The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-15
Corbett's Daily Letter
 On Great Sport Topics
By JAMES J. CoRBETr

collapse. And then the miracle. in the l form of the infamous pivot punch was
 wrought
 Somewhere along about the middle oi | the thirty-second round Dempsey jabbeo LeBlanche whirled around with his right
 away Jack decided to follow him. Le-
 Blanche deliberately turned his back tc Dempsey and as Jeck walked toward him
 LeBlanche whilerd around with his right
 arm extended in rigid fashion. As Le- Blanche completed the semicircle the | forearm of his extended right arm
 caught Dempsey on the point of the
 chin with terrific force. The "Nonpa-
 reil' went down as though struck with a
 sledge hammer.
 A hush fell over the crowd as the
 mighty Irish warrior crumpled. Not a cheer came from a throat in that vast multitude. It was the first time that l ] have ever seen fighter score a knock 1 down or a knockout over a champion without at least a small part of the au-
 dience breaking into applause. But when George LeBlanche, using the blow that
 ever afterward was barred from the ring sent Jack Dempsey to the floor, death [ like silence settled over the house, l The end of the fight came so unex-
 pected that it seemed to paralyze the audience No one moved, no one spoke.
 Even the referee, thunderstruck by the climax, stood in the same spot which he 1 had occupied when the blow landed. Like a man in daze he looked down at the unconscious Dempsey. He didn't count his tongue couldn't move. Even Le- Blanche, the victor, was riveted in the position from which he had delivered l the final punch of that fight
 |
 l Just how long Jack Dempsey lay on
 the floor before a return of consciousness lis something that no one can state with
 any degree of accuracy. Maybe 10 sec onds, maybe 20 seconds, maybe longer. But while he lay there without moving, I the vast crowd stayed in its seat, tense
 and rigid. At last. consciousness began
 to return to the "Nonpareil'' and as he began to move around a little on the l floor, the audience, almost reverentiy,
 rose to it's feet and watched him-but in !! silence
 ! At last, after efforts that were pitiful 1 to watch, Jack Dempsey pulled himself I to his knees and then to his feet, only
 to topple. But in falling he went against ! the ropes and thus saved himself from
 utter collapse. For 20 seconds or so he clung to the strands and then he began | looking around the ring. Finally his ulmmed VlSlOn caught m US IOcuS the object it was seelSing-George LeBlanche. I The Marine by that time had moved ] back into his corner. The sight of his | foe revived the unconquerable fighting l spirit of Jack Dempsey and gave to him | the strength that he used to pull himself
 around the ring, aided by hold on the ropes.
 l The crowd stood, as if petrified watch ! ing Dempsey. Laborously he circled the ! ring, moving only a few feet per minute, but always in the direction of LeBlanche. I As the brain-fogged, stupefied ''Nonpa- reir' neared his foe he made pitiful | effort to straighten up Then he let 1 loose of the ropes, pulled back his right hand, and made a feeble swing at the Marine" The effort exhausted the last ounce of strength in the "Nonpareils" s" 1 body and as he swung he staggered to- ward LeBlanche. The Marine" reached out as Dempsey fell, caught him in his arms and nestled his head on his chest. ] And then while tears came to the eyes l of hundreds in that crowd who were to grasp the fact that Jack Dempsey had been beaten for the. first time in his | life, they led the beaten-but not dis grac raced-"Nonpareil' to his dressing room. ' CTo be continued tomorrow.)