The evening world., 1920-05-29


man who's perfectly fit
In that little gymnasium Dempsey
81 Just one Of the boys. He hasn't
changed bit since he became
champion. His voice is no louder
and he puts on no airs. He doesn't
Try 70 show off.
The club Is much like the old
Fairmont In the Bronx. or any other
small club where boys gather TO
learn boxing and boxers train for
small bouts. There were twenty or
thirty youngsters boxing, punching
bags. skipping ropes, wrestling.
playing handbali. And there was a
sprinkhng OF timers who had
come out TO see Dempsey. Billy Glib
son, Tom Jones. Van Court, Kid Nc
Coy and few other well known
sporting men looked on and stood In
groups in the corners to tell stories
about old-time champions and COM
pare them with Jack, keeping an eye
on Jack as they talked, and agreeing
that OF oil the great men who have
held the heavyweight crown Demp-
Bey is the one who comes nearest TO
being a perfect athlete.
Dempsey was boxing with Joe Ben
jamin OF New York, Benny Leonard's
Eparring partner and a very fair light
weight.
Did you ever SEQ anything more
graceful than that lad7" asked Billy
Gibson. Its a fine thing for Jack TO
come up here and box with all these
boys q great thing for these boys to
see a worlds champion come right in
and be one OF the bunch. There he In,
. great worlds champion, with no more
bluster about him than any of these
newsboys or little preliminary boxers.
J He doesn't show on and he's careful
not to hurt these little fellows, and
they all admire him and try to be AXE
him.
Il had Dempsey boxing Wild Bert
Kenney for me one night at the Fair
mont when he was a beginner. ] was
IN the box ONCE. After the first round
the ushers and the ticket takers and
the doorkeepers came rushing in to
me, Come out BILL they said. Come
out quick and look this boy Dempsey
over. Don't miss IT,
"Probably I've had $4,000 bouts on
at the Fairmont In the eleven years
we ran SHOWS, and n lot OF clever fel-
lows boxing, but this was the only
time The boys ever ran In TO urge mC
70 see the show. Dempsey was q
novice but he had tho class ever
thNn."
Dempsey boxed a couple of rounds
with BenJomin and two or three more
with Benny Mccoy, another New
Yorker, and with Leo Houck EnC
some other little follows. He en-
couraged them to come In hard and
fight him. and he moved around viii
catlike quiclSness, Bwaying and bob
bing and avoiding blows, blocking
with quick thrusts OF his arms anG
tapping lightly in return. Fifteei
rounds OF boxing 10 about his daill
stunt. But he does other things.
After leaving the ring DempSe!
went over 70 = heavy punching bag
= great, padded bag swinging srcn
the ceiling on q long rope-and 10
fifteen minutes drove terrific rlgh.
and lefts into u. Dempsey's hit I'M
3 q impressive. His huge arms plung,
IN with every blow, the forearm
squarely behind the drive, Ho neve
swings or hooks or uppercuts. Hi
feet the delivery OF a short, power
ful, straight blow, shot TO the mari
along the shortest line, with all hi
weight behind the fist and fore4 IN
To wind up the bag punching h
asked one OF the heaviest OF the on
lockers 20 lean against the bag I,
keep Il from swinging away whOl
MT, Then Dempsey put more powc
INTO his blows, and each plung nj
drive Jared the man behind the bag
protected as he was by fully a foo
of heavy padding.
-some punch" said Kid Mccoy. "se
how straight he shoots them in. l nsve
saw a man hit better. Not even Fitz
simmons. No wonder Willard wen
down."
The bag punching over. Dempse,
roughed around with Mccoy, VIII
strips In astonlshingly good shape 10
a veteran, and who hasn't forgottel
any Of the tricks OF using wrist or el
bow Then came a rouGhlng sesslo
with "Bull Montana" the heavyweight
wrestler. a great, powerful fellow wit
bulging muscles, crumpled ears, SCARE
head and face and neck like a pllla
They say when Bull puts on a cola
he buttons the ends together In fror
and drops II over his head into. pihc,
Dempsey could cut loose with Bu
Montana. and he did. They showed an
pushed and rouBhed around. Bull gC
ing IN head down and Dempsey's thic
hands turning and twisting and sho,
Ing him on balance. Now and the
fJull caught a grip ana Dempsey brck
n With seeming ease. Montana WI
soon bleeding from ears and forehea
but from his vide grin Il was evidcI
this was d mere detail IN his pr0fei
Flnn. When DompseXt was thrOug
t1ontana tngned and Invited Mccoy