Evening star., 1960-05-13
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW B, FRANCIS srAuu
Dempsey: I Feared Only LonqfordT


tighter that Jack Dempsey feared he says in his new
book. Dempsey BY The Man Himself" as told to Bob
ConSdine and Bill slocum Sports writer's even say
was the greatest fighter my century, the old Manassa
Mauler says. "They said feared no man.
"The hell feared no man! I was afraid ~ Con,
Lang1oro' VINO was even smaller heavyweight than
was. knew he'd take out"
Many years ago, when boxing still was illegal in
washington but bootlegged in Virginia and Maryland
tne late matchmaker frankie Mann introduced lis to
shapeleSS virtually blind sitting in one of the tuo
tiny dressing rooms at Portners Arena in Alexandria an
abandoned brewery ~
This is Sam Langford," frankie said "You know -
Ihe poor, wasted man sitting on stool took HE
right hand off the cane he carried and oxt.Sas M .4
Sna 1t was hard to believe this had been the great
ngnter SO many bigger fighters had feared
GreaVest nghter ever saw" Mann said. IF you've
got a spare buck on you :"
DEMPSEY IN HIS HIGHLY readable book seems to
verify Manns appraisal Jess Willard from whom ths
Ine roo rioer and hobo lifted the world title was
monstrouS man Jack cut him down. Luis Angel F1rpo
was bigger than Jack So were Carl Morris (the onlv
nghter ever dislikedO, and most others until after
Dempsey turned 80 and began to slip back after exposure
to soft living
But Langford was the one fighter he feared Dempsev
now admits. OA-FO''
They tried to get me in the ring with Sam more
tnan once he writes. Il reneged each time knew he
was smaller but knew that he'd kill me-"
Dempseys own story is one of the most intriguing
10 NIT sports desk or book reviewers in long time
There were seven eight books written about me" Jack
begins, and one didn't finish The others never
DoInereo 70 open This is the way it :"
MOST SPORTS BUFFS some of whom verenr syoo
porn when Dempsey regned know of his two defeats bv
Gene Tunney and the clincher-when he was irving an
abortiVe comeback-by Kngfsh Levinsky Actually
Dempsey was beaten often especially during those
100 or so fights he had before he was placed in the
record book. e
Even as far back 1916 when he was 10 and tr,n.
n CIJHaa ahorr
~ 'Uy ouuenoers IN tne mining town of Goldfeld
NeV ned oeen veteran-and sometimes loser "ActuaIv
mad no right to be in there with Sudenberp who wo
good fighter and much better than was" Jack admits
l LOOK the hight because dead broke and INV
aaser ol .ne moment Jack Gilfeather, had been able
to Jimmy $100 guarantee because SudenberpS
. opponent had taken a runout
Sudenberg almost killed me- After the first tro
rounds was helpless blood soaked punching hoo ~
was tne worst beating of my life don't remember going
down once-because don't remember the last three or
four rounds-but was dumped unconscious w. =
Wheelbarrow and some Samaritan pushed me throuob
the hy streets and threw the bunk in INV home
cave in the side of hill
I woke up 20 hours later. Being young stumbled
over to the saloon where Geaher hung out to collect
share Of the purse bartender told me he'd left town
lie got drunk and shot the wad shooting craps had
been damn near killed for nothing"
EVEN WHEN DEMPSEY was little more than . b;o
mlooleWeght and topped the monumental Willard he
recteS, ne never was hero in the public eye until he
ooV AAAS "C1e w Geue 1unnSy at Philadelphia 1925
Willard, he recalls the biggest man he'd ever seen
much less faced in the ring MY father was there and
he made speech Jack says. Dempsey's dad "a con-
FUSED man., predicted that Harry" which was what
ms parents and most acquaintances called him. would
make good stand but would be knocked out in about
the third fourth round"
Dempseys speed and the dynamite in his fists reduced
Willard into helpless retiring hulk and then came the
Jack sharkeys and Tommy Gibbonses and Georges Car
pentlers and others who took cracks at the crown
/ was labeled Stacker during World War T." Dempsey
says I posed in shipyard with patent leather shoes
peaklng out OF workngmans uniform It was mistake
1t also was the fault of San Francisco sports editor who
once wanted favor which couldn't do for him."
These are not the precise words from Dempseys book
but from the man himself he's told his story to this
sometimes fishing companion on earlier occasions Thev
are not much different however, from what he's put in
writing.
The first time knew was accepted by the public
was when Tunney beat the first time The second
time lost to Tunney-sandwiched between qualifying
fight with Jack Sharkey-I became symbol guess
Anyway, God has been good to me-"
Dempsey is 81 now. 1t took him long time to tell
his entire story, but it's worth reading