Evening star., 1927-09-22

Oh the WOfIu 1SD IeSdTu6u DIS
l. much of fight in return for
$4,000, ,000-which sum the pop
eyed fans are expected to pay for the
thrill of seeing Gene Tunney and Jack
Dempsey exchange wallops.
Yet in the past this great title has
been won and lost frequently in fewer
rounds than 10, the number ranging
from / to 8.
And when howls of the unthinking
fans are heard decrying the Dempsey
Tunney fracas at Philadelphia last
year as the only case on record in
which the world heavyweight title
changed hands on the basis of a point
decision, let some wiser enthusiast ad-
wise them that Tommy Burns won
his world title from Marvin Hart on
February %, 1906, by decision after
20-round bout.
! Looking back over the glamowrous
annals of titular encounters. one Is
interested in the numbers Of rounds
which have characterized the fights
as well as the manner in which these
battles were decided. All but three
have ended in sweet dreams for cham
pion or contender, and many of them
have gone over a route sufficiently
long to satisfy the most blood-thirsty
fan.
Exhaustion Beat Sullivan.
1t was on September 7, 1892, that
Jim Corbett jabbed and danced his
way to a knockout victory over John
l.. Sullivan. The old Roman was so
exhausted from chasing the nimble
Corbett that he 5uccumbed as much
to WEAKNESS as to Gentleman Jim's
packing punches.
ha Af
hard liquor that John l.. had imbibed
in the course of his fighting career,
it may be regarded as marvellous that
he was able to stick for q &c unds.
Ruby Bob F'itZsimmons came along
on March 27, 1897, and wrested the
title from Corbett in IA rounds.
Corbett had the speed and science.
but Fitz had the stock and when he
shifted neatly and drove his freckled
paw into Jim's solar plexus 1t was
curtains for the cultured bank clerk.
Then there was Jim Jeffries. who,
tired of hammering boilers, turned ms
hand to hammering his fellow mortals.
Participating in his eleventh fight,
the mighty jeff, who for 10 rounds
had taken all that Fitz could hand
out, laid his mighty fist on Roberts s
law in the eleventh round and the
reign Of the lanky Antipodean ended.
This was in 1899.
The giant Californian gave Tom
Sharkey his chance at the title the
same year, and retained it after 20
rounds of terrific milling.
Three years later jeff and FitZ met
in a return battle, and eight rounds
ended the Cornishman's dream of re-
| turning glory. Corbett tried come
| hack upon two occasions against JEFF
| fries. sustaining knockouts in II and
| 10 rounds, respectively.
Title Is Handed to Hart.
Two years later Jeff ran out OF OPP
ponents and decided to retire, passing
| his title over to Marvin Hart after
Hart had put the crusher on Jack
Root in the twelfth round. Tommy
| Burns won a decision over Hart in
| 90 rounds and claimed the title. Phila-
| delphia Jack O'Brien, leading light
| heavyweight of his day, disputed
Burns claim and the pair met May
| Z, 1907. Burns won 20-round de-
cision over the Philadelphian.
On the day after Christmas, in 1908,
| Burns risked his title against Jack
| Johnson. 1t proved to be bad risk,
| for the big smoke battered Tommy so
badly that the police stopped the fight
| in the fourteenth round.
| In 1910 Jim Jeffries was dragged
| out of his retirement to give battle
to the dusky champion. He proved