The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-18
LIKE
/. A WILD CAT
IN ACTION
Challenger of Jess Willard
Fastest Heavyweight in
History.

BY N. E. BROWN.
TOLEDO, o., June 1B.-"What kind
OF a fellow Is this bird Dempsey? Is
he as fast as everybody says he ISL"
These are the first questions fired
at ANYONE who has seen the challenger
for Jess Wizards heavyweight crow
in action.
The quickest way of describing Demp-
sey Is to call him a young short-horn
bull" This doesn't fit him exactlys
either, because there is nothing awk-
ward about his rushing about the ring
as there is In a young bulls methods.
Dempsey is a lot more like a Wild
cat. He's the fastest heavyweight I've
ever seen In action. The old timers
now watching both fighters in work
cuts az the training camps say the only
big fellow they know OF who could be
compared with Dempsey, as far as speed
Is concerned, would be Gentleman Jim
Corbett.
Dempsey fights from a semicrouching
~position-the usual pose OF a wa1oping,
tearing in, g~ive-and-take fighter. Be-
cause he is fast on his feet as well
as with his hands he is never off his
balances always set to tear in more
and back up his wallops with his body.
Dempsey Isn't Huge.
He isn't a big mar by any means.
He's husky and splendIdly built, but
can not be called big.
What struck me first as I watched
him work out the first time was his
back, The skin of a broad, we'll
shaped back is drawn taut over what
seems like a thousand muscles. These
muscles ripple n play as he steps
about the ring In sparring or punch
Ing the bag before stepping into the
ring.
His arms and shoulders are bulging
with firm muscles, too, Someone has
called him the gorilla man because
Of his general build, but this Is a mis-
homer, In a way, because his arms are
not abnormally long as are the arms
Of many OF the stocky tough fighters In
the ring today. He Is perfectly pro-
portioned, to my way OF thinking. This
perfect proportion extends into his legs,
too. Most fighters Of his type are bur-
dened with heavy legs which tend TO
slow them down. Dempsey's legs are
well formed. His thighs taper we'll, his
calves are large, but his ankles are
well formed and his feet are OF medium
size. He works IN his toes continually
except when he is sending pile -driv-
ing blows into the pit of the stomach
or his opponent at close range, forcing
him back across the ring, Then he
is standing flat-footed, feet wide apart,
Develops Pile. Driving Blows,
He winds up his days workout by
6'dluilk tillS way DeIOTe u nuKe, neaVy
bag and driving his fists fun force,
into the leather dummy. Two Of his
camp aides attempt 10 hold the bag
nearly firm while he whales away at
It, but are forced to give 1t up. The
force of his wallops against the bag
knocks them off their balance.
The Jamaica Kid, one OF Dempsey's
main sparring mates, is a husky negro,
on the order Of Dempsey, though small
err, Dempsey lifts him off the canvas
once or twice a day with one OF these
blows to the stomach. This with the
big .0-ouncc pillows used for gloves.
Dempsey Looks Fit.
Dempsey is ready to step into the
ring. He says SO, His manager, JACK
kearns, says so, too, and he looks 1t.
This is because Of the unique system
Of training he is following. He Is be-
ing groomed on a basis OF a theoretl-
cal fight a week. That is, he starts
out lightly on Monday and gradually
increases the duration and speed Of his
training daily until the end OF the
week, wnen he proceeds to go the limit,
The following week he takes It easy. |
Then the next week he props himself
for another battle, His schedule Is
such that he viii be training the week |
Of the big show, July 4, and will be |
ready to &c fun speed the day Of the
fight.
The merits OF this system are left
for another discussion. ....... |