The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-04-30

ship by defeating Ted Jamieso
Coming home to America after the
war. he started out as a professional
boxer.
Tunney is the third New Yorker
to get into the championship class
since the time of Casper Leon, Terry
Dempsey and the great old d-timers.
Benny Leonard was first in many
years, when he won the worlds light
weight championship. Johnny Dun
dee was second. with the new Junior
lightweight title, and Tunney next
when he beat Bat Levinsky for the
American light-heavyweight crown,
not of much Importance after Lee
vinsky's crushing defeat by Carpen-
tier for the world title, but still a
step on the way to greater ring hon.
ors. He was born in Greenwich
village, New York City, 23 years ago.
Gene" Tunney's real first name
Is James. lie is James j. Tunney,
and he thinks this u good omen, as
two men signing themselves james
j." have held the worlds heavy
weight title which Is now his goal.
He got the name Gene" through
the inability of baby sister to
pronounce Jim" All the family
called him Gene" and the name
stuck TO him.
Toughened Hands as Lumber Jack.
Before the war. Tunney was
clerk in a New Jork shipping firm.
He wanted TO enlist in the Canadian
forces at the beginning of hostili-
ties, but was persuaded to wait un-
I'll Uncle Sam started, when he en-
listed in the marines.
Tunney Is a tall, symmetrically
built fellow, not heavily muscled,
but broad shouldered. agile and very
well proportioned for boxing. He
hits so hard that he has Bob Fitz-
simmons old trouble. His early
work as a shipping clerk didn't de-
velop a pair of big tough hands. so
in his early fights he often cracked
his "maulers" and had to lay off
for six weeks or SO to let them
mend.
In 1920. he boxed rarely because
of this trouble. and his manager.
Frank Ragley, had a bright Idea.
He sent Gene up into tho Maine
woods to work as a lumber jack and
tougher his hands. Tunney worked
all winter and until June the next
spring. when he returned to New
York in great health. with hands
calloused and toughened and fit for
lie stopped Soldier Jones iG a pSe-
llminary to the Dempsey-Carpentier
fight in seven rounds. He didn't
show much form in that bout. be"
ing still somewhat stiff and car
rying about 16 pounds of extra
weight from his months in the lum-
Der camps.
Tunney went on winning after
that, defeating Herbert Crossley,
Charlie Harvey's English importa-
ton, in seven rounds in New York.
He punched Martin Burke around
the ring for 10 rounds without stop
ping him, knocked out Wolfe Lar
sen, Tom O'Rourke's protege, In six
rounds; finished Jack Ambrose in a
round, Jack Burke In two. and Ed
die o'Hare in six.
The o'Hare fight was the best
Tunney made up to that time. |
O'Hare was a splendid light-heavy- |
weight, a volunteer sparring partner |
OF Jack Dempsey's, fast, clever and |
hard hitting. A few weeks ago Ed |
die broke his neck while trying to |
turn a back airspring from a wharf |
TO the ice covered surface of a lake |
up in the woods. where he was
training, and died.
A Boxer OF the "Intellectual Type |
The fight with Levinsky went IL
rounds. and Tunney outboxed the |
veteran neatly. Afterward he
knocked out Jack Clifford In six
rounds, Whitley Wenzel in four. and
beat Fay Keiser in 10.
Bagley. describing the character
of his champ. alleges that he is OF
an entirely new type among fight
ers.
HE is so clean minded" says
Bagley, that he never tells a story
hat Is in the least off color. nor
will he listen to one. He never
swears under any provocation and
Will neither make O rough remark
lor stand for one from anyone else.
He is at sea in the presence of
women. When introduced to a lady
ne bushes, stammers and as soon
Is he can possibly do so makes some
excuse for leaving. Incidentally. he
loesnt care for short-haired ladies
)r long-haired men,"
From this II looks as II Tunney
nay be a genuine Gentleman jim"
With modesty plus as q part of his
Gene is more OF an intellectual
ype than any other title holder In
iears. He has a good education
md business training. and took up
,oxing simply because he found In
he marines he has the physical
'quipment and the active directing
mind that may make him a fortune
n the ring much moro quickly than
le could have hoped to make II in
rade.
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