The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-09-05
CHAMP
Has HAD.
ONE KICK
BY Jack Dempsey

LINCOLN FIELDS TRACK, Crete,
NJ. Sept. 5.The question of who
win referee the fight between Gene
Tunney and myself, seems to have
excited quite few folks. But I'm
not one of them.
don't care who referees that at
fair, so long as he can count up to
''ten" without stopping few times
to catch his breath.
In my fourteen fighting years,
I've worked with forty or fifty diff.
ferent referees. 1 don't recall a
time when ever was given a raw.
deal, nor do recall any where the
other man got the worst of it
"A lot of bricks are tossed at
referees and their honesty, or their
Judgment is often attacked. But
I'm stringing along with the idea
that they are square and honest,
and I'm willing to take my chances
with any man that the commission
in Chicago may name.
Once in my fighting lifetime.
some of my friends claim / got
q bad deal. And that was sup
posed to be at the hands Of
Eddie Graney, one Of the great
est ring officials that ever lived.
But Eve never had that idea.
and I've always felt that he did
what was right back in 1918
when he awarded the decision
20 Willie Meehan at the end Of
aNn0us ksHt SsN Snnn
cisco.
That fight came after the Fred
Fulton battle, just when I was in
line for a shot at Willard. Jimmy
Coffroth was putting on an exhibit.
ton for some war charity and
wanted to know il I'd volunteer my
services, ] did so gladly. And / told
him that I'd fight anybody he
picked. from Jess Willard right down
the line.
He named Meehan, who then was
q great card on the coast.
When got notice to appear
In San Francisco for the fight,
] hardly had time to get there. !
There wasn't any time fer train.
Ing and 1 practically stepped off
the train and into the ring. In
addition to that. / had hurt my
left hand, and It was swollen to
twice its size and practically
useless.
Coffroth told me It wasn't neces-
sary to have a decision in that battle;
that we could go four rounds without
decision If / liked. But it was
pointed out that II it could be ad-
vertised. it would be a decision, it
would help the gate. So said Sure,
let it be a decision"
/ had Willie out or his feet in
the first round from right-hand
punching. Graney really wanted to
stop the fight then. But wanted
it to go on--wanted to score a clean
knockout over Willie or give him
the chance to pull comeback.
went into the second round al
most as tired from punching Willie
as he was from getting punches. He
recuperated in the famous way Of
his, and I began to sag.
When the four rounds were
over Graney gave the decision
to Willie, figuring that, although
uuu "OAl AhC lNASS AUuAD anu
evened up the second that Willie
was more aggressive than ] was
In the> last two and earned the
verdiGt
Many persons let out a yell about
that ruling. They thought Graney
was all wrong. I didn't. l think he
was right, just as 1 have found all
the other referees right who have
been in the ring in my battles.
If I've never been gwen a raw
deal by 40 or so referees in the past
I'm not fearful that the next one is
going to be any exception to the rule
that they are square and honest.
Copyright. 1927. King Features
-.. Syndicate. Incl