New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-02
Champion Reaches Jersey
City Secretly; Is Guest at
Dinner Party; Rival
Has Long Hike in Rain
Odds ON Jack 2 to /
And Still Falling
Fight Crowds Are Pouring
Into City; Challenger
Is Sentimental Favorite
By w. |. Macbeth

This afternoon, provided the
weather is as propitious as the fore
cast, will be fought the greatest
heavyweight championship ring en-
gagement of all sporting history.
At "Boyle's Thirty Acres," Jersey
City, in the most capacious sta
dunn that has been dedicated to
sport since the Circus Maximus,
idols of two continents will meet.
Jack Dempsey, heavyweight cham
pion of the world, and, in the estina-
ton Of most boxing critics, the best
representative of all since the days
of the mighty John L. Sullivan, is to
defend his laurels against the chal-
lenge of Georges Carpenter, heavy
weight champion Of Europe and idol
of the French nation.
It is technically a New York fight,
though the great city will share
neither in the profits nor the glory.
Rickard Stadium, in "Boyle's Thirty
Acres" is but twenty minutes jour-
ney from downtown New York.
From the standpoint of convenience,
no better spot could have been Sc
lected on Manhattan Isle if Gov
ernor Miller had not made the strug-
gle impossible here.
All Hope for Clear Sky
There remains but the assurance
of pleasant skies to-day, which the
weather forecasters have foretold,
to make this by far the greatest
sporting spectacle that ever has
been staged in America, recognized
worlds leader in all sports of major
caliber. Tex Rickard, who has made
the boxing game what 1t is, who has
SO successfully promoted all the
really big ring battles of the last
fifteen years, has provided against
every possible contingency but the
weather.
And, so far as human means can
forestall the inevitable, Rickard has
taken his precautions. The heavy
weight championship will be contested
on schedule unless the bottom drops
out of the heavens. Nothing but con-
tinuous rain or a cloudburst can stop
the bout at this late hour. The king
of promoters has provided tarpauliu
covering for the ring proper. which
should keep the canvas footing within
the posts dry against any downpour.
The fight will go on unless the stadium
is drenched.
Fight of the Ages
This has been called the fight of the
ages, and with reason. There never
was ring engagement before where
the element Of doubt entered so broadly
into the calculations. There never was
q battle more representative of style
and tradition between the Old and the
New World. Carpenter. the heavy
weight champion of Europe, is to tackle
Dempsey, heavyweight champion of the
world. Dempsey is supposed to renre-
sent all the nerve and stamina, endur-
ance and skill Of every American cham
pion from John L. Sullivan to the pres
ent day. He has been reputed to be
Corbett, Fitzsimm ons. Sharkey, Sulli-
Willard and Tommy Burns all rolled
into one.
To-day's fight might be called in
sporting parlance a press agent fight.
1t has been exploited to the most re-
markable degree imaginable. Most
forcible arguments are founded on a
basis of contrasts. And more striking
never yet have appeared over
gloves or fve-ounce
gloves, or bare knuckles, for that
matter.
They come into the ring to-day, one
the illustrious son of a country rich
in tradition for fighters in every sense
of the word: the other discredited be-
cause of alleged Indifference to patri-
otic duty. And the foreign challenger
is not the discredited party. This is
likely to be shown by the crowd in no
uncertain terms during introductions.
Physical Odds With Dempsey
AS to physical equipment, the cham
pion of the world has the call. Demp-
sey has an advantage of more than
twenty pounds in weight. He has an
of two inches in reach. He
has slight advantage in the matter
OF age, though both are supposedly at
the zenith of their physical prime. OF
the two, Dempsey doubtless has the ;
more formidable ring record. He has
been fighting almost continuously sincs
he took up the work as profession.
Carpenters chosen profession was
sadly interrupted by FIVE years of ac-
tive service in the World War.
But there is no basis of comparison
between the two principals of this af-
ternoon's fray save Battling Levinsky,
who was knocked out by each. II one
would take the word of Levinsky, Car
pentier never would be any 3 to shot.
The man who was knocked ont by
both of to-day's principals declares
firmly that of the two the Frenehman
packs the heavier wallor.
"He hit me so hard says Levinskyn
shat he tore loose all the cartiiages
OF my inner ear"
Moran Fight Raises Doubt
But for Frank Moran the AiaaA