The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-28
DEMPSEY SAYS
HE is VERY
confident
Challenger Easing Up on His
Training as Time Draws
Near for Bout With Jess.
BY JACK DEMPSEY.

TOLEDO, O., June 2S.-There has
been a lot Of unnecessary argument
over a referee for my bout with Jess
Willard. according to my way Of figur-
ing. J am quite agreeable to most
any nan big enough to wrestle Two
big fighters when they clinch. His only
qualification, so far as | am concerned.
is that he shall be able to count To-,
and he must be honest.
Counting 10 is the hardest work that
expect to hit Jess willard with a
knockout punch some time during the
fight, and hope to have a referee In
the ring with me who will be able to
start counting right then and never
finish until the championship has been
counted into my hands; That's how
I understand things have practically
been fixed for Ollie Record. a Toledo
man. to officiate for the mill, and to
place two judges outside the ring to
help him render q decision. There will
be no work for the judges. / am ron
and cocky, but really feel I am going
to win this battle. just as ! have won
most of the scraps / have taken part in.
With this feeling Of confidence. there
fore, 1t looks rather out of kilter with
my aS.i feelings ne to protest against the
Juukch. MY IctilnS IN Tie matter ID
that Tex Richard will do. the right
thing; II he. wants two judges to as
sist In handing down a decision, it's
all right with me, but | promise sick
ard there will be no job for his judges.
/ have been told that Record is a
man who has refereed hundreds of
bouts in and around Toledo, and that
his hands the task OF giving d~eciSions
at the end Of important contests. He
is honest. they tell me, and STANDS tall
enough and heavy enough to handle big
men. That is all that is necessary,
All important championship bouts.
contend with, and suppose it has
come to be az necessary as the bear
stories the boys send out from the
training camps. AS ! have said before,
the argument Is unnecessary, 30 far
as l am concerned.
Object to Judges.
TO be perfectly frank about the mat
ter, have had some objection to the
idea Of placing two Judges outside the
cree to give a decision and have always
been treated fairly, save In a very few
instances. Judges outside the ring are
open to comment by persons in the
audience, and II they have to deliberate
over a decision there is a chance that
they might be swayed one way or the
other by the shouts OF the crowd.
Arguing over X Is smali-time stuff.
l merely express the opinion for what
II Is worth. Probably l am wrong about
It.. l trust Tex Richard implicitly, and
know Jack Kearns does also. There
fore, feel that Il Richard wants a
pair Of judges to help decide the con-
test, the argument Is over.
People have mentioned to me several
times of late the danger that I NAV
go stale before the bout because Of
too much training. I want to tell my
friends in this way, that there is alb
solutely no danger of such an occur
renee. ! never have been ION edge"
as the saying among fighters is,
have been trained on the verge Of the
limit, but l never have quite reached
the edge. When a boxer reaches the
absolute end OF training for an en-
counter he Is conditioned TO a point
where he goes the limit at every min
ute. have not vet reached that point.
Beginning early next week, ] expect
to taper off a bit on my boxing. AS
| time approaches for the bout, the dish
| will be reduced a tiny bit each day.
| The last two days ! will rest. That will
positively put me- on edge-that and
the longing FOR boxing that | will feel
when I stop work with my sparring
partners. / will dry out for a time,
That takes impurities out Of the blood
and will make me feel in condition.
Feeling condition is the best indication
]Scopyrisht. 1919, by the Evening Mail
S~yndieate.)