Evening star., 1926-09-26

HdO looked D0LteT. j. He IdCl tidI
he travelled at top speed in his
preliminary drills for the eauiva-
lent of 10 rounds almost daily for
weeks in advance of the big bout
convinced observers there that he
was right" They were looking
for flaws and failed to find any
that would have accounted for the
sorry showing he made in the
ring at Philadelphia.
Not "Giant Killer"
Not at any time after the battle
got under way did Jack bear
any resemblanc to the giant
killer" who beat the huge Jess
Willard into a pulp under q. blazing
sun at Toledo seven years ago. or
who f1oored the hulking Luis Firpo
time and again at the Polo
Grounds in 1928. Two or three
times only did Dempsey so after
his foe in the manner that was
characteristic of him in an of his
other scraps. save possibly that
with Tom Gibbons. and then he
die not go through with his
ruehas.
ON those occasions when the
greatest throng that ever Wit
messed a sports spectacle in this
country saw in the weaving, bob
bing figure the tiger man who had
dealt ruthlessiy with opponents
far bigger and stronger than FTun-
nev. the impression was short
lived. for Dempsey, the fierce and
ferncioHs, Immediately became AS
tame as a tabbycat.
Instead of following up his open
ings be quit cold. Something
seemed to be holding him back. He
never went through with his
rushes and the rain.soaked on
lockers glimpsed the spectacle of
Dempsey actually backing away
clinching and holding as a de-
fensive measure, in fear. some
thing he never before had done.
Not Dempsey OF Old.
It's true. of course. that Tun-
neys stiff left jabs and his sharp
shooting rights were calculated t"
jar any one they connected solidly
with. as they did In this triumphal
e tilt for Tunney. but the old Demp-
sey would have kept on boring In,
hurt perhaps, but hurting in re-
turn.
What happened to Dempsey Is
unfathomable, but that something
had happened was only too appar-
ent. His training work proved he
retained his old socking power,
that his speed was but little dimin-
ished and that while his timing
was bit under par he lacked
nothing in the way Of stamina.
Yet he made no effort to utilize
his speed to avoid the wallops
aimed at him. his blows failed to
rock the challenger and he early
showed he was weakening under
the pounding he was subjected to,
while his battered countenance
bore testimony to the extent of
punishment which might otherwise
not have been 80 patent.
Old timers in the fight game were
inclined at the outset to think that
Dempsey was just stalling for
the pictures" or to make a good
show of 1t. This notion quickly
was dissipated when the damage
Tunney was inf1icting was noted,
and then they were at loss to
account for the scene unfolded
and still are.
It is almost inconceiva BILE that
Dempsey. whose living habits are
of the best and who has constantly
kept in shape even when he had no
ring engagements to look forward
to. can have gone as far back as
his showing against Tunney in
dicated, and that Gene has greatly
improved as a. ringman. a fact
that is indisputable, can he re-
garded as furnishing only a part
of the answer TO the ~Sesaui up
set, it may he that the multitude
of harassing actions. legal and
otherwise taken by his enemies so
preyed on Dempsey that he was
mentally unfit for the task at
ha nd. j, He seemed dazed. upcer-
tain, with none of the relentless
determination that has marked
him in other bouts.
Perhaps now. reduced to the role
of challenger. with the cares and
worries of the championship gone.
his numerous court suits settled
and his financial affairs straight
ened out. he will be able to regain
the mental poise that was his be-
fore he reached the heights of
pugdom. In our humble opinion,
Dempsey is anything but done for,
and Ii he ever again climbs into a
ring with Tunney the new and
deservedly popular titleholder Is
likely to find that the ex-champion
is far from haar