The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-12-15
Champion Had Fight Of His
Career in Keeping Clear of
Big Bill Bren-
nan.
KNOCK OUT IN TWELFTH
Brennan Wins First Five Rounds,
Even Up to Eighth, But Finally
Goes Down to
Defeat.
| [By Henry l.. Farrell, United Press
Staff Correspondent

[By Henry L. Farrell, United Press
Staff Correspondent
NEW YORK, Dec. 15.-The world S
hea vyweight crown still rests on the
scowling brow of Jack Dempsey.
But the face under it was some
what altered today. 90.
| The left ear of the champion was
smashed and torn, his lips were
puffed out and cut, his jaws were
swollen and his eyes were puffy and
red
He was in bed, tired and worn from
going the longest distance of his
career and from taking his worst
beating. a .a .. ... ...
Bill Brennan, the big husky Chi
cago heavyweight, stayed twelve
rounds with the "n1an killer last
night in Madison Square Garden and
in those twelve rounds he made the
cha mpion work the hardest he has
ever worked and take more than he
has ever given.
Two vicious punches in the stom-
ach and a smashing right on his head
in the middle Of the twelfth round
folded Brennan up and he fell on his
head and elbows in neutral corner,
knocked out
| He tried gameIy to rise and stay
out the few remaining rounds, but
! the steady pounding on his heart and
stomach, rights and lefts that whack-
ed against him like blows of an air
riveter had sapped ever bit of his
endurance.
! Take the count" his seconds were
screaming from his corner. He took
the count-because he had to.
Close to $1,000 spectators gathered
with the expectation of going home
early. Instead they stayed late and
were given the surprise of their life.
The gallery gods, way UP in the
smoke clouds, around the rim of the
roof, several times were in violent
uproar with the thought they were
seeing a championship change hands
The crowd was startled by seeing
| the supposed easy mark, the victim
of the public's demand to see Demp-
sey in action rush out Of his corner
in the first round and smack the
| champion on the jaw.
They were more startled to see
Brennan carrying the fight to the
champion and leading all the time.
| Brennan rocked the champion
twice with vicious rights in the
second round and brought a black
scOWl and barred teeth to the face OF
Dempsey.
The third round passed and the
crowd began to wonder. 1t was won
! dering more and more up to the
eighth when the tide began to turn
Brennan had won the first five
rounds and was even UP to that
eighth when Dempsey got through
| two crushing blows to his stomach
The Chicago fighter WINGED with pain
and he went to his corner open
mouthed and tagged.
From then on Dempsey won.
Although tiring himself, the cham
pion had more endurance. He had
more steam in his punches and more
energy left to get around.
Dempsey was a bit over-trained
and slow" Jack Kearns said today
| The champion was drawn TO a very
! fine point when he entered the ring
He was pasty in the face and didn't
have a superf1uous ounce. He was
cold, too. and it took him five rounds
to get warm enough to show any
thing like his form.
Dempsey has had only two fights
| in seventeen months. He showed the
results of his inactivity. He missed
frequently, his timing was slow ant
his eye was off.
True he won his fight and retained
the championship, but he lost 10
OF his Color He had taught tn
fans to expect victory in runc3
or so, or in round or so and lie
cause he took SO long to get q a1u.d
strong fighter the crowd filed Gu
with the thought that somebody!
goin' get i'm"