, 1923-09-12
BY HENRY L.



UNITED Press Sports EDITOR
NEW YORK. Sept. 12-(United
PressSIn asking for an analysis Of
the form and general class Of Jack
Dempsey. It is usual for those who
have never seen the worlds heavy
weight champion in action. to in
quire:
What is his weakness7"
Discussing Dempsey. experts in
variably confine themselves to his
strong points. his ability to hit with
both hands. his skill as a boxer and
his great fighting temperament.
Tho worlds champion has few
faults that have been brought out
since he won the title and IL he has
any weaknesses 1t is that he can be
hit.
That in itself is not a weakness.
because Dempsey mas been hit hard
in every one of his big fights and
he stool up under It. However. 1t
is an opening and It will be his weak
ness IL he is hit by an opponent
with enough power in his punch
TO put him down.
The Dempsey who fought Willard
was a perfect fighting machine.
The Dempsey who knocked out Car
pentier was too good a machine for
the task imposed upon 1t. The
Dempsey who fought Tom Gibbons
was only an ordinary fighter who
won only because he was stronger.
SINCE he was unable to knock out
Tom Gibbons in fifteen rounds at
Shelby on the Fourth of July. It
will be necessary to figure how
good Dempsey is right now. rather
than how good he was before.
Dempsey made a very bad show
ing against Gibbons. The only
thing he showed was that he had
not slipped physically and that he
could so fifteen rounds at top speed.
His hitting raj bad. He missed
time after time. He was short in
his judgment of distance and his
timing was very bad. He also
seemed to lack steam in his punches.
Most everyone who saw the fight
believed that the long absence from
the ring had caused the champion
to grow rusty. II is n known fact
i uuipnh AbAtI1 tint SoiAoAdib lAa'
tice is the only thing that will keep
a fighter technically on edge. and
Dempsey was not on edge that hot
July afternoon.
1t must be figured also. when
looking back at that fight, that
Dempsey missed a lot because he
was boxing against the fastest md
most clever heavyweight in the
ring. 1t was only natural that he
should miss. Firpo couldn't touch
a glove on Gibbons in ten rounds
and few other slow heavyweights
could reach him.
There was some reason for CON
Germ, however. when Dempsey failed
to even put Gibbons on the floor.
It is admitted that Gibbons was
clever enough to present very few
openings but Dempsey hit him SOL
idly enough times to put him down
II he had the punch he had against
Willard. Brennan and Carpenter.
The big question now is-has
Dempsey lost his punch?
In training for the Firpo fight.
the champion was hitting hard,
| DONlnS wei anu it bttiich W ~ az
much better spirits. There Is no
doubt that he was worried at Great
Falls with the question whether he
had not gone way back. and from
his actions at Saratoga he feels sat
isfled with himself now.
Dempsey is the best hitting fight
err In the world. Perhaps his
punch may not have as much power
behind It as Firpo's. but 1t has
enough To accomplish the results.
He hits with both hands. His
textbook to the jaw is as dangerous
and as potent u blow as there is in
the ring. His right hand Is Just
as powerful. He can box. his
footwork is fine and his style is
very hard TO penetrate. He weaves
around the ring. fights always on
his toes and holds his arms so that
he can shoot n left or a right from
any position.
He fights with great courage and
daring. He will risk a punch TO
get an opening for a counter, n
it is at this game that he is n most