Evening star., 1927-09-22
EpoCHAL EVENT IN SPORT.
Gate of More Than $2,ooO'ooo IA-
pected-Fighters on Edge
RY ALAN j. GOULD.
ssociated Press Sports Editor

RY ALAN j. GOULDs
Associated Press Sports Editor.
CHICAGO. September 22.-For the
brief space of SO minutes, or less Uehe
,T,,rnev and Jack Dempsey. hghtlhs
for the heavyweight championship III
i. 7o.ro,Ind decision match tonlshl a.
soldier Field, will hold the eyes anu
ears of the sporting worio.
For that short span OF tlne cioae
- 7so oo0 uairs of eyes, paying up
ward of $500 900 for the prlVhese'
will focus upon the most expensive
,nost talked of and most spectacular
drama the ring has ever known. Mi
lions all over the world viii near Vi
read about the details of this glganuc
snectacle through the greatest concen-
tration of radio, telegraph and cable
facilities in the history or commuiica-
ton for any single event
Interest at Fever Heat.
TODAY as the time for the battle
naared as the thrush of fandom from
ali parts of the country reached It's
neak and as the last-minute hubbub
Increased IL seemed that nothing
short of a world war could cause at
one time as much commotion. as mucn
hectic debate and as universal interest
as this duel of padded mitts between
a scholarly, scientific young champion
of % and a two-fisted, rip-tearing slug
ger of 80 trying to batter his way
back to the top Of the pugilistic ladder.
Dempsey, on the crest of wave OF
popularity and sentiment that attaches
itself to so flaming a comeback, SEEM
70 the ring "A favor
ite. SO far as the crowd was concerned,
but the general pre-battle consensus
regarded the outcome as toSSup.
Betting odds, steadying after drift
of several days toward Dempsey, were
largely on a basis of even money
and take your pick" The odds on
knockout favored Dempsey, conceded
10 be the harder puncher of the two,
but the majority of newspaper ex-
perts have gone on record in support
of Tunney
Such strong support for challenger.
in the face of ring history that always
has made champions pronounced ia
xorites, was itself unprecedented, but
it was only one of the record dbreaking
angles. Whether it was the size OF
the crowd, the amount of the gate re-
ceipts, the extent of the radio hook-up,
the immensity of the newspaper and
press dSSOtldLlOiJ Olbti dllOllS, lIlt llujII>
ber of assembled critics or the various
financial ARA ngement-all surpassed
anything in fstic annals.
Tunney was assured an unprece-
dented purse of 81 900, 900, regardless
of whether he retains or loses his
grasp on the principal scepter Of the
urize ring. Dempsey adds $3.50 900 to
A collection of ring earnings that al
ready have run well over S2,000,000 to
proye beyond 4 doubt that the
Nanassa MauIcr is the greatest draw
ing card in boxing history.
Foot Ball Weather i'm Prospect.
The traditional weather luck of the
man who pulls the strings to this
och.making spogts show. Tex Rick
ard. seemed as good as ever in the
prediction Of clear weather. II was
likely to be cool enough, however, to
cause the crowd to bundle up as it
usually does for foot ball games, and
nrovide a sharp contrast to the shirt
sleeved, sweltering throng that saw
Dempsey maui his way to the title
apainst Jess Willard on the Fourth of
Ju,v eight years ago, at Toledo. or the
goaked and dripping mass of human
itv that watched TunneY pound Demp-
sey off the peak at Philadelphia just
Partly cloudy to cloudy. but no
rain, and a temperature Of 81 to %
degrees, was the special forecast is
sued today by Prof. Henry j. Cox
veteran head Of the Chicago Weather
Bureau. There will be gentle varia bic
winds. The temperature at 10 am
was So. and there was not a cloud II
the sky. A..
It win be "highbrow crowd tha
gathers for this up-todate gladiatorla
contest, this glorifed, big business edl
ton of a sport that only few dec
ades ago was confined TO out-of-the
wav. often secret" locations befor
limited gatherings of the faithful.
Guided by Tex Rickard, the show
man. who has raised his "ante" TO
the principals in II years from aroun'
s35 900 to purse of $1.450,0Oo, box
ing promotion scales its highest an
most vivid peak in the country's big
gest arena before gathering OF Sc
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