New Britain herald., 1927-09-21
ODDS 0N FIGHT SHIFTING Chicago Reports Dempsey a
 Possible FaYOrite

tnlCagO, sept. Zl W.T. ne great Q est ring spectacle of all time may also witness the astonishing. if not upreccdented fact of a challenger for the worlds heavyweight title entering the ring a fayoritc over the champion.
 If such favortism is based on wagering odds and on popular sen timent, it seems likely that Jack Dempsey will be the choice to con- quer Gene Tunney and regain the heavyweight crown in their ten round match tomorrow night in the pine and concrete crater of Soldier Field.
 Although 9 majority Of sports writers apparently favor Tunncy's 8 chances ot victory, the drift in opinion among them toward a Dempsey triumph has been alm ost as pronounced within the past few days as the shift in betting from a stage where the champion was an 8 10 favorite four days ago to in stances today of wagers being made with Dempsey the favorite at to 5.
 The first concrete evidence of this unusual switch in betting sentiment was disclosed by the Chicago Fri bune in reporting that packey Nc F'arland. famous former lightweight boxer. had placed s5,00o to S6,000 on Tunney. It followed a general cir where fight crowds gathered. tha' heavy financial backing was being accorded Dempsey's chances. Few battles in heavyweight title history have developed as sharp a split of opinion or as many sidcissues.
 It is the combination of this vide ly divergent opinion and the person. al drawing powers of the colortul ey-champion. Dempsey, plus the showmanship of Tex RiCkard, that has built up' this record break ing event, receipts for which are es- timatod as likely to reach s%.150,- GOO 10 shattcr all previous records for boxing or any other sports spec tacle of modern times.
 Not only will Soldier Field afford from five 10 forty dollars worth Of eye witnessing to it's spectacular as semblage but q radio hook-up of record breaking proportions, involv- ing 16 stations in one national chain and six others. operating indcpend- ontly will carry the blow by blow story of the battle to perhaps 50,- 900, 900 listeners in this and other countries. Millions more will get the story over nearly 200 telegraph wires. located at or near the ring side to carry press association and newspaper reports of the fight.
 IT will take the battle itself to determine how far Dempsey has called back>tho old smashing cndur ancc, to settle whether his surging rushos can penetrate Tumey's shift defense or retain their momentum and punishing power in the lace or a ia bbing counter punching defense that continually jared or threw Dempsey off balance a year ago.
 II sncms certain, at "ny rate, that Dempsey, free of tn" harassing at- fairs of last year and the sluggish ness that marked his appearance in the ring will throw all his once nightly feared weapons into tn" conflict. The hronzcd challenger has nothing further to lose and ny"rythirg 10 gain. most Of all m" title that he prized so greatly and. possibly in 1928, another million dollar purse.
 These two modern gladiators are fighting for stakes that were not dreamed Of even a dccad" ago. Tun- nov win. lose or draw. will collect the first mil|ion-d ollar purse in przo-rine history while Dempsey will get S450.o0N.
 Each will have received sl.cHO,- G00 for the two most spectacular houts-from business viewpoint in ring hs'or Dempsey got the big end Of the purs" a year ago, $Ia0, ,0co while Tunncy got only s2n0. 0o0.