The Washington herald., 1922-01-08
BY ROBERT EDGREN.

SNSNAAH
Where will the man come from
who is to beat Jack Dempsey?
That question has been without an
answer since Dempsey knocked out
Willard at Toledo. and today there
is little chance of solving the puz-
zle.
One of the greatest heavyweight
champions we ever had, Dempsey
stands absolutely alone. There Isn't
a rival in sight. Yet one of these
days some youngster will shoot up
to the front rank in the heavy
weight class and challenge Demp-
sey's right to hold the title. There
never was a champion yet who
couldn't be knocked out, and there
never will be man so good that
better may not come up to take
his place.
Dempsey's rise to the champion
ship was one of the most sensa-
tional in all the long history OF the
ring. He is the only champion we
ever had who developed his fighting
powers in short fights. Most OF the
others fought to a finish. or in
battles scheduled from forty-five
down to twenty rounds, and their
fights often went to a decision.
Jeffries fought twenty rounds
with Rubin and Choynski, twenty
Ave rounds with Sharkey, knocked
Corbett out in twenty-three rounds.
and took eleven rounds to win the
worlds championship from Fitz-
simmons.
Fitzsimmons was much like
Dempsey, as he usually won quick
ly. and had many fights that ended
in the first or second round. His
longest fights were twenty rounds.
winning the decision from George
Gardner for the light-heavyweight
title. and the fourteen rounds in
which he knocked out Jim Corbett
at Carson for the heavyweight
championship.
Corbett fought twenty-seven
rounds with Joe Choynski. sixty
one with Peter Jackson. and took
twenty-one rounds to beat old John
l.. Sullivan. Sullivan himself re-
puted a terrific slugger. won most
of his battles in the third round.
but fought thirty-nine rounds
Hondon prize ring rules) with
Charlie Mitchell in France and sew
enty-five rounds with Jake Kilrain
in Mississippi
Many of Jack Johnson's fights
went long distances. He fought
twenty rounds with Klondike, Pete
Everett, George Gardner. Hank
Griffin, Denver Ed Martin. Sam Nc
Fey. Marvin Hart and Frank
Moran, winning some of these and
losing others. Many went fifteen.
In fact Johnson usually won or lost
on the referees decision.
Tommy Burns won many fights
quickly. but went twenty rounds
with Dave Barry, Jack Twin Sui
livan. Hugo Kelly, Marvin Hart and
Jack o'Brien-most of these twice.
Dempsey n whirIwind.
Jess willard went twenty rounds
with Gunboat Smith, took twenty
six rounds to knock out Johnson
for the championship, and boxed
many ten-round no-decision bouts
that went the limit.
Compared with these the per-
formances of Jack Dempsey were
startling. In his first year or so
of fighting he boxed one twenty
round bout with Andy Malloy, and
won six fights in the first round.
That was the only time Dempsey
was ever in the ring twenty rounds.
His second longest fight, in all his
career. was when he knocked out
Bill Brennan in twelve rounds In
Madison Square Garden.
Dempsey has won twenty-hye
fights in the first round. six of
these in 1856. two in 1917. twelve
in 1918. and five in 1919.
Among the dangerous heavy
weights he knocked out in a round
were Jim Flynn, Battling Johnson,
AL Norton, Charlie Miller, Arthur
Pelky, Porky Flynn and Fred Full
ton
He knocked Champion Jess Will
lard down seven times in the first
round, and really knocked him out
then. willard being on the floor at
the end of the round. saved by the
calling of time, dragged to his
corner, and saved again by an ac-
cident to the bell which gave him
about a minute of extra time which
enabled him to recover and come
up again.
From his start in the ring. In
1915. to last July 2, when he beat
Carpenter. Dempsey has been a.
marvel among heavyweight box
ers
Is Dempsey slipping:
In my opinion Dempsey has
passed the height of his career, and
from now on will slip back slowly
until he meets the man who will
eventually beat him and take the
Championship. But IL is likely to
be years before that happens.
Dempsey takes better care of
himself than any other heavy
weight champion in history. He
trains conscientiously, and never
cuts out training entirely even
when there isn't a match in sight.
He likes to do a certain amount
of gymnasium and road work, and
to keep In shape. He eats mod
erately, never drinks any liquor at
all. never smokes. thinks more of
his mother and his family than of