New Britain herald., 1926-09-23
DEMPSEY.TUNNEY
 BOTH ARE READY
(Continued from First Page)

was pronounced in perfect condi- | ton by the commissions official phy- sician.
 PROBABLY WILL FIGHT
 sesqui-Centennial Stadium, Phila- delphia, Sept 25.-tPl-Heavy storm clouds hovered over the Dempsey Tunney fight arena today. sprinkling the battle-ground with intermittent showers.
 Tex Richards weather luck" was not much in evidence but there was no indication that the weather would cause a postponement. Moth ing short of cloudburst will prevent the bout" Frank L. Weiner, chair man of the Pennsylvania boxing commission, decleared after a pre- liminary survey of conditions and inspection of the stadium.
 While he was making this state ment rain battered down lightly to fulfill the weather mans forecast of occasional showers today and to- morrow"
 The big stadium was a dreary vista in the gloomy atmosphere. A small gang of workmen hammered the last nails into the temporary seats while others completed the task of providing two additional exits. These were to offset the two extra entrances built yesterday to help distribute the record crowd of 132,o00.
 Heavy Police Gordon
 Outside the arena a heavy police cordon was stationed early but the bluecoats had little to do. The fact that there is no last minute sale of tickets at the stadium, all of them being reserved and sold at down. town box offices, forestalled the usual all-night lines of faithful fans. Only few scattering idlers were on the outskirts and the main rush was not anticipated before mid-after- noon.
 Because of the rain workmen de- layed putting the finishing touches to the ring. The canvas padding was to be laid, and the ropes put in place.
 The regiment of 1,5o0 ushers was marshalled early in the morning for a final drill and assigned to places.
 Indications are Bright
 As the weather began clearing about noon, the seats dried out and the arena took on a more cheerful aspect.
 There was no indication of a toegy setting tonight, the weather forecaster said prospects were for a decrease rather than any increase of fog conditions because of the southerly direction of the winds. The powerful lighting facilities, 1t was pointed out. would make the visibility good from the outermost seats, even if the atmosphere was hay.
 Dizzy Vista of Seats
 No fight arena of modern times has ever presented as dizzy a vista of seats as the sesquicentennial stadium, where serried rows of con crete and fresh pine board have been prepared to accommodate a crowd of 132,000 spectators for the Dempsey battle tonight. ItI took three days and cost sS0,000 to do the job.
 Although more than half of the seating capacity, 74,Oo0 already was available in the horse shoe shaped concrete stands, as much lumber was used to install the additional 5S,000 temporary seats as was re- auired to construct the famous Jer- sey City bowl Boyles Thirty Acres, 1 which accommodates 9O,OOo. In ad- dition 14,719 chairs, a record as sortment are clustered in the i'm mediate ringside sections. |
 From the 22-foot ring in the cen ter Of the infeld to the outermost s5.50 seat the distance is nearly 400 feet. It will be @ bird's-eye view from such vantage points, but the temporary seating plan has been so we'll executed that every spectator will have a clear sight of the roped | arena.
 Powerful batteries of electric | lights, trained from towers on the fringe of the stadium. have sufficient | power to make the scene as bright | as day.
 Four rows of ringside press seats ] accommod approximately 300 l newspapermen and telegraph opera tors, manning 100 wires.
 Sketches of Fighters
 Thumb nail sketches of the careers of Dempsey and Tunney follow:
 Jack Dempsey. born in Manassa, Col. June 24, 1895. of Irish-scotch- American nationality, won the heavyweight championship by knocking out Jess Willard at Toledo, Ohio, July, 1919. He has defended | his title successfully five times since then, against Billy Miske. Bill Bren- nan, Georges Carpenter, Tommy Gibbons and Luis Angel Firpo. In his fighting career, dating from 1915, he has engaged in v matches of which he has won 47 by knockouts, won Il decisions. been knocked out once (by Fireman Jim Flynn in 1e1D, figured in two no-decision bouts, lost two decisions, engaged in four draws. and 10 exhibitions.
 Gene Tunney, born in New York. May 25, 1898. of Irish-American nationality, won the boxing cham pionship of the American Expedi- tionary Forces In 1919 after de- veloping his hstic ability with the Marines. He began his professional career in 1919, won the light heavy weight championship of America from Battling Levinsky in 1923, los ing and regaining this title in bouts with Harry Greb within a year. He forsook 175-pound ranks after