans
mostly-who assert that Dempsey is over
rated; that he would not have chance
with Fulton. But the best way to prove
this would have been to match the irish
man with Fulton and let them settle the
question in a 24-foot ring. The pugilis-
tic horizon has been cleared of all real
contenders except two, Fulton and Demp-
sey. 1t is a shame that the two men
nave never been brought together so as
to settle for all time the question as TO
which is the better and which is more
entitled to take a crack at the cham
pion.
There is rot much doubt that Fulton
Willard match will draw tremendous
crowd, no matter where it is staged. Just
the Same, l feel, as do the bulk of puSll-
istic fans, that the attractiveness of a
tit1lar bout would be enhanced if it could
he between Willard and the winner OF
the Fulton-Dempsey match.
Dempsey is something of a newcomer
in the pugilistic game, but what an
amazing record he has compiled during
less than three years of ring activity.
In that short sweep of time he has en-
gagged in Al contests. Twenty -five re-
suited in knockout victories, eight others
We're won on decisions and one on fouls
He fought four draws and one node
cision bout He lost one contest on de-
cision to Jack Downey and the other re-
suited in a Knockout defeat for him at
the hands of Jim Flynn. But trifle
more than year later he retaliated by
knocking out Flynn in the first round.
The most startling fact concerning
Dempsey's record is that he has achieved
l'12 of his 25 Knockout victories in less
than one full round of fighting. That in
| itself is something that should make
every fight fan in the country sit up and
take considerable notice. l doubt if there
is in pugilistic records anything that
compares with this showing that the
western heavyweight has made The %
| foes that he has knocked out have lasted
| on average of less than four rounds
another accomplishment almost without
parallel N fighting history.
| OF course, Dempsey has achieved most
raters. But the point is that he has met
every man who cared to try conclusions
| with him. He has backed away from
| none. The topnotchers for a long time
refused 70 meet him. They claimed he
was not IN their class. And so Dempsey
had to pick on ordinary battlers He
| sent one after another into pugilistic OBJ
livion. His record finally impressed pro-
moters to point where they were keen
! to r,,cf rh n tf,a with Or VI
| in the foremost ranks. And Dempsey's
success against the stars was just as
| spectacular as when pitted against du5s.
What more can one demand of
| fighter with championship aspirations
than Dempsey has accomplished during
4 the past TWO years?
| The western heavyweight appeared in
| New York two or three years ago, Just
about the time when he was beginning
| his career. He performed in mediocre
| fashion, That has made some who re-
member him only through that bout
| think he is still a joke battler. They
| forget that a fighter can improve Won
derfully in "a months.
II Jim Jeffres was my sparring partner
in 1897 Then he was a novice, a begin
ner in fistiana 1.-TWO years later he was
heavyweight champion Of the world.
Jack Johnson was 'ham an fighter
only short time before he won the title
| Jess Willard put up one of the worst ex-
| hibitions ever seen in a ring in 1918 In
1915 he mad become the king of pugilism.
| Ii those fellows could improve so won.
derfully in so short space of time, why
| isn't it possible for Dempsey to have ac-
emphasized the same thing?
/ Letters have come to me from men who
have seen Dempsey in action and whose
| Judgment of ringmen is exceedingly
good Each is enthusiastic about him
to an extreme.
Dempsey is the greatest two-fisted
fighter since Jeffries' day, and I've seen
! 'em all stree then" wrote a Buffalo ex.
pert who saw Dempsey whip Carl Nor
ris. 1.-The Irishman is amaginzly fast,
wonderful in his stiffness and ter
rifle two-fisted hitter He is almost as
aggressive as Sharkey and hits with the
power of Jess in his best days. He is
on top of his man at all times and al
ways fights with the idea OF finishing
| the other man in the shortest time pos
5 sible. Dempsey has the true fighting
heart, and he is game to the CORE
Dempsey (whose real name is William
/, Dempsey, born in the United States OF
Irish parents, began his career in 1919,
boxing in Salt LAX City, his home town.
He made a fair impression there, then
went east, and struck few snags. In
Experience and lack of boxing knowledge
Iwere the causes. Returning west, he de-
cided to learn the science of the game
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