The New York herald., 1921-06-27
DempSey's Task Greater
Than That of Challenger

launched in practice with little or no
emotional incentive. This little piece OF
psychology explains the downfall OF
practically every champion In the whole
history Of the bare knuckle and five
ounce gauntlet industry. And Dempsey
is up against the same proposition to-
day.
II is simple enough to understand.
Human nature has got to be on the up
grade or on the down grade. The great
tide OF success ebbs and flows. IL doesn't
stay still ever for long. \ champion
who wins gains nothing he didn't have
before. but rather keeps what he has
got-a sort OF stationary process. when
YOU come TO think II over. The aspirant.
on the other hand--the man who does
not sit on but battles for throne-is
on the up grade. he is coming in with
the tide. All else being equal. or even
only fairly unequal. the odds are every
time overwhelmingly in the newcomers g
favor. Boxing history proves this.
Training Most Important.
And so one aspect OF this little jack
Georges affair might be summed up by
saving that what Dempsey does In the
ring next July in Jersey City Is not
30 important as what he Is doing now
I'm Atlantic City. It Is a hard and often
we'll nigh impossible thing for cham
pion to plunge with enthusiasm into the
grind OF training.
That greatest trainer Of athletes and
present head of the Boxing Commission.
william Muldoon. has phrased 1t in two
words lie calls IL an honest effort"
A man alone on a desert island. says
Muldoon. ought 20 work and act just as
a..
cff,clently for the sake of the effort It.
self and his own self-respect as though
he were the cynosure of the crowd. It
Is doing the thing for It's own sake. day
after day. that makes the trained fighter.
that lifts him up above the crowd. I'm
known Dempsey did It to beat Willard.
Can Champion Dempsey do II to beat
Carpenter?
To my mind. this question OF prelimi-
nary training outweighs all other ques-
tions connected with the fight which
may be taken as factors in Dempsey's
success next month. The statistic ex-
pcrts will tell you Dempsey's and Car
pcntier's reach in inches. their weight
in pounds and n long itemized bunch OF
measurements and past performances.
which show on paper that Dempsey is
bigger and better man than the French
man. The whole mass OF these statistics
can be wiped out by a single jab OF n
shooting left forearm.
Any ono who has ever trained in any
athletic event knows that the same foot
ball eleven. the same crew. the same
hurdler. pole yaulter. weight thrower is
better, faster. goes further on ono day
than on another.
For instance. have seen high
Jumper clear the bar nt s feet in
practice on Monday and then on Tues
day put the bar down 20 8 feet II to
make a Jump In front of camera and.
lacking any other incentive than the
mere one OF posing for a photogra pher.
miss tho jump again and again In spite
OF trying his best and waste half dozen
plates before a picture could be gotten ::
and have seen the same man lose out
at feet I In A competition where he
had every incentive To win.
The only way to cope with this va
riable factor IN athletic achievement "
conscientious and Intelligent training. 10
Dempsey and Dempscys trainers have
overcome the psychological handicap
chalked w against him--if they have
handed Jack an adequate incentive for
his trainlnE--the fight Is over now.
Dempsey Is stlll champion, and Georges
Joins the great list of lighting aspirants
who like Charlie Mitchell Of old. have
gone down fighting TO the bitter end.
II not. Georges sails back to France
with the wreath OF fistic conquest torn
for the first time from Anglo-Saxon
brows by ~ Gaul II might almost be
fitting sequel 20 the war. which revealed
the patient. splendid. soul stirring fight
ing qualities OF the French. TO see this
great young fighter Georges Carpenter
sail away with one more laurel for
Sunny France.