The Washington times., 1928-02-09
GENE TELLS
! H|5START
. IN RING
BY Gene Tunney
Worlds Heavyweight Champion

BY Gene Tunney
Worlds Heavyweight Champion
Fighting rumors appears to be
one of the most important jobs OF
world champion.
Not that they particularly worry
me-, for perhaps I have been pest
cred less with them than any other
heavyweight title holder. But Billy
Gibson and I talked the matter OF
wild stories over and decided that
while they did not Interfere with
me or cause me to lose sleep or
weight, the best policy was to he
completely frank with the public
and patiently set boxing fans
straight on all the foolish things
that get talked into common gossip.
OF all the hundreds of rumors
that get about and are of no con-
sequence at all--for example, my
motives in taking an airplane to
the Philadelphia fight-there are
only two that ever gave me any
concern. One is how / got into the
boxing game and the other is how
j am going to get out. And the
only important rumors about those
two facts is that the first involve
some of my very good friends TO
whom owe a lot, and the second
involves boxing fans in general who
have Loyalty supported the sport
that I consider the finest in the
country.
Regarding my entrance into
professional boxing there was
st one time a story told that ]
had been pushed into the game
! Nv a grOuD of friends who
tainted me into 1t.
Willie Green, one Of the first
men with whom II spared and a.
retired lightweight, was reported
to have gotten me into my first
bout by intimating that I was
afraid. Nothing could have been
Garther from the truth.
In Justice to Green Billy Jacob
my first manager, and my Old
friend, Eddie O'Brien, want to
tell boxing fans Of the real circum-
stances of my first fight.
had been doing a lot OF boxing
1T school and everybody who knows
me knows that / was boxing
enthusiast. / liked it because
never felt better in my life than
after engaging in good sparrlng
match. Even then, more than
eleven wears ago now, was firmly
convinced that I wanted to learn
everything there was to know about
the snort for I considered 1t Tar
and above everything else In the
way of physical training. Every
youth wants to excel In some FORM
~ sport and boxing was my choice,
Eusf AZ others chose football, base
bah or track contests.
AZ that time I don't know
chat gave much thought to
snalxing 4 business of it. sup
nose e seemed impossible to me
a . yOungster to break into
fhe professional class. But at
auy rate 1 went right along
81 worlxine for the Ocean Steam
shin Company and welcomed
aveT.v chance to shake off the
fatigue III office routine by IN
duIging In good fast bout.
vas doing a great deal of spar
ring ut benefits and similar SHOWS
tvith Willie Green. lost my Iirst
match to him on points and then
rot 4, draw. The third time won
from him. But we were always
good friends.
Not long afterward Green. o'Brien
and Jacob suggested that ! get
professional match. 1t dlont Seem
bossible that I could get match so
soon, but my friends took me TO the
Eharkey A. C. and there Jim BUCK
~ creed to put me on with a
Robtie Dawson. I was not urgeo
IN anybody. I was highly pleased
end still more pleased when the
referee stopped the fight In the
Fourth round and awarded me the
eNecision.
Moreover. was highly pleased
when / got all of $50 for my 1lrst
Afterward, when I got back from
Eranee. l had considerably more ex'
neriencs and the title of light
heavyweisft champion of the A. f.
= But had a broken hand too,
and was almost broke financially,
no 1t certainly required little urging
for me 10 stick with my favorite
sport as a professional.
In the hard years that fol-
lowed. have never regretted my
decision and have been glad to
see. with the coming Of each
new year, boxing being given
more and more favorable cOnsi-
deratiOB.
There are still many problems
IA rring boxing from its fullest popu-
larfty, but / hope that by the
time I pass on my title to someone
else. many OF these will he elm
mated. One Of these, AS ! have said
many times. is the adjustment of
arbitrary boxing commissions and
che creation of national commits
aion under some strong man.
But no matter II boxing manage
Saent may have a few faults, as a
nyssassion, consider it as clean
: "a legitimate as law, medicine or
anything else. And from the stand.
Ks<sipt Of a mans own well being,
n has many professions beaten.
~ A. has been profitable to me II
~ because ] have given the atten-
4sSa 10 boxing that any other sue
eA3sfHJ man would give to his bust
xeSE and ! do not think that any.
s,as can seriously say that I have
gs4sAa sassy money, nor that by
giving three hundred and sixty-five
days g. year TO 1t | have made
MRS IN proportion than many sue
rHssfa5J brokers or other business
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