The Washington times., 1927-03-05

the aspirants and by climaxing M
sey into defeat.
But I'm now swinging around to
the almost universal idea that I'm
champion only because carried Q
pair of horseshoes in my gloves
and because all my opponents Were
sick or in a dying condition when
battled them.
When climed into the ring
against Tom Gibbons in 1925, in
the pivotal battle of my career,
1 thought would win. But l
was almost alone in that belief.
Nearly everyone who was at all
wise In ring lore. pitied me
and predicted my rapid an
inhalation. But j knocked out
Tommy. / thought had per.
formed quite q neat job; felt
that perhaps I'd get q little
praise.
But again was wrong. For
I've since learned that Tommy just
wasn't himself that night; that he
was really a wreck. I've been
told how the heat got him and how
terrific glare of the ring lights af-
fected his eyes, and how worry and
sudden physical collapse made an
old man Of him.
/ suppose I>should be very sorry
and ashamed of myself for punch
ing around an old man. But no
body said anything about Tommy
being a wreck until the fight was
over. / supposed, from the way
everybody was talking about his
superb condition" right up to ring
time, and the way the smart
money" was backing Tommy, that
they all figured him fit to punch
me into the Atlantic Ocean.
Then, there was that affair /
had with Georges Carpenter In
1924. I've heard since then that
Georges had to quit in the fiji
teenth round because a round or
80 earlier / had unintentiOnalIy
fouled him by hitting him with
my knee as l was bouncing off
the ropes. That may be true.
The accidental jolt that gave
Georges with my knee might
have handicapped him.
But I figured that the smacking
I gave, Georges along in the tenth
round was something of a hindrance
to him. I've forgotten just how
often Georges was on the floor. But
Il was quite often. And Georges was
never quite the same boy afterward.
/ rather thought that what I did to
Georges chin in that tenth round
was the real factor in victory for me.
But, apparently, it was not. For
what I read and what / hear con-
Winces me that / knocked out
Georges with my knee-not with my
fists.
Knocked out Tommy Gibbons, In
1925. I bumped off BARLEY Madden
in three rounds. Inasmuch as Bart
lev never had been knocked off his
feet. much less put to sleep. in all his
career. I felt that maybe those who
Excused" my victories over Gibbons
and Carpenter might grant me a
little credit for putting away the
~Iron Man."
But again 1 was all wrong.
For having discovered whipped
San old sick man" in Gibbons
and that I had accidentally
fOuIed Carpenter into defeat" 1
came to learn that / won from
Madden because BARLEY took
. dive"
After the last blow had been
struck there was much crying of
take BARLEY never had been
knocked out and because did it
well, that seemed to prove 1t was a
fake" So they investigated-very
earnestly and very sincerely. They
questioned George Barton. of Mime
apolis, who had refereed, and George
told them:
''Those who are saying that Mad
den took dive are correct. He did
dive-because he couldn't help it.
Any other human but the iron-jawed
Madden would have taken a dive.
not merely on to the canvass, but
into a coffin.
'sTunney hit Madden terrific blow
lone of the most powerful I've ever
seen delivered. 1t caught Madden
fun and solid on the button So
terrific was,the impact that Madden s
body quiyered, and when he finally
fell. it was in crumpled heap"
Barton called the fight on
the level. The boxing commits
siou's investigation proved that
Il had been won fairly and
honestly. But when j accom-
plished the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
pllshed trick OF stopping Mad
den, the only way the vast ma
1Ority could explain IL was q
fake, and it being their story,
they mean to stick to It.
''And anyway" they added, ''even
81 Tunney knocked him out fairly,
that doesn't mean anything. For
Madden was old and worn out and
punch drunk when Tunney met
MIN"
Last September when 1 caught up
with Jack Dempsey, I had notion
( I was face to face with one Of the
greatest champions that ever lived,
and a puncher so murderous that
I'd probably be killed by the mere
breeze from his swings. So much
was the idea gained from reading
what the boys had been writing
about Dempsey. The gambling fra
terntty felt / was only a l to
shot against him; a vast army of
sporting experts. who had watched
Dempsey in all his workouts felt
that Jack would annihilate me In a
round or two.
And. II my information Is
correct, most of the rfngside
seats were occupied by under.
takers who were ready to fight