Evening star., 1927-09-23
DEMPSEY 'BAcKERS
INSIST LONG COUNT
GAVE TUNNEY FIGHT

Continued from First Page)
have been assembled before for any
American sports event.
Never before in world sporting his
tory have two individuals been the
cynosure Of eyes and ears as they
were last night, for not only was the
biggest crowd In fight history gath
cred in the big stadium, but it's story
| was carried over the greatest Asso-
ciated Press wire hook-up to all parts
| of the country and its vivid details
broadcast to an estimated $4,000. 900
| listeners in all parts Of the world by
a record-smashing chain of radio
stations.
Points for Argument.
Those who saw the battle and those
who listened and perhaps got bet.
ter idea Of what was going on than
| thousands inside the arena will argue
| themselves hoarse for some time to
come over that seventh round, over
Tunney's narrow escape from defeat
and Dempsey's great bid for a knock
out victory and the greatest glory of
his colorful career. They know how
Tunney, tho master boxer, piled up a
big early margin on points and how
the issue really was decided by his
slashing. three-round finish, but the
debate will swirl fiercest around what
may become the most famous long
count" in boxing history.
1t was a strange trick Of fate for
Dempsey to see his big shot fall short
In this fashion, for 1t was four years
ago, in his famous slugging match
| with Luis Angel Firpo, that the Man
assa Mauler saved his title through a
similar break" In the first round OF
| that epic struggle, Dempsey, after
knocking down the giant Argentine
seven times, was sent hurtling through
| the ropes by right hand smash to
the jaw. Down and out of the ring
the champion tumbled, but it took
what many observers declared to be
a '1ong count" plus the shoves OF
| newspaper men to get Dempsey back
into the ring, dizzy and shaky, before
10" had been reached.
Famous Seventh Round.
Then. as was the case last night
the drama of conflict was about the
| near.downfall Of the king. And here
| was how last nights vivid scene un
| folded itself in the now-famous seventh
round:
Dempsey, nearly always the aggres.
sor, plunging and bobbing, suddenly
| caught the champion off guard by
| shifting his attack from the body to
the jaw. A long righthand smash to
the Jaw sent Tunney to the ropes,
dazed and sagging; a left hook. with
the old Dempsey viciousness behind
1t, clipped the champion and dumped
him unceremoniously to the floor.
| Tunney was too Jared to know ex.
actly what had happened at first, but
in few seconds his inclination seem.
ed to be to jump back up. II he had
deci.ed to do SO and risk another bar.
| rage, he refrained after hearing the
excited yells from his corner to take
| the count" Whether or not he knew
he was getting a "long" count is
something else, but he regained com.
mand OF his senses sufficiently to
i watch the referees toll intently and
slowly climb back to his feet at mine. u
In Full Retreat.
| Dempsey, the crowd yelling madly
] for him to finish the champion, held
back for some reason as Tunney be-
gan circling fast, in full retreat,
around the ring. The mauler logged,
| turning to keep in view the fast.step.
| ping champion, who was intent only
| on taking every advantage Of a chance
to clear his brain and regain command
Of himself.
Dempsey, 1t seemed, might have
leaped It at once and pursued the up
per hand, but he seemed annoyed by
and disdainful Of the champions re.
treating tactics. AS Tunney circled
the ring for the sixth or seventh time,
Jack stopped, dropped his hands and
beckoned: .
Come on and fighty'
Caution, just then, was the better
part of ring strategy to Tunney. He
continued lodging until Dempsey,
with a furious dash, connected with
several hard smashes to the head. But
the challenger's squirt was too late to
accomplish much more damage. The
round was fast finishing and the bell
sounded with the rivals in a clinch.
Tunney Weathers Storm.
Tunney had weathered the storm.
He had the extra minute Of rest to
recuperate. He was still cautious
when he came out in the eighth round,
but he was again the clear-headed,
confident boxer. AS he avoided Demp.
sey's rushes and realized only a slash.
ing rally would enable him to win.
Tunney came back to take the play
from Dempsey.
Except for one or two occasions. in.
cluding an instant in the tenth round
when he was wrestled to the floor in
a clinch. Tunney was himself the
aggressor in the final three rounds.
His right.hand jolts to the head re-
peatedly staggered the challenger.
His hooks opened cuts over both Of
Dempsey's eyes, sending a smear Of
blood over the latter's face. Under
this Furnishing barrage, Dempsey
sagged. At 80 and past the peak Of
his fighting trim. the old mauler did
not have stamina enough to last. His
legs wabbled. The spirit kept him
going forward. He faced defeat with
colors flying, but with his fighting
machinery slowed down almost to a
Standstill.
Only Dempsey's unquenchable fight.
ing heart kept him on his feet under
Tunney's sharp closing attack. Cut
and bleeding, Jack was q pathetic
figure as, unmindful Of the sound of
the final bell, he kept going forward.
He did not realize the fight was over,
that his last chance was gone. He
was the warrior to the finish, even ii
beaten one.