New Britain herald., 1927-07-16

Saratoga Springs, N. Y, July 1e-
Eight years ago a tigerish youngster
of "a, dashed by ambition and brist-
ling with wolfish viciousness, sprang
out of his corner at Jess Willard in
the famous massacre of Maumee
Bay,
Indelibly stamped on the mental
screen of every fight fan from coast
to coast are vivid etchings of that
picture.
Memoir of it is going to be worth
exactly s250,o00 to Jack Dempsey
when he faces Jack Sharkey on
July 81.
For the Dempsey of today is
middle-aged, affluent athlete, pros
perity softened, ring rusty, lured out
of virtual retirement by the call of
the game or the clink of gold.
This writer was sent up to Demp-
sey's training camp. Now this writer
does not profess to be an expert
Ihls writer is a reporter.
William Muldoon, for instance. is
an expert. He is undoubtedly the
greatest judge of condition, par
ticularly of pugilists. that the sport
has ever seen. So this writer took
this experts opinion and is here
with reporting it.
Dempsey has lost his fighting
spark" says Huldoon.
AN athlete, particularly a pugil-
ist,' explains Mr.. Muldoon, can
care for his body as studiously as he
desires. But all the strictness in
diet and thoroughness in training
will not keep alive the motor that
will turn this eXcellently conditioned
body into a perfect fighting unit.
The fighting spark must be there or
the human machine will not func-
ton properly.
Condition will not bring back the
fighting spark. A good series OF
fights is the only thing that will re-
store it and keep it alive
The question now is being asked
will it be a better or a worse Dcmp-
scy that Jack Sharkey will meet
than the one who lost the title to
Gene Tunney?
TO which the answer might natur-
ally be that he couldn't be worse.
THE Dempsey of today radiates
health and good spirits. 1t shows
in the flush of his skin, the flash of
his eye, the springiness of his step,
even in the tone OF his voice. But
it does not take an ounce of COM
mon sense to see that the Dempsey
of 1927 can never be the Dempsey
of 1919"
Under the green trees by the
silvcry waters of Saratoga the ex-
perts sit and ponder. They see
many things and sometimes confuse
fiery aggressiveness with viciousness.
That stand-up. rolling. lunching
charge Dempsey now employs is
utterly foreign to the old crouching,
weaving Dempsey advance when
Jack used to come plMnging in, eyes
splitting venom working from one
shift into another with every punch
cooking him for a follow-up blow.
You saw the last OF the old Demp-
sey when he fought Carpenter at
Boyle's Thirty Acres The Dempsey
who fought Firpo didn't crouch o.
weave or bob. He Just stood up
and sluggcd toc-to-toe. Neither did
YOU see Jack hob or weave or shift
against Tunnoy. And we doubt,
You will not see him bob nor weave
despite his studied attempts, that
nor Shift against Sharliey.
Jack Dempsey is going to be in
good physical form when he meets
Jack Sharkey. But there is a world
of difference between physical form
and fighting form.
One look at Dempsey with the
gloves on showed wise old Leo Flynn
what was the matter with him.
shorten your punches and stop
swinging were Hymns orders.
Never mind if the sparring partners
knock your block off. Don't hit till
you get in close and then put every
thing in the punch ana try to break
en- in two.
Have YOU forgotten how to bob
and weave?" was Flynns next caus-
tic query What are you standing
up straight foro That isn't your
style. Get yorr head down