San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-10
- By Damon Runyon

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Service, Inc.)
Mr.. Jim Coffroth. the HidalgO OF
Tiajuana, and Mr.. Jack kcarns, tn
former manager of Jack Dempsey.
met on occasion, and were speaking
one thing and another, when some
how that old question came up:
What heavyweight of the past
past would have had the best chance
of defeating Dempsey!
Said CoffrOth, in his time the Tex
Richard of the boxing game on the
Pacific Coast:
Il think Jim JCffrics.'
Said Mr.. Kearns:
Il should say Jack Johnson
Let us proceed from there.
"Jimm Jcffrics, at his best, was al
most invuInerablc to punches dclv-
cred by the human fist" said M.
COffroth. IN agreed that Jack
Dempsey is tremendous puncher-
one of the best ] ever saw. But re-
member that Jim Jcffries stood up Nv
der n punching from punchcr prob
ably as good as Dempsey and won.
THAT puncher was Bob Fitzsim-
mons. He had Jeffries slashcd to rib
bons. yet Jeff plodded on, and on to
victory. j am inclined TO think FltZ-
simmons would have quickly knocked
out men who have stood up under
Dempscy's punches for some rounds,
such as Tom Gibbons and Bill Brcn-
nan. Therefore, if Jeffries could take
Fitzsimmons' smashes, think he
| al IlpmnEnV
and survived.
Il don't mean to say Jcffries could
have whipped Dempsey. i merely
argue that he would have had the best
chance of any of the heavies of my
experience. l think Dempsey is q
tremendous fighter"
"Jeffries was too slow, and too easy
to hit to stand much chance with
| Dempsey" argued Kearns. Where
Johnson would have stood his best
chance was in his boxing ability. He
was big. and tremendously strong, and
was a marvellous defensive boxer.
He could move around well, and
could smother up an opponents attack
better than any heavyweight j ever
saw. He could catch punches i'll the
air with one glove like a ball player
catching the ball. He could tie q
man up inside like COW punchcl
lying steer.
johnson couldn't hit hard, but he
didn't have to hit hard. He wore hl>
opponcnts down. His chance against
DEMPSEY would have been in smother
;nc M the white Jacks attack unti
he wore him out. But ] am inclined
10 the belief that Dempsey woul'
Lave ripped through .ohnson's dcfrn.'
and brought him down with bod!
punches.
Il sometimes think FitzSimmon'
might have stood tho best chance %
any Of the old hcavyw"ights againS
Dempsey on his punching power.
continued MIR. Jack Koarns. but hi
chance would have hccu landing frs
whilo they vcrr trading punches
That's vague rhaucc rs comnar"d T.
Tohn-ou'S mcthodical, scientific style
Yes. say johnson. But | woul'
have bet enough TO make Dempsey
= to | fayoritc. He was the be1
fighter of them all.
The puzllistic style of one eIponsn
# the Manly Art If Scramblin- Ears
as comrared to the style of his opno
rent. is quite important in determln
ne the probable winner, it seems t
NO.
OF the heavyweights from Jim JET
fries time to the present day. ] woul
saw that sam Langrnrd. the Fevastt
ATTN Boar Cat, Of Boston. won't
have had tho best chance Of any
have OVER seen Of beating Dcmpsoy
and Langford might have been TO
| small
The fighters whn bothered Langfor
were mainly lcfr-haudcd jahhcrs. a"
the order Of Joe Jeanette. y" hook
or could do much with L.ansford. an
Dempsey is chiefly q hooker. lHns
ford had a system OF dropping a dead