The Washington times., 1929-09-06
JACK GIVES.
..OP P|N|ON
q g2F II "tf .t'
a.I|N BOUT
By Jack Dempsey

"Gtt t"-, t,s
By. Jack Dempsey
Nobody seems to be cult
Fating a noticeable rave over
the Sharkey-Loughran fight,
perhaps because there is the
idea that in the matter Of
thrills and excitement it does
not promise much.
~ fbuSht Sharkey in 1927 and
boxed Loughran in my training
camp In 1895, That gives me a
line sOn the ability of both men.
And unless I'm a shundred miles
off my course. those two boys will
put up an affair worth the admis.
sion money. Za ~
Loughran Is perhaps the
EEnaftest boxer in the game to-
hay~-and as game q fellow rs
haFe ever known. True, he
never was a hard hitter. But
he may (like other men have
dOnel develop q punch Of
knOckdOwn power.
However, even without a terrific
wallop, Tommy has slashed and cut
his way through to victory by use
OF his strategy, his speed and his
rapier-like lefthand.
Loughran was every inch the
champion as a light-heavy. He
met the best men in the division
and whipped them. If he was the
PEAT. kTNT(I nf fhn 17E.n4un1ars
not flake or a ducking. lodging,
titleholder-then it is only reason
able to assume that he will carry
all of his .prowess into the highest
division, of the game.
Sharkey' has been called "a tenn
peramental fighter" by some folks,
who meant that some nights he
fights an entirely different sort of
warfare than he does on other
nights. Jack never performs two
battles alike. Nor does one of his
fights, so far as methods are con-
cerned, act as tip-off as to what
method of operation he will pur.
sue in his next outing.
The Bostonian may decide to
make it a slugging match--or he
may be in a boxing mood. He may
be all full Of flash and fire and
eagerness to score a knockout. On
the other hand, Jack may decide
to show up the other fellow as a
boxer and content himself with vic
Aory on points. .,.,
Sharkey seems to be the fellow
who was in the mind of the man
who created the expression, You
never can tell"
AS a. slugger, Sharkey doesn't rate
as one of the truly greats. nor does
he make any such claims in his own
behalf. Yet Sharkey, when in an
ugly mood and with the fighting
instinct thoroughly aroused, can hit
Just about as we'll as any man in
the game today. He can stagger
opponents with his short. concen-
trated smashes and he can drop
most Of the boys when he nails
them with the long shots.
1t was as a boxer that Sharkey
gained his greatest reputation, and
the bulk Of his important victories.
He knows defense, he has natural
speed, and he knows about all the
tricks that have been invented by
the trade. And with all that, he is
= cunning fighter.
,Sharkey will go into the ring at
q disadvantage, or, at least with
what looks like disadvantage. He
has been idle since February. Thus
he will have seven months of ac-
cumulated rust to wear off before
he climbs into the ring with Lough.
ran. Training is likely to be a
tough job for Jack this time
A fighter. as ! view things
now in the aftergIOw Of my
own ring days. ought to fight
AT LEAST once every three
months. To fight Oftener is
better.
Loughran has been keeping tuned
Np by consistent battling. There
win be no rust on his fighting
hinges. He will be in condition
and will not have to worry as to
whether he can carry on If the
pace grows fast.
Sharkey will be different. Hav-
ing loafed for many months, he
can go into the ring hoping he
can prance along at top speed. But
he won't be sure. He will have las
all athletes have who idled through
long periods) at least a little fear
Of blowing up" And that isn't,
q comfortable feelng-I know!
Loughran. being a boxer, Of
course, will try to make it that
sort of fight, And that's the kind
of match it will be, If Sharkey
let's Loughran set the pace. But
Jack is the sort of boy vino likes
to have his own way, who does not
care to let the other fellow be
the leader. Figuring he might be
able to stop Tommy. whereas
Tommy isn't supposed to have the
wallop, Jack may step in and slug
it out in furiously aggressive
fashion.
So that would force Tommy
TO trade Jack punch for punch.
That might mean LOughran's
doom. On the other hand It
might not. for ring inactivity
may have du"~ re power that
once was ~ gloves.
Added weig. concentrated |
effort to develop :, solid drive, may
enable Tommy to shoot out drives |
with about as much dynamite as
Jack can explode. And that de. |
velopment would transform what
many folks think will be just a
fancy stepping affair into a ring
duel that will be remembered |