The Wilmington morning star., 1941-01-17
CLAIMS
BURMAN IS TOPS
Former Champ Tells Lions
That Joe Louis Going Back
wards; Likes Conn

Jack Dempsey strobe into the
luncheon session of the Lions cluo
yesterday just as the members
were giving up hope of his appear
ance, and waving aside food, spoke
informally to the group. Lion WICK
Twining introduced him.
Sorry I'm late," Dempsey
blurted out as he bowed to the
group, "car trouble held us up
and then a big truck out here
somewhere near an army camp.
You know, I'm a Lion myself out
in a little Texas town."
IT know you fellows want to
hear the fight game, so here goes.
Joe Louis is getting a little old,
and he seems to be going back
ward. Besides he has never had
much competition. That is n OF
the big troubles with Louis. To be
a good fighter, you've got to be
able to give it, take it and keep
on fighting. Louis can't take it-at
least not around the head"
Dempsey said he thinks Red
Burman, of New York, has a good
chance of beating Louis. He said
that Burman has only b e e n
knocked out in one fight, and
then he was knocked down IT
times. Louis is a good fighter,
and a good puncher, he said, but
his name is very bad for the fight
game. Already negro children
around the northern states are
trying to fight white children. he
said. A good champion must be
one that all children can admire
and look up to, and therefore a
negro will never completely fill
the requirements.
Every fighter, who has ever
been a champion, has dreams OF
sometimes coming back" he said,
land so did I. It's never been
done. Therefore the count in Chi
cago when I fought Gene Tunney.
At the time 1 thought it was a
tough break, but sometimes what
seems bad at the time turns out
for the best. There's 10 money in
wrestling. If you make a living,
you're doing good"
Food was Dempsey's next topic.
Il like a piece of corn bread and
a glass of milk" he said. New
York people don't know how to
eat. I'm a country boy, and I buy
a lot of these old country hams.
New York folks know only chicken,
chops and steak"
Speaking of Max Baer's come
back, Dempsey said he thought
there was a pretty fair chance.
For the past five years, he said,
Baer, has been in the decline.
He can not whip Louis, because
if you quit once in a fight, you'll
do it again"
Some of you fellows could whip
a lot of us professional fighters
he said. You know what a pro
fessional fighter will do next, but
you average fellows could fox u.s.
he smiled at the group. 'As for
the chances Of a real fighter
against a professional wrestlers,"
and his dark brow grew serious
that just wouldn't be fair. The
wrestler would grab a foot or a
neck, and the fighter wouldn't be
able to get in a punch anywhere.
That's why I think wrestling
should be taught in these army
camps. If a soldier would get in
a hand to hand fight, he couldn't
back up with a fighters technique
to get a punch in"
In a few years a new crop OF
fighters will come out of these
army camps a Dempsey's
opinion. If Louis goes down, Bill
ly Conn has a good chance Of TAX
ing over. Red Burman however,
he said, is the outstanding fighter
of the day.
Visiting Lions for t h e session
were w. B. Mclean, of R e d
Springs, H. w. Gavin and D. L.
Harris, of Sanford, and r. L.
Gavin of Sanford.
Lion president Latta announced
there will be no luncheon session
next Thursday due to the Ladies
Night celebration at 7:3O o'clock
at the Cape Fear hotel.