New Britain herald., 1927-07-27
FIGHT QUESTION
 STILL UNS0LVED
@,000 Saw It But Cannot
 Agree

New York, July 27 (UP)-still the argument of the ages persists. The fight was seen by S0,o0O who didn't agree. The pictures have been shown and disputed. The referee has been praised and criticized and the official case has been closed but the debate continues overshadowing the New York Yankees and the hot pennant race in the National league.
 All the experts save one have giv- en their conflicting opinions about the legality of the blow with which Jack Dempsey fioored Jack Sharkey and what kind of blow it was.
 The silent one through the early controversy-and he Is usually silent one-was William A. Muldoon. skilled trainer in the old days of Sullivan, senior member of the box ing commission and perhaps the greatest authority on boxing and physical culture in the world.
 I'm fed up on all this talk about Dempsey fouling Sharkey." Muldoon said today. Tn the first place. ev- erybody is wrong on one vital point. Sharkey was not knocked out-he was stopped. A fighter is knocked out only when he has been rendered unconscious. Sharkey was not un- conscious. He was talking to the referee when he was on the floor. This is a most essential point as will be explained later.
 On another point practically ev- eryone was wrong. Sharkey was stopped by a right hand punch to the solar plexus and not by left hook to the jaw. Dempsey's left hook grazed the side of Sharkey's face as a dozen of the same kind of blows had missed earlier in the fight.
 "As to the legality of the right hand punch in the seventh round it was a fair punch to the solar plexus exactly similar to the one with which Bob Fitzsimmons knock ed out Jim Corbett.
 T feel so sure of this because had taken precautions in advance. I knew that Dempsey would direct his attack to the body and l wanted to be in a position to watch for fouls. secured seat near Sharkeys cor ner and for unately was in posi- ton that commanded a perfect VIC" of the blow. I saw that Dempsey was aiming for the solar pleHus ana I became all the more alert because if is 9. very difficult blow to land in the proper spot and it has to iaho in exactly the right spot. A nght- CT could practice solar plexus DIG" 2 thousand times and yet not be aple to land it once and many times It goes low. Dempsey finally mt the right spot with his right hand and it was fair blow.
 "The solar plexus is spot just below the ribs in the center or the stomach. It is below the bony pro- lection of the rib structure and IS an overlap pping of. muscles just. like one hand placed flatly over the oach of the other which protects the ab- domen, When the muscles are con- tracted, in trained athlete. IL IS not a, vulnerable spot but when the muscles are relaxed it is vital place.
 "A blow there delivered with force paralyzes the les muscles and KNOCKS the wind from the body without daz- ing the brain. The arms and the upper body can be moved but the limbs are helpless. This was exact ly the condition of Sharkey.
 "It is extremely unfair to question the courage of Sharkey. l kno" that there isn't man in the world who can stand up under such punch because his legs will not hold him up. It is wrong likewise to ac- cuse Sharkey of being dumb fight CT. He's a smart fighter and the smartest fighter that ever lived, Jim Corbett, fell victim to the same punch.
 T was Corbett's time keeper In his fight against Bob Fitzsimmons" I was almost stunned when Coroetts legs buckled under him and he fell to the floor from a left body punch yes, it was a left hand. Ills re- mained on the floor looking at me and I thought he was taking the count smartly. I thought surely he was going to get up and when reached the count of ten l will have to admit that I hesitated for perhaps 2 half second and then counted him out.
 "Fitzsimmons went back to his corner and was leaning over the ropes either kissing or talking to his wife. Corbett arose. perhaps five seconds later and started rush at Fitzsimmons put the seconds In the corner stopped him.
 "Corbett went to his dressing room. stretched out on the table and cried like a baby. I told him to dry up so that no one would see hlm crying. He said he couldn't help if that he had lost the champlon- ship and lost all the money that hls friends had bet on him.
 T asked him why he didn't get up and he answered.: Get up! Why thought I had been killed. l could nit breathe and my legs wouldn't move
 "sharkey either was hit hard or punch or his muscles were more relaxed because he did not recover as quickly as Corbett did. The ef- feet of Dempsey's punch may have been the result of the hard pounding that he gave to the body in the ear Her rounds which must have weak