The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-09-19
LOUGHRAN
PRAISED BY
DEMPSEY
BY Jack Dempsey

! 81
Tommy Loughran's determi-
nation to try his luck here
after in heavyweight circles
may spell plenty of bad luck
for those fellows who regard
themselves as successors or
near successors to Gene Tun-
ney as the best of boxing mas
tiers.
Stories were buzzed around for
many weeks prior to the Loughran
Jimmy Braddock match that Tom
my had slowed up. become soggy
from punches, and was ready to be
taken" After which Tommy took
on Braddock, truly brilliant
prospect. and made Jimmy look
like a novice.
Loughran regained in that fight
all the prestige that he may nave
lost in some earlier weak showingS
when he was not truly trained. The
easy way in which he handled Brad
dock may cause many contenders
for Tunney's kingship to resolve
to avoid Tommy, IL they can.
LOughran is as smart q ring
man as the game has produced
every trick Of defense and at
tack. He lacks-as do all super.
lative bOXers-the something
that's called ''the killing punch"
But he offsets that BY posses.
esA If
anced nerves and magnificent
gameness.
The Philadelphia master dropped
into Atlantic City in 1925 to help
me in my training for the ,Tunney
| fight OF that year. / knew he was
| good-by reputation. But j didn't
know how really good he was until
we put on the gloves and began
| to step. Then Loughran demon
strated a craftiness and a skill thai
| surprised me-, And he also showed
| lacking in the K. o. power that is
associated with sluggers, carried
| plenty of jolting force.
| And all the time Tommy was work
| ing the greatest trick that is his
ing it tough for me to close in on
him and sock him hard.
! OF all the strategems employed in
/ the ring, I'd say that the one of
keeping the others fellow off balance
is the best, for IL your foeman is
off balance he cannot hit, nor is he
in real position to defend. He is
just floundering. And Loughran is
the boy who uses that strategem to
perfection.
I predicted in 1925 that II Tommy
who bulked only about 10 then
could pick up weight he would in
two or three years make It mighty
tough for the man who was cham
pion Of the world. / repeat it now
with greater conviction, because
Tommy has grown up" and can re.
tain his form at poundage between
$50 and 100.
Fighting the big men will be no
new experience in the life of Tommy
Loughran, now that he has decided
to devote himself exclusively to TAX.
ing pot shots at the heavy fellows.
Through several years he has done
most of his fighting against heavy.
weights. But the difference between
then and now is that Tommy won't
have to spot" them anywhere from
Is to 40 pounds.
He will have weight TO match
that Of most of the men he will
meet and weight when 1t Is real
fighting weight) is q mighty as
set If a bout Is punctuated with
plenty Of hauling, mauling and
clinching.
Loughran rose to the heights as
a light-heavy by whipping the two
men who laid claim to the throne
when Jack Delaney vacated. After.
ward he became the "fightingest" Of
champions. Tommy lodged no man
that sought a crack at him. He
fought them all-and whipped them
all. Loughran WAS REAL CHAM.
PION.
Now he moves upward in fistic
| classification. He yearns to fight
any heavyweight in the land
Equipped with the needed weight,
with plenty of experience. unfalter'
ing courage, a keen brain and as
fine a collection of scientific wares
as any ringman ever carried. Tommy
Loughran seems fitted to whip tie
best heavyweights in the world-and
| no living heavy is excluded in that
| statement