The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-06
NNTENDER Has
CONFIDENCE he
WON'T 60 DOWN
fhanpIcn Out 70 WIN Early To-day
AT Benton Marssr, But
" Expects No PicAie.

Benton Harbor. Mich, Sept. g.
1aek Dempsey, heavyweight cham
sion OF the world, today stAksd the
crown he won from Jess Willard Il
nopths ago ct Toledo, on has hard
hifting prowess in . 10-rOupd. no.
1scisior bout with Billy Miske, st.
rsul claimant Of the premier ilstic
hoo0r.
Dempsey was the favogite. but
With every prospect Of . hard light.
Il confident were Miske's ST. Paul
hackers Of his ability to stick the
limit that they bet freely that he
you'd be on his fest and fighting
When the last bell rang.
Both in Great Form.
Dempsey apparently was in as
perfect condition as on the Fourth
j 81 July at Toledo last year. In
lis daily workouts he has exhib-
lied every Indication Of having re-
gained his quickness Of eye, after IA
months OF idleness.
Miske, likewise, was in excellent
form. While he has not the cham
mons f1eetness of foot, his friends
pointed out that he Is the only man
Who every fought Dempsey 10
rounds without being knocked on
.his.feet. He was better today than
afany time before. they said. Like
Dempsey, Miske has had q long
rest from the ring, having had but
one fight in the last IL months.
Are Evenly Matched.
The men are fairly we'll matched.
Dempsey Is Is years old and
Miske is q. Both expect to enter
the ring at about 100 pounds.
Dempsey is feet IA inches tall,
and the challenger q quarter of an
inch less; the champion has a
reach of rs inches as compared
\ to Miske's II. They have met twice
: before, fighting 10 rounds at st.
Paul on May 3, 1918, to no decision,
and six rounds at Philadelphia, on
Nov. % of the same year, with the
same result.
Floyd Fitzsimmons, promoter OF
todey's fight, expected every one OF
the $4,000 arena seats to be sold
and for receipts to approximate
from $4,000 to 100000.
Demtsey's End.
: Dempsey had a guarantee of 50
per cent of the receipts If they are
enough to exceed his $4,000 and
Mi.La'c % NOR rant
Thousands of fight fans began
pouring into the twin cities OF
Benton Harn0r and st. Joseph al
dawn today, swelling the tide OF ar
rivals which flowed in through
every gateway Saturday and Sun
day.
A feet of giant seaplanes was tt
bring a coterie of officers from the
Great Lakes naval training station
70 miles across the water.
The arriving fight fans fount
! rooms at premium and even re-
freshments~hard to get.
Village ver.Crowded.
These summer resort towns Ar
adept in handling excursion
crowds, but nothing on the scale O
today's throng ever before swoopet
odwn on Benton Harbor. Hastil!
erected stands lined downtown
curhstones. prepared to suppleemn
the established restaurants. A cur
sorry survey of the sgins indicated
belif that fight fan trains On "ho
dnusu opH ri 1av,nnudo
With no decision to be rendered
because Michigan laws prohibit il
the worlds heavyweight title cal
change hands today only il Misk
should score n knockout, or Demp
sey should be disqualified for viola
ton of the rules. Should Misk
stick 10 rounds and win news
paper decision" ON points, it woult
{ not give him the title.
Great Prelims.
Two six-rourd preliminaries ar
on the card, the first starting at
o'clock central standard time, be
tween Harry Greb and Chuck Wig
gins, light heayyweights. Bill Tate
negro sparring partner OF Demp
sey, meets Sam Lansford, the Bos
ton negro heavyweight in the sec
ond semi-final.
Dempsey and Miske were no
due to start much before 3:3
o'clock, central standard time).
The third man In the ring, chosel
early yesterday after an all nigh
session, which threatened to SEN
Dempsey and kearns out Of tow
IN a huff, is Jim Dougherty of Phila
delphia, chosen by Dempsey
manager. Walter EckersalI Of Chi
cago, will be timekeeper.
Champ Confident.
Dempsey is supremely confiden
OF victory, but expects Miske to Civ
MIN a desperate battle.
Il shall try to win as quickly
as possible the champion siad.
Il have not made the mistake OF
believing that l am going to
have y picnic. Miske is tough,
can take and give punishment
and is a dangerous hitter. l
fought him twice and was
shaken to my heels both times"
Miske Hopeful
Miske declared that he wa
trained for the fight Of his caree
i and confident of winning.
SDempsey couldn't knock me
out in our previous engage.
ments and l feel certain ne
vent be able to turn the trick
today. MisA said. This is the
chance l have been waiting for.
am bigger, carry moro weight
and am better fighter than |
was when l met Dempsey two
years ago and will carTy the
light to him."
CONK NO-HITS ROx.
Bloomington III Sent "A