Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-25

heard of Gene Tunney first through
Billy Roche, the old referee, when he
returned from France after service with
the American Expeditionary Force, in
the knights of Columbus. Said Mr..
Roche: There is young man over
there in the Marines and still in the
service, who will beat this terrible man
Dempsey and be heavyweight champion
of the world: not this year, nor the next
but eventually. Remember that told
you"
must admit that my first view of
Gene Tunney in the ring was quite dis
appointing. He had q pink and white
complexion and he bled easily. The
look on his face was that of jealous
young Irish priest, and when he had his
opponent in bad way he seemed to
he did not look like formidable oppo-
nent for Dempsey, the killer. 1t seemed
that the ancient Mr.. Roche had been q
little too enthusiastic.
Some have said of Tunney that he
was synthetic pugilist. There Is
something in this theory. Like many
of the Irish, he was slow to mature
physically. He developed himself by
self-denial, intelligence and determine
ton. With each fight he improved.
The turning point In his career was
of the ring and one of the hardest
fighters in the world to meet. He took
a terrific beating that night. Greb, who
swung from all angles, who poked his
thumb into an opponents eye, caught
Tunney on the nose early in the bout
and fractured his nose and cut an artery
inside it,
For IL rounds Tunney was swallowing
his own blood. He was sick and dazed,
I@.,N u
to batter him about the ring. At times
Tunney reeled and hardly could night
back, but he stayed on his feet. round
after round, taking all that Greb could
give him. The taste of his own blood
nauseated him, but it would not do to
let Greb see how badly he was hurt.
When it was over and Greb got the
decision Tunney collapsed on the way
to the dressing room. He was faint from
the loss of blood and they had to help
him to a hotel room. Then the consid-
crate manager, who had custody of
Tunney at the time. said: Gee, you
gave me an awful tough night" After
that the manager disappeared from
Tunneys life.
But as he lay in bed for several days,
half blind and sick, Tunney was fgur-
ing on ways to beat Greb. He did 1t.
He beat Greb every time they met after
CIldb iuIlCu NfTeD, WIZ 1CdACO hOOOuy CAoC
in the world, said: "I1l never meet that
Tunney again. He's too tough"
The Enraged Experts.
COME of the resentment of the sue
~ cess of Tunney, not only in the
prize ring, but in thH greater game OF
getting the most out of life, is due to the
fact that he confused the experts. Now
confused expert never forgets and
never forgives. If you show him that
he is wrong, that makes him no longer
an expert. Still, 1t was not Tunney's
fault He always said that he could
fight, but none would listen.
While the experts were buSily engaged
in exporting the fight between Jack
Dempsey and Georges Carpentier-th |
lily Of France and what-not-at BoYle's
Thirty Acres, the future champion, who |
afterward, and not so long afterward, |
was to beat them both, was performing |
before their expert eyes. But they saw
him not.
Gene Tunney was fighting somebody |
in a preliminary fight on that same
bill. cannot recall who 1t was. The |
Battle of the Century was threatened
by rain clouds, so Richard ordered
that the main bout precede the pre-
liminary in order that his customers
would not have to face q downpour.
The brief drama of the Dempsey
Carpenter bout was completed. Some |
of the experts scurried to their offices
or studios. The others bent low over
their portable typewriters to describe |
the Battle of the Century. Meanwhile |
the future champion was performing |
above them and they did not ever ,cci: :