Evening star., 1932-10-14
POINTS TO MISTAKE
MADE BY LEONARD.
Should Have Shot Works in
First Round, Says Jack.
Fans Hound Him.
BY WALTER TRUMBULL.

vi
l ishes the thought Of a
pugilistic m e a k &.
Whether he ever again will ap-
pear in championship bout, he
lilies to think that he may. That
is evident from his comments on
the -McLarnin fight.
THAT bout should be a lesson
to all former champions" he
said.
do you mean by that former
champion should realize that he
can't come back after a long re-
tirement?" he was asked
NO" said Dempsey, mot exactly
that. We all think we can come back.
We see men we know we can lic-- and
we see others We know We could have
licked. The question is whether We can
beat them now. The only way to find
cut is to try. You can't blame a man
for trying but there are different ways
OF going about it,
The big, powerful former champion
clenched that left fist which laid so
many focmen in the resin and looked
at it cCntemp!atively.
80 THINK" he said, that Leonard
/ made two mistakes. In the first
place he wasn't ready for McLar-
min, about the toughest opponent he
could have picked. Before taking on
such an opponent as that, he should
have trained lot longer and have
fought lot more bouts with men who
were not so good.
But" continued the ManaSSa Maui
er, If he did get in there with Jimmy
MeLarnin, he should have gone out
to make the first round the last.
That was his best chance to shoot all
he had at him in that first round. The
further it went, the more McLsrnin's
youth and stamina counted. After
Leonard landed that first good right
hand punch, he should have thrown
caution away and socked with every
thing he had"
DO you think you could come back?"
Dempsey was asked.
"Of course. I think So" he said
grinning We all think SO. But I
would have to find out. like anybody
else. I am not foolish enough to think
I am as good as I was. The thing is
whether 1 would be good enough. 1t
would take a lot Of work, in spite of
the fact that l boxed 1877 times last
year I didn't have the toughest ones
in there with me, although some of
these fellows with no general reputa-
tlcL sometimes are plenty tough"
A GAIN Dempsey looked thoughtfully
n at these iron fists which made
him rich and q champion.
There are just two things in my
favor" he said. Il always could take
it. 1 have heard persons talk about
what they called my courage when
the going was rough. That really wasn't
courage. The fact is. never was con-
scious Of being hurt. have had cuts
opened over my eyes and have taken
any pain. Perhaps am not as sensi-
tive to pain as the average man. Per-
haps am SO intent on hitting the other
fellow that don't notice it when get
socked myself. But I can't ever re-
member being conscious that punch
nurt me.
The other asset I have" said Demp-
scy, rs that I can hit. I suppose that
is about the last thing man loses. the
ability to hit. You zee ball players
who still can wallop that ball when
they can't run to first base. Perhaps
it is the same with fighters. Anyhow,
him, I still can hit man hard enough
SO that he is going to notice it."
WHILE rehearsing his new vaudeville
Wv act Dempsey has been working out
in Dunys gymnasium, and any
time he works the place is jammed.
The hold the old tiger man has on the
crowd is remarkable. The other day
he was Is minutes getting out of the
gymnasium because of the throng ask
ing for his autograph.
There must have been SO men around
his taXicab, trying to get close enough
to shake his hand through the open
window A policeman had to clear
way SO the driver could start. He even
holds glamour for the younger gener-
alton, which usually sccffs at heroes Of
cnother decade. Boys, to whom the
Dempsey-Willard fight must seem
thing of another age, fellow him on the
street.
Dempsey always has good word to say
for Luis Angel Firgo, who gave him his
most colorful battle. He says that the
Argentinian may not have been scien-
tific. but that he was a great fighter.
It seems, however, extremely doubt
full that Dempsey ever egain will fight
fer the title. But, in these days, a
man will GO many things if there is
enough money Involved. He can't help
knowing that he still could pack sta
dunn Dempsey has what most would
consider ample money, but the depres--
son affected his holdings, as 1t did
these of every one e.Se.
There is a. least enc man who never
will return to the ring, although he
,,,,l To hn
Gene Tr-~ey is due back from France
on the .P-ranCaria next Friday.
lCopyrigt<, 1882. bv North American News
Llper Alliance. Inc)