The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-01
DEMPSEY WALLOPI PROVES RUINOUS| TO MANY RINGMEN|
Many Scrappers Have Had Careers Ruined by Hard-
 Hitting Champ
By JAMES J. CoRBETr

It doesn't help a fighter to be
 smacked by Jack Dempsey-and it
 has hurt lot of them.
 Barring Bill Brennan and Billy Miske no warrior ever has amount
 ed to much after Dempsey smashed
 him to the canvas.
 Fred Fulton was breeding along at a great clip before he mingled with Dempsey in 1918. But after that Full ton never was able to re-establish
 himself The mighty blow of the big
 Utah youth softened Fulton-took
 away much of his vitality and power to withstand punishment.
 Then there was Gunboat Smith. Up to that hour in Frisco when Dempsey battled with him for four furious rounds Smith was one of the
 outstanding heavyweight battlers in
 the world. But afterward Smith
 never was himself. He was slower, lacked the old steam" and was un- able to take punishment.
 Battling Levinsky was punch proof"-until he met Dempsey. No
 one had knocked him out; no one youngster from the west pounded and
 smashel him into unconsciousness
 The Battler at the time was clamor- ing for crack at Jess Willard; from then on he declined precipitately. Jim Flynn. Arthur Pelkey and Porkey Flynn were ranked among the good ones" four years ago. Even tually they fought Dempsey. Jack
 put away Jim with a few punches; finished Pelkey in less than a round and repeated against Porkey. None fingered long enough to take severe punishment. Each was through with a few wallops. But those blows seemed to carry enough force to start the trio down the lane that leads to fistic obscurity. Dempsey fought Carl Morris twice in 1918. He won the first time on . .oul In their second meeting he de- termined upon revenge for Morris
 unfair tactics. He got it.
 [ With the bang of the gong for their second tilt. Dempsey rushed out and hit Morris in the stomach , with all the power of his body be- hind the drive Morris fell forward onto his face. His tongue hung out of his mouth and lay on the rosin. It was nearly five minutes before the tongue could be manoeuvered back into place.
 Homer Smith, Jack Moran. Bob Devers, and Tom Riley were doing
 nicely until they met Dempsey. Ever since then not a one of the quartet
 has ever been figured better than
 third or fourth raters. Dempsey's
 blows shortened their careers-and likewise ruined their fistic futures. It's nearly three years since Jess Willard felt the crushing impact of Jack Dempsey's blows. He hasn't fought since. The chances are that
 he never will battle again. The seem- ing certainty is that Willard will go down in history as a champion so
 beaten when he surrendered his
 crown that the battling impulse was forever smashed out of him.
 Georges Carpenter went nearly four rounds with Dempsey. A
 hundred times-perhaps more-Demp-
 sey hit him in the body. And ever
 since stories have come from Europe blood and that his whole digestive 1 set.
 Miske took a tough beating in Ben-
 ton Harbor on Labor Day. 1920. For some time afterwald he refriined from ring warfare; many months were devoted to recuperation. For a time 1t was figured that he never would battle again. But he's back 1 now and seems to have outliveh the harmful effects of the sledge haiumer drives of Dempsey.
 1 Of all the men who battled Demp- sey. the rugged Bill Brennan seems least hurt. In 1918 then Brennan lost on a technical knockout, 1t was 2 broken ankle. rather than the beat ling he was taking. that forced the