San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-28
First Heavyweightto Drop
EN- Forward" Since
Fitzsimmons.
THREE WAYS TO FIGHT
Wearing Down lab, Crush
ing "Push. Punch" and
K.O. "Shock.
BY ROBERT EDGREN.


blows used in boxing. and the ability
to use one of these better than any
one else ever did makes Jack Demp-
sey the greatest heavyweight cham
pion since gloves have been used in
ring contests and Quecnsberry go
ceeded the old London prize ring style
of fighting.
First of these was the jabbing, wear
ing-down style once used by Jim Cor
bett and others who followed the old
English hit-and-get-away idea. This
was good enough for fast man to
use when finish fights were the fash
ion and boxer could take all day
to win.
Corbett once fought over GO rounds
with Peter Jackson, dancing and jab-
bling. and the referee finally stopped
the bout when half the crowd had
gone home and the Other half was
asleep. He used the same style to
/ worn down by his own rushes and
Corbett's constant fire OF light. fast
punches.
The same style was useless against
rugged Tom Sharkey. who rushed in
headlong and paid no attention to box
ing. and it didn't much annoy big
Jim Jeffries. :.
Powerful "Push Punch"
The next style of hit,:-g is the
heavy, crushing punch that is driven
clear through and delivered with a
tremendous muscular effort, a push
punch" that knocks man back. 1t
was a good enough punch for JEFF
fries, who was stronger than any other
man I've ever seen in ring. 1t was
good punch for John l.. Sullivan.
who ran in TO swing his right like a
club. Sharkey. Willard. Jack John
son and many other powerwful heavy
weights often used it.
The third kind of a punch is the
"shock punch" as us by Dempsey.
Bob Fitzsimmons. Peter Maher. Car
pentier, Stanley Ketchel. Mike Glib
bons. and few others who had the
knack Of delivering sudden one
punch knockout.
There's great difference between
a shock punch and push punch.
ne SUOth nullCu II uTiNtH WIN
mendous speed. and the whole muScu-
lar effort is delivered only at the in
slant of impact. IT is not driven
through like push punch.
A man hit on the chin or body with
a shock punch falls forward.
A man hit with n push punch. no
matter how hard. falls backward.
Six-inch X. o. Wallop.
Bob Fit2simmons spent years prac-
ticinc the delivery of short blows with
shock effect. He often delivered knock
out with blows that seemed to travel
only a few inches. Fitz used to say
he could knock his man out with a
six-inch blow.
Dempsey is the first heavyweight
since Fitzsimmons who has this trick
of shock punching.
have seen Dempsey in many
fights. The only men | ever saw fall
backward after being hit by Dempsey
was Fred Fulton. This was because
Dempsey Knocked Fulton out in an
unusual way. He practically knocked
Fulton out with n left hook in the
body. and as Fulton fell forward.
straightened him with left hook on
the chin. Fulton was then out. and
falling forward again when Dempsey
shot over n right to the jaw for good
measure. and this last blow upset Full
ton and sent him over on his back.
Dempsey hit Carl Morris one blow
in New Orleans. and Morris fell for.
ward on his face. When they rolled
him over they found that Carl's
tongue was coated with resin from
the floor. He fell with his mouth
open.
Dempsey knocked Firpo down nine
times in the two rounds fought ut the
Ifoio Grounds September IA. Every
time Firpo fell forward, usually land
ing on his hands and knees but some
times going flat at full length. He
fell forward in the knockout.
Al Short Punches. y
Every Dempsey blow that dropped
Firpo was so short that ven from
the press seats at the ringside it was
hard 10 see how Jack was putting the
giant down. Each punch was a short
hook. driven only a few inches. 7 y
EFitzsimmons never knocked his man
down with shorter blows. The shock
punch, short and snappy, isn't as spec
tacular as n full arm swing or long
nriven straight right. but it is tho
greatest working punch in pugilism.
ME body is not driven far behind the
punch, and doesn't sway forward after
the delivery.
Dempsey says that the shock Of his
punch comes largely from the strength
bf his forearm. l put the tape on
Hacks right forearm a few weeks ago.
III measured Is II inches, or just an
Mich bigger than Firpo's. Dempsey
saws that Firpos punches. although
hey dazed him. were more heavy.
brushing punches than shock punches.
When dazed. he felt FirpO's punches
pushing him back" but he felt a
push, not a shock. The punches didn't
hurt.
"Firpo will never beat me. while |
have more power in my forearms. arms
md shoulders" Dempsey told me.
Il felt that / was stronger. and |
xnew that my blows we're harder than
Tirno's III he had been hitting me