The Washington times., 1927-07-04
HIS WORTH
PROVED IN
k.O.STYLE
By Jack Dempsey
copyright. 1927. King Features
syndicate, Inc

Syndicate, Incl
SARATOGA, N z, July 4.-Some
Of the folks took few pot shots
ut me early in the winter because
I took the attitude:
IF do any comebacking, ]
think it ought to be against .Tunney
first of all, without the necessity
Of any of those tune-up fights"
I made the statement at the time
when. the world was pretty well
eluttered up with heavyweight
but without a single one being out
standing. There were the Shark
eys, the Maloneys. the McTigues,
the Paolinos, the Hansens, the
Munns, the Berlenbachs, the De-
laneys and others.
There was a big group OF them
but not one had established any
real reputation up to that time,
When. for instance, Sharkey was
matched with McTigue, and many
figured that McTigue, old and
weather beaten, had a chance to
whip Sharkey-well. that didn't
make Sharkey seem like a stand
out. couldn't figure where I'd
gain an awful lot of prestige fight
ing Sharkey or any others OF the
group then.
The same thing was true about
Maloney. He hadn't done very
much up to that time. I felt that
II fought him and whipped him,
the public would say that I was
lust picking "set-ups" and say
that a victory over Maloney didn't
mean anything: that l had just
picked a soft one and pushed him
over. And so it went all along
the line.
did say at the time-al-
though some folks were rather
careful to leave that part of my
comment out of the picture:
"If the Richard tournament
develops anybody who really is
rough and tough, and who fig
ures to have just about as good
a chance against Tunney as L
would-weIl, will have no OBJ
lection to taking him on"
tired for a while would be a "bust"
did uncover a really great fighter in
Sharkey. He smashed and crashed
his way through the crowd and
when he finally emerged a Knockout
victor in his fight with Maloney--
well, star had arisen from that
group.
Even those who grilled me bit
at first cannot say now that hest
tated about accepting a chance
against Sharkey after Sharkey had
proved himself really DANGER.
GUS man.
l was not for fighting Sharkey
while he was merely one OF the
Tournament contenders and was
generally rated as soft" But as
soon as Sharkey acquired the repu-
tation as truly great, and as soon
as he showed that he was the best
by a. mile or two-the very hest
among the newcomers-I agreed to
meet him.
don't know how I could be
fairer than that. II l can't
whip Sharkey-well. then, am
through. If / do beat him, then
will have beaten the best ct
the newcomers - the champion
Of the contenders and none
then can deny that I'm entitled
to crack at Tunney.
When I was fighting my way to
the top and aspiring to Jess VIII.
lard's job, I never did any ducking
or lodging and an ytirne a tough
one showed up l was glad to take
him on. 1 fought Fred Fulton
when some folks were claiming that
Willard was avoiding him because
"Fulton's too tough"
Now that I'm a title-seeker once
again--well. I'm glad OF the chance
to take on Sharkey. It's pretty
much like the situation in 1918.
Then Fulton and ] were the re-
naming contenders and it was a
cinch that the winner OF our fight
was entitled-without further de-
bate---to a sock at willard.
Now it's Sharkey and myself, If
Eharkey beats me. then he stands
absolutely alone as Tunney's chal.
lenger. If beat Sharkey-well,
then I guess it puts me on top, be.
cause I'll be the man that whipped
the winner of an elimination tour
nament-and that certainly will
make me champion Of the chal-
lengers.
(AnOther Dempsey article will ap-
pear tomorrow in The Washington