The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-06
DEMPSEY RISKS
HIS TOCA TODAY
Gives Miske Chance to Cop
Crown SnatChed From
Jess Willard.
JACK WILL GET $4,000
Thousands of Fight Fans at
Benton Harbor For Cham
pionship Battle.

Benton Harbor, Mich, Sept. 6,-Jack
Dempsey. heavyweight champion OF the
world. today staked the crown he won
from Jess Willard. fourteen months ago
at Toledo. on his hard hitting prowess
in q ten-rund no-decision bout with
Billy Miske, st. Paul claimant OF the
premier fistic honor. The champion, 1t
was advertised, was guaranteed a min
imum OF $4,000.
Dempsey was the favorite, but with
every prospect OF hard fight. So
confident In fact were Miske's st. Paul
hackers Of his ability to stick the
limit that they bet freely that the blows
from the man that sent the giant VIII
lard to the floor seven times In the first
round could not stop the challenger. and
that he would be on his feet and fight
ing when the last bell rang
Dempsey apparently was In as per-
feet condition as ON the Fourth OF July
At Toledo last year. In his daily work.
OF having regained his quickness OF eye.
and his work showed no ill-effects of
fourteen months OF idleness. Miske,
likewise was In excellent form. While
he has not the champions fieetness OF
foot, his friends pointed out that he is
the only man who ever fought Demp-
sey ten rounds without being knocked
of his feet. He was better today than
az any time before, they said. and as
serted that q troublesome spinal ailment
which interfered with his work last year
has been removed. Like Dempsey.
Miske has had a long rest from the
ring, having had but one fight In the
last fourteen months.
Men Well Matched.
Both men In age. weight, height ana
reach are fairly well matched. Demp-
sey In 20 years old and Miske 10 ~.
Both expect TO enter the ring at about
100 pounds. Dempsey Is six feet one
ienger q quarter Of an inch less; the
cba:npion has q reach Of rs inches as
compared to Mislye's n. They have met
twice before. fighting ten 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
Floyd Fftzsimmons. promoter Of the
Aght. expected every one OF the lS.O00
arena seats TO be sold The big circle
was 65 per cent. sold yesterday. ne
said. twenty-four hours before me
ali seats sold, Fitzsimmons said the
fieht receipts would approximate $17b,-
900 10 100000. Dempsey has guar
artee OF 80 per cent. Of the receipts II
they are enough to exceed his soo,ooo
cut, and Miskc 2b per cent.
Thousands Of fight fans began pour
ing into the Twin Cities OF Benton
Harbor and st. Joseph at dawn today.
swelling the tide Of arrivals which
flowed in through every gateway yes
boat UP TO the hour OF the fight brought
its complement. Down the roads OF
half dozen bluffs that circle the two
cities by tho lake automobiles consted
by dozens. and long before the fight
there was one Of the largest assem-
III af
middle west.
To Come In seapiane.
In midmorning feet OF giant sea-
planes was looked for to soar over the
horizon, drop swiftly into the lake and
taxi Up the nsre sTG TO ,Ss re LAKES
naval training station. seventy miles
across the water.
The arriving fight fans found rooms
at a premium and even refreshments
towns are adept In handling excursion
crowds. but nothing on the scale Of to-
days throng ever before swooped down
on Benton Harbor. Hastily erected
stands lined downtown curbstones, pre-;
pared to supplement the established
restaurants. A cursory survey Of the
signs indicated n beNef that fight fans
train on hot dogs and red lemonade.
A heavy shower Sunday laid the dust
and packed more firmly the SAND on
with no decision TO be rendered, be-
cause Michigan laws prohibit 1t, the
worlds heavyweight title can change
hands today only II Miske should score
n knockout. or Dempsey should be dis
qualified for violation OF the rules.
Two six-round preliminaries are on
the card, the FIRST starting at . o'clock
central standard time, between Harry
Greb and Chuck Virgins, light-heavy-
weights Bill Tate, the giant negro
who helped condition Dempsey before
the fight at Toledo last year, and again
for today's main 10, meets Sam Lang
ford, the Boston negro heavyweight. In
the second seminal
Dig Bout az $50.
Dempsey and Miske were not due to
step into the ring much before $3.50
central standard time.
The third man In the ring, chosen
early yesterday after an all-niRht scs-
sion which threatened for n time to
send Dempsey and Kearns out OF town
IN q hun. In Jim Dougherty. OF Phila-
Il ~~R