The Washington times., 1927-08-25
HAVE MUCH
At STAKE
By Gene Tunney
Worlds Heavyweight Champion

~ AlArAAS - 9A~AANNr
Worlds Heavyweight Champion
Ny coming fight with Jack Demp.
sey Is going to make history in
more than one way.
In the first place, never before IN
pugilistic annals has so wide and
intense an interest been worked up
over one Highland that goes for
the now famous Jeffries-J Johnson
affair In Nevada.
In the second place, this will be
the first time that two heavyweights
will face each other in the ring.
the avowed leaders Of their division
through q process Of elimination. 1t
is the first time that q tournament
has produced q contender for the
championship. Dempsey, if for no
other reason, has demonstrated that
he Is superior to the waiting list
Of heavyweight contenders today
and is the only logical man to meet
the title holder.
was Specializing the other
night as to just which one. OF
US q victory would mean the
most. Jack, with his lion heart
and keen desire to re-establish
himself in public favor by re-
gaining his title. Is putting his
heart and soul into the coming
fight. He wants to do what
other great former champions
have tried to do and failed
win back the title from the
younger man after the first
flush Of his own youth has
gone. IL he does this, there Il
nothing that Jack Dempsey
cannot have IN the pugilistic
WOrId-and he realizes this.
On the other hand, youth is al.
ways waiting to be served, and
youth, which has put the finest and
most productive years OF its life
into gaining something, Is not to lie
swayed from its pinnacle as long
as it has that youth to protect its
position.
II would be false mOdesty for
me to claim that the worlds
heavyweight championship Is
not precious to me. It Is sweet
music to any normal fighting
man. And i never knew, even
during the years when I was
struggling TO get near enough
to the top to get = whack at
the title that j was to find Il
infinitely more desirable as
time rolled on.
In simple words, I am getting
used to being champion, and /
would feel more or less out of it II
suddenly found myself on Septem.
Der % with nothing more than a
lot of memories Of that year when
was champion.
That can mean but one thing.
Dempsey with all his consuming
desire to do what other men have
failed to do-to once more get his
hands on the title that he held 10
long--can be no more anxious
than am to see that he doesn't
do 1t.
l am getting used to the title.
1t is my property, the same as mn
home and my good name. and I'll
be up ON my hind legs defending Ii
with every last ounce of my energy
NVM WMAAb HND WUEl0 TO
say after the Chicago fight:
II told yOu so. Tunney was
only . false alarm. He won
IN Philadelphia on q fluke and
now Dempsey has proved It. I
value my self-respect too much
for that. What / shall try to
do is make the outcome Of
this fight so definite that there
never viii be any more in
decision In peoples minds "a
to who Is the better man and
as to my rightful claim 10 the
heavyweight champion boxer Of
the world.
People say / was cautious III
Philadelphia-that I was content
to stay away and outpoint Jack.
Perhaps that Is true. / was fight.
ing my own battle in my own way.
In Chicago my style may surprise
some of you. Al man is never
afraid Of q fighter he has beaten
once.
Copyright. 1897. King Features
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