The New York herald., 1921-07-11
Former Champion Amused by
Claims in Behalf of Present
TitlehOlder.
by CHARLES f. MATHIsON.

After closely watching the boxing
contest between Jack Dempsey and
Georges Carpenter in Jersey City July
Jim Corbett, once heavyweight cham
pion of America. declared that he was
unable to discover the slightest evidence
of cleverness in the performance Of
either victor or vanquished
AS Corbett was by long odds the
cleverest boxer in the history of the
heavyweight class, possibly his opinion
is entitled to respectful consideration.
At the same time It seems hardly
likely that Corbett meant to make so
sweeping charge against the heavy
weight champions of the world and of
Europe.
Judged by the Corbett standard. pos
sibly Dempsey Is not clever boxer. but
when the Californian declares Carpen-
tier is not clever Corbett lays himself
open to the charge of prejudice or de-
fective vision.
Carpenter Is clever. although his
cleverness Is not exerted entirely in
the matter of defence, as was the case
with Corbett. James was so eager to
escape return blow that he usually
began to back away before his own
blow landed. In his entire career Cor
bett stopped three men. One was an
unknown named Billy Welch, the sec
ond was John l.. Sullivan. a physical
derelict. and the third was Charlie
Mitchell, SICK man. The knockout"
of Mccoy is not entitled to a place in
the records.
So long as Corbett retained his speed
1t was impossible TO reach him, but as
soon as he lost form he was stopped
by Fitz. and also twice by jeff.
Both Dempsey and Carpenter are
superior to Corbett in all around ef-
fectivness.
Dempsey Is by no means parlor
boxer but he has an effective system
of boxing, both with reference to de-
fence and attack. Had Jack Dempsey
in his present form been Corbett's OPP
ponent May 81. 1897, instead of Peter
Jackson, Corbett would not have lasted
sixty-one rounds
AS 1t was, Corbett was fortunate in
that bout because Jackson was handi-
capped by a lame ankle.
Dempsey as he stands to-day would
have finished Sullivan in few rounds
on the night that Corbett won the Amer
lean title from the Boston Boy, and there
is small doubt that Dempsey's speed and
punch would have felled the mighty
Fitz. ,,,..--. r-.
Jeff's iron jaw and ruggedness would
have baffled Dempsey for time, but
the speed of the present titleholder
would have enabled him to triumph over
the Boilermaker.
Jack Johnson at his best would have
given the Dempsey of to-day a hard
battle. but the white boy would have
won.
In substance, Dempsey combines In
himself the speed of Corbett, heavier
hitting than that of Fitz, and he
closely approaches the ruggedness OF
Jeff Dempsey has none of the faults
of his predecessors in the championship.
He can stand a punch. which Corbett
oould not do. He is so much faster than
Fitz that It Is difficult to hit HIM and
when he hits his man IL is curtains.
He is aggressive and combative. In
which particulars jeff was utterly lack
ing.
In substance Dempsey Is not clever
IN the way that Corbett was (pureiy
defensive), but the champion Is ehec-
tive against all sorts of opponents.
A purely defensive boxer like Corbett
could not get anywhere at the present
time for there are too many heavy hit
ters in the game. In his day Corbett
was luckv in having ~ physical wreck
like Sullivan to take title from.
It is characteristic of boxers TO judge
of other fighters according to their style.
For example. II a retired boxer was
clever in his day he can see little good
in q modern boxer unless he is clever
A sugger cannot see a future for
man unless he Is hard hitter.
Therefore ii is possible that Corbett.
in charging Dempsey and Carpenter
.1lr - ofa fftdO thar
on the basis OF his defensive skill when
he was at his best.
The reformers who made an attempt
to have the Dempsey-Carpentier bout
prevented appear to be losing ambition.
There was TO have been a meeting in
Jersey City last Saturday 10 listen to a
committee report on the fight. Only eight
members Of n committee of forty at
tended. and no report was read. The
Rev. John f. Heidel, pastor OF the Eng
lish Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
and president Of the club said that no
further meeting of the club would be
held until Monday. September 26. He
said he would not call n special meeting
because 40 many ministers are away on
their vacations. Many OF the ministers
are now ut the Christian Endeavor Con-
vention in New York, he added.
The report or the committee was sald
10 be historical. making no recommends
tions.
Fred T. Kimmerle of Midland Park.
y. j.. Is informed that Frank Klaus.
Billy Papke and Dixie Kid scored knock
outs over Carpenter in his middleweight
form. Dempsey is the only heavyweight
to stop the Frenchman.
Thomas +. Burke. Providence. r. L.
Carpenter was not knocked down in the
first or second rounds He was fioored
twice In the fourth round.
The National Boxing Association.
which threatened TO expel New Jersey
from the organization II Rickard was
permitted TO stage the Dempsey -Carpen-
tier dispute in the Skeeter State. has had