Evening star., 1950-01-09

GrantLand Rice. can you stop
this bum in a round?' No. I said,
I can't stop him in a round.
I'm weighing 1873 and he's weigh
ing around 260. I can't spot him
II pounds and knock him out in
a round. But I'll knock him out.
YOU'D better knock him out
in the first round Kearns said.
"'Why the first round?' I asked.
Because Doc said, I just bet
$4,000 against 100000 that you'd
stop him in the first round
"'You must be crazy I said.
We're only getting $17.500 for
the fight. That means we'll only
get $780,
"'No it doesn't Kearns said.
1T means We'll collect $117,500.
You can punch off his head in a
round
Looked Like Two Mountains
THAT was the spot I was in, ~
Dempsey continued, when
stepped into the ring that day in
Toledo in 1919. I looked at Willard
and he looked like two mountains.
Six feet five or six and 260 or 265
pounds.
II knew I couldn't afford to rush
in and start punching. He had a
right hand cooked for a right hand
uppercut all ready-and he could
punch. I figured the best way was
to take my time. circle him. and
wait for an opening. That took
about As seconds. When I nailed
him with my first good punch and
he dropped. I could taste the $780,
600 that was to. be my share of
the bet.
II must have knocked him down
seven or eight times. I never saw
any fighter take worse beating.
But he kept getting up. I finally
caught him right, and he fell
again and was counted out. The
referee lifted my hand. I was
champion Of the world. And I
had just won myself $4,000 in
three minutes.
II left the ring. I'll never know
again a thrill like the one I felt
when I started away. $4,000! And
this to a fellow who had been
looking for quarters and dollars
a short while before. Well, the
thrill didn't last long. They
claimed the bell had ended the
round seven seconds too soon and
Ollie Pecord. the referee, had not
heard it. They forgot that I had
won my bet when Pecord counted
out Willard and lifted my hand.
In addition, Willard had taken
such a terrific beating that the
fight should have been stopped in
the first round. He was reeling
all over the ring, unable to defend
himself"
What Dempsey says is true. He
actually knocked out Jess Willard
in the first round at Toledo where
an incompetent set Of officials
cost him and Kearns 100000.
They drew down $500 in place of
$117.5o0 for the fight.
Early Days Tough Ones.
"Only the few who knew what
I had been up against in earlier
days knew what that $50, 900 jolt
meant" Dempsey continued, "and
how long that walk back to the
ring to pick up my fight with
Willard. All I thought about was
the lost $4,000. My earlier days
had been tough ones. For ex-
ample, I was Carl Morris SPAR
ring partner some time before. I
was getting 81 a day for mixing
with this 240-pound giant who
could get pretty rough.
Il remember once when we had
lunch together I had 80 cents left.
The lunch was Is cents. So I
said to Carl I'll pay for us both,
figuring he'd have to buy the
dinner. which cost more. Maybe
40 cents. But Morris said no, he
liked to pay for his own food. I
had to eat a 15-cent dinner that
night. Later his fight was called
of and I never got paid.
$50 left for Los Angeles.
Morris shipped me my grip with
the few things I had. But he
sent it collect. It cost IS cents
and didn't have a dime. It took
me a day to borrow the rs cents.
We were matched later and I
bawled him out for sending it coll
lect.
"'You knew I didn't have q
quarter I told him. Just for
this I'm going to knock you out
We fought four rounds only. But
a short time later, I caught him
in Buffalo in a fight for Pro-
moter Murray and this time I got
even for sending that suitcase
collect. I stopped him."
It might be mentioned at that
time that Jack weighed 1853 and
Carl Morris weighed 238. So
spottfng an opponent so or 10
pounds wss nothing new to Jack.
Brennan Fight Big Help.
ut was tough getting matches
them" Dempsey said. II had been
a sparring partner for Bill Bren-
nan. a good fighter and a fine
fellow. I tried to get Bill to give
me a match. Bill laughed. He
couldn't see his small sparring
partner drawing any crowd. But
finally we were matched.
ct know you'll understand
Brennan said to me. I've got to
knock you out because I'm on my
way to fight for the champion
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