New-York tribune., 1919-07-05

struck.
something a face that some time be-
fore had lost all resemblance to any
thing human or to anything even be-
longing to the wild.
Takes Terrific Beating
The wonder is that his asst system
had enough vitality to carry that much
punishment and still stay up. For
: after the first round Dempsey scored
no further knockdowns, unless two are
so registered where Willard crumpled
against the ropes and hung there like
a side of beef on display in butcher
shop. No other man could have taken
that much punishment and lived.
If there was any pity in the prize
ring (Which there isn't) 1t might have
have found expression here where this
once known as the physical marvel Of
the ring-this man who FIVE minutes
before had stood with bold and con-
fident look as champion of the world,
trained to the day, as At as he could
ever hope to be--now stood as an open
target for an opponent nearly fifty
pounds lighter and six inches shorter
in stature-a' target that rocked and
swayed under the blistering sun while
$4,000 looked on and waited for the
coming end.
AS time was called for the third
round there was no need of Walter
Monahan's sponge to announce that
Jess had closed his engagement as
champion of the world and that Jack
Dempsey now wore the crown that
had belonged in turn to Sullivan, Cor
bett, Fitzsimmons, Jeffries, Johnson
and Willard.
And Dempsey had proved to be the
most spectacular champion of them all.
rounds to knock out Sullivan. 1t had
taken Fitzsimmons fourteen rounds to
drop Corbett. Jeffries had needed
eleven rounds to crush Fitz. Johnson
travelled fifteen rounds to blot out
Jeff, and Johnson lasted twenty-six
rounds against Willard. But Dempsey,
with the crushing force and the b. .azing
speed, IN those Furnishing hooks, deliv-
cred with either fist. needed no such
leeway. .
Saved One-Round Knockout
Only matter OF few seconds saved
Willard a one-round knockout for,
il the bell had known a seconds
delay, Dempsey would have drawn an
other one-round verdict to add 10 his
amazing list Of one-round affairs.
How Willard ever stayed on his feet
after the fusilladc of that first round
of the game. Doughboys have taken
10 bullet into their bodies arfd still
rushed forward for one last trench
knife blow
You may recall how Fuzzy Wuzzy,
IN Kiplings verse, soaked up British
fire and still broke a British square.
But here was man who through the
last six minutes of the battle stood up
to take upon his unprotected. jaw an
almost countless furry Of punches
from man who had already shown
he was the hardest hitter the fighting
game has ever shown.
1t was unbelievable. From less than
ten feet away we looked on and refused
to credit the vision Of our eyes. 1t
looked as If every punch must tear
away his head, but in place Of this the
fountain continued to gush, the feat
ures continued to swell, the raw meat
continued to pop open in deep Sits as.
the red surf rolled from his shaking
pulp smashed frontispicce
Ii Willard had not been in wonderful
shape he would have, been killed. He
surely would never have answered the
bell for the second round.
Leaves Ring Unmarked
Dempsey left the ring unmarked. He
had planted his nervc-killing blow be-
fore Willard had ever found opportun-
lty to test the hitting power of his long,
tremendous arms. Where was the
famous uppercut? No one will ever
know, for before the Kansah had a
cnance to test either, his motive power
was paralyzed and he needed every
ounce of vitality left to keep him on
his feet.
And how this Dempsey can hit! No
| wonder Carl Morris and Fred Fulton
and so many others crumpled up be-
fore his blows. When he hit Willard
1t was exactly the same as if some
strong man had swung upon the ex-
champion with heavy hammer He
feit as II raw steel had broken through.
ms skull. He fell before man who
must be able to hit harder than anv
man that ever lived.
And so, az Willard at thirtv-e ght
passes out, Dempsey at twenty-four be-
comes champion Of The world. The
champion boxer~-not .ne champion
Hgntcr. For it would be an insult to
every doughboy that took his heavy
PACK through the mules train to front
iIhe e lrencncs to 20 over the top at
oa"h 20 refer to Dempsey as fighting
man. If he had been a fighting man
twenty-five he had no other responsi-
oillties IN the world except to protect
his own hide
Marvel of the Ring
SO let us have no illusions about our
new heavyweight champion. He is a
marvel IN the ring. the greatest boxing
or the greatest h tting machine evan
the old-tifncrs here have ever seen.
But he isn't the worlds chamnion
fighter Not by margin Of 10000 o00
men who either stood, or were ready
to stand the test Of cold steel ana
exploding shell for anything from six
cents to dollar day
1t would be an insult to cverv vouna
American who sleeps today from,
Flanders to Lorraine, from the somme
to the Argonne, to crown Dempsey. wiz,
any laureis built of fighting courage.
lie missed the big chance Of his ljfe
10 prove his own manhood before h;s
own soul~but beyond that he stands
to-day AZ the ring marvel Of the cen.
tury, q punchcr who will be unbeatablo
as long az he desires to stay off the
primrose way and maintain the won.
dcrful vitality Of a wonderful human
system.
~ " r. ctoS ~ E-. W \.