New Britain herald., 1926-08-19

''C pCHdIllHS several other numbers, among them being the amateur events, will give cycle fol- lowers their fill of thrills tonight.
 Finally the place for the Dempsey Tunney fight is settled. People in this section can't understand why one, two or three men are given the power to turn millions of dollars away from the businessmen In New York, but the matter can probably he best explained in one word politics"
 No matter what our individual opinions may be of the heavyweight champion; no matter if we think Harry Wills should get the first chance at Dempsey's title; no mat ter what we may think about the present muddle, it is certain that there is something rotten in Den- mark" with regard to the refusal of the license committee to grant the champion a license to fight in the Empire State
 Looking at it from a Connecticut standpoint, fans in this section are being robbed of the opportunity of seeing the heavyweight champion defend his title. Some may go to Philadelphia, it is true, but there arc many others who would have gone to New York who will not be able to afford the trip to Philadel- | phia now.
 Although we are not acquainted with the feeling in New York city, | we can imagine that the hotel men, | merchants and those engaged in oth- i CT lines of business which might | benefit through the influx of visitors | to the heavyweight battle, are not | cheering loudly the action of Messrs. l Phelan and Wear in iguratively | kicking Dempsey out of the state. i
 Many do not admire the cham 1 pion. it is true, but why should he ? be despised any more than Wills? | Dempsey was a shipyard worker | during the war. Wills trundled a truck on the docks Rickard, who | is probably rated as the most hon. orable boxing promoter in the coun- try. selected Gene Tunney to get a chance at the heavyweight title and vet, Colonel Phelan, himself vet eran of the World War holds out | in favor of a pair of slackers,
 Wills hasn't fought any more than Dempsey, except to step In the ring against men who could do no more than give him an exhibition. Yet. to hear some people talk, Wills should he regarded as a hero and Dempsey as skulking coward of hte basest sort. We can't see the logic of this line of reasoning.
 Gene Tunney was in France with rife on his shoulder while Demp- sey and Wills were making the world safe for democracy on this side of the pond. Some might say that this shouldn't enter into the case. Maybe it shouldn't but on the other hand. Tunney has come through the ranks of heavyweights to stand today as
 
 crown.
 Tunney has challenged Wills. but Wills answered this challenge with ''Tunney is only d youngster," We are afraid that Tunney is "big boy" now and he would jolt Harry Wills off his patronizing pedestal into the realization that the Heath ernecks" devil dogs" or whatever else you want to call the Marines, are taught 10 fight and never back $ down.
 If the New York commission or ' the license committee thought Wills l was more logical contender than Tunney, why is it that that body didn't order Wills to fight it out with Tunney first? It's all a complicated mess and it will hurt boxing more than anything else,
 Dempsey states today that if he remains the heavyweight champion after September 23, he will fight Wills anywhere and at any time ex- cept in New York state. He says he will go through with this fight before January 1, 1927. We hope that he will win against Tunney just for this reason alone, though our hope Is with the former Marine in the coming battle.
 A meeting between Wills and Dempsey now would have the cham " pion coming into the ring bundle | of cold fury and if he never was real killer" in a boxing sense, he Y would be sure sto be one then. Wills | may be able to beat Dempsey, but ! we doubt it. We remember a brit J tie pair of hands on the negro while Dempsey could almost smash a stone wall and still keep his hands Q. K.
 At any rate. another championship battle will be fought tonight at Madison Square Garden when Tiger -