Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-24
BY BENNY LEONARD.

n VIEW YORK. August 23.-I took
N run up TO Spectator the other
VI day to get a look at the worlds
l. heavyweight champion. Gene
Tunney. Gene had been hid
ing away IN that cottage up there
next door to Bill Osborne, his wartime
buddy, but from appearances lie has
been anything but idle. Tunney looks
TO me as if he is ready To step into
the ring at a moments notice. and
defend his cham pionship.
And when l say defend ! mean
defend.
Gene told me he weighed 1913 pounds,
and he looks just that not an ounce
more nor an ounce less. BY that |
mean to infer that Tunney appears to
be in tiptop condition. It's n mystery
to some folks how Tunney can main
tain such superb physical condition
without going stale. The answer is
simple. Good condition is normal with
Gene Tunney.
Needs Little Training.
The champion does not have to train
to get rid of an accumulation Of ills,
etc, that the ordinary athltee in this
business of professional boxing usual
" collects during his off seasons
ney leads as simple" life as he led
when the going was rough and the
purses were lean. He still knows how
To chew tough meat and eat hard
tack Also he can sleep on a hard
floor if occasion arises. and wake up
next morning refreshed and strong.
| was surprised to find Tunney in
the full swing of training. He had
four husky sparring partners on the
job, and Lou Fink, his trainer. was
as busy as he ever was during the
period of preparation for the. first
fight with dempsey.
What with all the ballyhoo accom-
panying the opening of training quar-
ters by Jack Dempsey. couldn't help
but remark at Tunney's silent
method of getting under way. The
champion explanation was interest
ing:
Has Its Serious Side.
This business of defending the
heavyweight championship of the
world is no snecure. Benny said
Gene. You know, whether they real
ize it or not, the public set you up on
a pedestal and then try to pick flaws
in your makeup. your actions, every
thing. They think YOU belong to them
They might knock you if you're not a
hail fellow well met. but believe me-
way down in their hearts they resepct
you, and they want you to be an 'ex-
ample.
He paused and appeared to be
muSlng.
Yep" he finally continued They'll
expect me to be in the finest physical
condition. Now, with Dempsey it's
90 i'm thnrn nj
ii he lost the fans would make ex-
cuses for him. He's the type that ap-
peals to the fans that way. Now can
you imagine what would happen if
went in there and lost because l was
not in condition? Why, the fight
world would be flabbergasted. They
never imagine Tunney could be out of
condition. That's the difference
Gene Tunney has no illusions about
the heavyweight title. Tunney him
self, handsome, fine-looking speci
men of manhood. realizes that the title
is thing that draws the imagination.
1t makes him an imaginary thing in
the minds of many people If Tunney
should lose the title he knows full well
that people he met and never knew
he had held the championship would
like him better than those who know
him as the man who held the worlds
championship and lost it,"
Is Taking No Chances.
And so Tunney is taking no chance
of losing the title. He has been strong
enough to forego all the pleasures that
have been held forth to him, and has
buried himself up in the mountains in
Spectator, on the shores of Lake
Pleasant, lonesome spot at best and
has put himself to the tedious task of
grinding himself to fighting edge.
Dempsey will have nothing on Tun-
ney when they step into the ring in
Chicago so far as training is con-
cerned. The champion has not per-
mitted the former champion to steal
march on him by his work in
preparing for the fight with Sharkey.
Men like Jim Slattery. the young
Buffalo light heavyweight a fast.
clever boxer; Frank Hunskie, Harold
Mays and Billy Nidabeek have been
working with Tunney, and they've
combined to keep his eye sharp. his
judgment of distance accurate and his
fighting blade keen.
Tunney has been boxing anywhere
from to II rounds a day. That's
something like the old boys used to
do in the old days. Tunney has not
trained for 10-round fight. He has
propped himself so that he can go in
there and reel off any number of
rounds at top speed.
Dempsey will be much better this
time than he was when / met him /,