Gene Tunney | Boxing Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Mary Lydon from Culleen House, Gorthgarve, Kiltimagh , Ireland, emigrated to the United States after the Great Famine. She settled in New York City where she met John Tunney, also from Cill Aodain, Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland. They married after a short courtship. The Tunneys had seven children; one son was killed in a homicide around 1920, another was a NYPD Detective from 1924 to 1951, dying in 1971, while Gene would become famous as a World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Tunney fought some 68 official professional fights, losing only one, to Harry Greb , while fighting as a light heavyweight . [1] He reported that he lost a second fight during World War I, a 10 round decision, to Tommy Loughran , as a Marine before he began his professional boxing career. Tunney was regarded as an extremely skillful boxer who excelled in defense.

In addition to beating Dempsey, the most famous fighter of his era, Tunney defeated Tommy Gibbons , Georges Carpentier and many other fine boxers. Already the U.S. Expeditionary Forces champion, Tunney spent the winter of 1921 as a lumberjack in northern Ontario or the J. R. Booth Company of Ottawa, without revealing he was a champion boxer. He explained this as "wanting the solitude and the strenuous labors of the woods to help condition himself for the career that appeared before him." [2] Tunney also had a brief acting career, starring in the movie The Fighting Marine in 1926. Unfortunately, no prints of this film are known to exist. File:TunneyMarine.jpg In 1928, Tunney was married to a wealthy socialite, the former Mary "Polly" Lauder (1907 – April 19, 2008). The couple lived in Stamford, Connecticut and had four children. Among them is John V. Tunney (born 1934), who was a United States House of Representative and U.S.

Senator from California from 1971 until 1977. The others are Jonathan "Jay" Tunney of Stamford, Connecticut; Gene L. Tunney of Honolulu, Hawaii and Joan Tunney Cook of Omaha, in Boone County, Arkansas. Tunney's daughter Joan was committed to a mental hospital on June 6, 1970 after she murdered her husband. Mrs. Tunney's grandfather was George Lauder, Sr., a first cousin and business partner of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, founder and head of Carnegie Steel Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, George Lauder, Jr., was a philanthropist and yachtsman whose 136 foot schoone once held the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic yacht passage ever made. According to a 2007 biography, Tunney promised Polly that he would quit boxing and defended his title only one more time after the second Dempsey fight, against Tom Heeney of New Zealand. [3] Death Upon his death at the age of eighty-one, Tunney was interred at Long Ridge Union Cemetery in Stamford. He died at the Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut and had been suffering from a circulation ailment.

[4] Fighting style Edit Tunney was a thinking fighter who preferred to make a boxing match into a game of chess, which was not popular during the times when such sluggers as Jack Dempsey , Harry Greb and Mickey Walker were commanding center stage. Tunney's style was influenced by other noted boxing thinkers such as James J. Corbett and Benny Leonard . Nevertheless, it is incorrect to think of Tunney as a stick-and-move fighter in the Ali style. While Tunney's heavyweight fights against Gibbons, Carpentier, and Dempsey featured his fleet-footed movement and rapid-fire jabbing, his earlier bouts, especially the five against Harry Greb, demonstrated his vicious body punching and willingness to fight toe-to-toe. It was Benny Leonard who advised Tunney that the only way to beat Harry "The Human Windmill" Greb was to aim his punches at Greb's body rather than his head. Always moving and boxing behind an excellent left jab, Tunney would study his opponents from the first bell. He generally preferred to stay outside and nullify any attacks, while using quick counters to keep the opponent off balance.

Although not a big puncher, Tunney could still hit with power, especially after hurting his opponents and mastering their styles. In his fights against Jack Dempsey, today's viewer can see Tunney's style: hands held low for greater power, fast footwork that adjusts to every move his opponent makes and quick and accurate one-two style counter-punches with the left and right. Tunney did own a very solid chin. He was never knocked out, and the only time he was ever knocked down was in the second fight with Dempsey in the infamous Long Count . Publications In 1932, Tunney published a book called A Man Must Fight, in which he gave comments on his career and boxing techniques. Cultural references Edit Stamp honoring Tunney Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had a comedy routine in which Lewis (in boxing shorts and gear) states he's fight'n Gene Tierney (the actress).

Martin corrects Lewis and suggests that he must mean "Gene Tunney." Lewis then quips "You fight who you wanna fight, I'm fight'n who I wanna fight, I'm fight'n Gene Tierney." [5] In the song She Twists the Knife Again from Richard Thompson's 1985 album Across a Crowded Room, describing the mismatched intensity in a strife-ladened relationship, Thompson writes: "I'm in a fist fight/She thinks she's Gene Tunney!" He's also mentioned in Act 1 of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman: Willy tells his sons he has a punching bag with Tunney's signature on it. Mentioned in A Whistle in the Dark (Act 1, p31) by Tom Murphy : 'in the words of the great Gene Tunney, a man must fight back. His father was a Mayoman too'. See also ↑ Tunney fought many other fights whose scoring was unofficial, judged by newspaper reporters. He also lost none of these "newspaper decisions." ↑ The (Ottawa, CAN) Globe, September 28, 1926, Tunney was Lumberjack for Ottawa Company, page 9.

Gene Tunney - Biography - IMDb Gene Tunney Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trivia (8) Overview (5) 6' 1" (1.85 m) Mini Bio (1) Gene Tunney's parents were Mary Jean (aka Rose) Lydon and John Tunney. Both of his parents were born in Mayo, Ireland, near Kiltimagh, and moved to New York City. He won the heavyweight boxing championship from Jack Dempsey in 1926 and successfully defended his title against Dempsey in 1927. In 1928, he successfully defended his title against Tom Heeney and then retired from the ring undefeated in 1928. He then married Andrew Carnegie's great niece, Mary Josephine Lauder (aka Polly) in October, 1928, went on an extensive honeymoon, then returned to the U.S. and had four children - three sons and one daughter. He enlisted as a Marine during World War I, and he joined the Navy during World War II and was made an officer.

He wrote two autobiographies - 'A Man Must Fight' in 1932 and 'Arms for Living' in 1941. He was very successful with his business interests. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tunney fan Spouse (1) ( 3 October 1928 - 7 November 1978) (his death) (4 children) Trivia (8) Jack Dempsey - Biography - IMDb Jack Dempsey Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (4) | Trivia (24) | Personal Quotes (2) Overview (5) 6' 0¾" (1.85 m) Mini Bio (1) Jack Dempsey's life story could have been a Hollywood script. Born to a dirt-poor farming family, young Dempsey took up boxing with his older brother. Turning professional under the name Kid Blackie, Dempsey fought in saloons, coal-mining towns, back allies, lumberjack camps, and numerous hick and tank towns around the United States. Pocessing speed, toughness, and one-punch knockout power, Dempsey quickly started racking up a series of knockouts.

Defeats to "Fireman" Jim Flynn, Willie Meehan, and Jack Downey, kept Dempsey in the minor circuit. It wasn't until he met manager Jack "Doc" Hearns did Dempsey's career take off. After scoring 5 consecutive first round knockouts, Dempsey met Jess Williard for the World's Heavyweight Boxing Title on July 4, 1919. Dempsey butchered the 6 ft 6 inch 270 pound Williard, knocking him down seven times in round one, and finally stopping him in the third. Dempsey became the first fighter to generate a million dollar gate. His knockouts over Luis Firpo and George Carpienter are legendary. He lost his tile after almost 7 years to Gene Tunney. Lost to Tunney in the "Battle of the Long Count" and retired. In 1931, at 36, Jack Dempsey announced his comeback and fought hundreds of exhibitions. He knocked-out over 40 opponents, sometimes 3 or 4 in one night. In 1940, at 45, he returned for the final time and knocked out 3 opponents in one month.

Dempsey went on to run his famous restaurant on Broadway for almost 50 years. - IMDb Mini Biography By: angelsunchained Spouse (4) World heavyweight boxing champion, 1919-1926. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1980. Pictured on one of fifteen 32¢ US commemorative postage stamps in the "Celebrate the Century" series, issued 3 February 1998, celebrating the 1910s. Lost heavyweight title in 1926 to Gene Tunney . 1927 rematch against Gene Tunney known as "the long count." Dempsey knocked Tunney down for 14 to 18 seconds in the 7th round, but the referee did not start his count immediately, so Tunney got the extra time, then got up at 9 and went on to win the fight. He had two daughters with his wife Hannah. Joan Hannah was born in 1934 and Barbara was born in 1936. He had two daughters named Barbara.

His first was born in 1936, with wife Hannah. His second daughter, with wife Deanna, was already named Barbara when he adopted her. Including exhibitions, scored 65 first round knockout victories. He knocked-out millionaire Howard Hughes . Hughes wanted to see "what it would be like to spar with the heavyweight champion". In 1940 at age 45, he knocked out 3 professional wrestlers in the month of July. He knocked out 6 feet 6 inch Fred Fulton in 14 seconds. Retired in 1927 but made a comeback in 1932 fighting over 100 exhibitions, sometimes knocking out 5 opponents in one night. Began his boxing career as Kid Blackie and fought in mining and lumberjack camps, bars, saloons, and hobo camps. Early in his career was knocked out in one round by "Fireman" Jim Flynn. A year later, Dempsey knocked out Flynn in one round. Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 223-226.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. Beat Dick Gilbert . In a 1960 newspaper article, stated that he suffered the worst pounding of his career at the hands of John Lester Johnson . One night while in his mid-seventies, Dempsey was leaving his New York restaurant as two young men attempted to mug him. Dempsey held them until the NYPD arrived. Managed early in his career by Billy Madden . Dempsey was considered to be a "slacker" in the U;S. involvement in World War I for his opting to avoid military service by working in the Brooklyn Naval Yards; which was classified as an essential industry in the War. Dempsey (biography) by Jack Dempsey, 1977. In the 1960s, Mr. Dempsey served as a celebrity spokesman (even before the practice was commonplace) for the Chicago based DeVry Technical Institute (now DeVry University). Jack redeemed himself and restored is good reputation by serving as a commissioned officer (Lieutenant) and director of physical training for the United States Coast Guard. Wikipedia.com.

Jack Dempsey was heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. Jack Dempsey Jack-Dempsey Jack Dempsey was heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. His aggressive style and punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. He was the first boxer to have the first million dollar gate and many of his fights set financial and attendance records . He is listed #10 on The Ring’s list of all-time heavyweights and #7 among its Top 100 Greatest Punchers. Title fight and controversy On July 4 1919 at Toledo, Ohio, Dempsey and the then world heavyweight champion Jess Willard met for the world title. Some predicted a victory for Dempsey against the vastly larger champion but many called the fight of modern David and Goliath. Dempsey knocked down Willard seven times all in the first round and Willard’s corner would not let him answer the bell for the fourth round. Willard was reported to have suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs, several broken teeth and a number of deep fractures to his facial bones – an unprecedented level of damage in boxing which aroused suspicion that Dempsey had cheated.

The “loaded gloves theory” became widely known when Kearns stated (January 20, 1964 Sports Illustrated.) that he had applied plaster of paris to the customary wrappings under Dempsey’s gloves. Also boxing Historian J.J. Johnston said that the film of the fight shows Willard upon entering the ring walking over to Dempsey and examining his hands” which was not a normal procedure – implies he was concerned about foul play, Willard later claimed to have been defeated by gangsterism. Title defense Dempsey’s next important fight was against Frenchman Georges Carpentier and took place on July 2, 1921 at Boyle’s Thirty Acres, Jersey City. Carpentier was a war hero during WWI and was a popular figure on both sides of the Atlantic. Their fight was the first to generate the first million dollar gate in boxing history making the event the first national radio broadcast reaching mostly homemade radio sets after first being telegraphed to KDKA for broadcast. In the 3rd round Dempsey began to take charge and administered a brutal beating to Carpentier and eventually stopped him in the fourth round.

Last successful title defense In September 1923 at New York’s Polo Grounds Dempsey fought young contender Luis Angel Firpo, from Argentina and won a 2nd-round KO. Firpo was knocked down repeatedly but continued to fight back, even knocking Dempsey down twice. The second time Dempsey was floored he went sailing head first through the ring ropes, landing on a reporter’s typewriter, and taking several more seconds than the ten stipulated by the rules. This fight was transmitted live to Buenos Aires by radio, and people gathered in the streets to listen to it through primitive amplifiers. First fight against Tunney In September 1926, Dempsey fought Gene Tunney in Philadelphia Dempsey and lost his title on points in ten rounds. Tunney was an excellent boxer who had lost only once in his career. Dempsey could no longer display his legendary punching power or hand speed, and was easily outboxed by Tunney who would dodge, use excellent pad level, and then let loose with a salvo of punches of his own. ‘The “Long Count Fight’ The rematch took place in Chicago, Illinois, on September 22, generating an amazing $2 million gate.

Dempsey was behind points when he knocked Tunney down in the seventh round. A new rule for boxing at the time mandated that when a fighter knocked down an opponent, he must immediately go to a neutral corner. But Dempsey seemed to have forgotten that rule and refused to immediately move to the neutral corner when instructed by the referee. The referee had to escort Dempsey to the neutral corner, which bought Tunney at least an extra five seconds to recover. The official timekeeper for the fight counted the time Tunney stayed down as 14 seconds. But after Dempsey finally went to a neutral corner, the referee started his count, and Tunney got up at the referee’s count of nine. Tunney dropped Dempsey for a count of one in round eight, and easily won the final two rounds of the fight, and retained the title on a unanimous decision. Because of the controversial nature of the fight, it remains known in history as the fight of “The Long Count”. Photos of Jack Dempsey Jack Dempsey Jack Dempsey was heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. His aggressive style and punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history.

The Dempsey-Tunney Fight of 1926 The Dempsey-Tunney Fight of 1926 By Deborah Boyer | Published: January 1, 2009 Among the many events at the Sesquicentennial, perhaps none drew as much attention and publicity as the world’s heavyweight title fight between defending champion Jack Dempsey and challenger Gene Tunney. Held at the Sesquicentennial Municipal Stadium on September 23, 1926, the boxing match drew a crowd of over 120,000 people and became one of the best known fights of the 1920s. Although Tex Rickard, the promoter for the fight, originally investigated staging the match in Chicago or Jersey City, he eventually arranged for it to be held on September 16, 1926 at Yankee Stadium in New York. These arrangements had to be abandoned, however, when the License Committee of the New York State Athletic Commission refused to issue Dempsey a license to box in New York. Rather than fight the decision in court, Rickard chose to accept the offer of E.L.

Austin, Director of the Sesquicentennial, to hold the match at the Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia on September 23.[1] The decision to move the match to Philadelphia was warmly welcomed by residents of the city. Boxing was hugely popular in the 1920s. As Tunney prepared for his match with Dempsey, a crowd of 2,000 people came just to watch him spar twelve rounds with two workout partners on August 15, 1926.[2] On that same day, more than 1,000 people paid $1 each plus tax to watch Dempsey during his workout at Saratoga Springs, New York.[3] The New York Times published 75 articles on the fight preparations in August and September alone and ran a three-tiered front page headline as well as nine full pages of coverage the day after the fight.[4] While tickets to the fight sold quickly, not everyone approved of the bout being held at the Sesquicentennial.

One letter to the New York Times argued that the fight was being held to “bolster up deficient receipts” at the Sesquicentennial and that it was “disgraceful and humiliating (or should be) to the American people.”[5] Plenty of Americans did not find the fight disgraceful or humiliating at all. The match was attended by both the mayor of Philadelphia and the mayor of New York City as well as Pennsylvania Governor Pinchot, several other governors from across the country, Secretary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur, and many millionaires and members of well-known families.[6] Extra trains brought crowds from New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and dozens of other places. People around the world eagerly listened for radio and telegraph reports regarding the outcome of the match. After ten rounds fought in the pouring rain, Tunney defeated Dempsey to claim the title of world’s heavy-weight champion. Although the match did not end in a knockout, Tunney is said to have been “a complete master, from first bell to last.

He out-boxed and he out-fought Dempsey at every turn.”[7] In meticulous detail, the New York Times summarizes the fight and notes Tunney’s strategic and calculated responses to the more rushed and ineffectual charges by Dempsey. One year later on September 22, 1927, Tunney would successfully defend his title and defeat Dempsey again at Soldier Field in Chicago in a fight that came to be known as The Long Count. The Dempsey-Tunney boxing match drew incredible crowds to the Sesquicentennial and demonstrates the extreme popularity of boxing during the 1920s. The Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce estimated that the crowds likely brought an additional $3,000,000 in revenue to city businesses through purchases of meals, hotel rooms, train and taxi rides, and other items.[8] The match helped boost Sesquicentennial attendance numbers while also showing that many members of the public now favored public sporting events to world’s fairs as a way to spend their leisure time and money. [1] New York Times, “Dempsey Title Bout Suddenly Shifted to Philadelphia.” August 19, 1926.

[2] New York Times, “Tunney Boxes Twelve Rounds; 2,000 Attend the Workout.” August 16, 1926. [3] New York Times, “1,000 Pay $1 Each to Watch Dempsey.” August 16, 1926. [4] Pope, Steven W. “Negotiating the ‘Folk Highway’ of the Nation: Sport, Public Culture and American Identity, 1870-1940.” Journal of Social History Vol 27 No 2. (Winter, 1993): p. 327-340. [5] French, Joseph Lewis. “Disapproval of Sesqui Fight.” New York Times. September 12, 1926. [6] Davis, Elmer. “Victory is Popular One.” New York Times. September 24, 1926. [7] Dawson, James P. “Tunney Always Master.” New York Times. September 24, 1926. [8] New York Times.

“Philadelphia Sees Bout a Great Boon.” September 25, 1926. This entry was posted in Entertainment . Bookmark the permalink . Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed. Gene Tunney - 必应 Sign in Gene Tunney James Joseph "Gene" Tunney (May 25, 1897 – November 7, 1978) was an American professional boxer and the world heavyweight champion from 1926–28, he was also a two-time American light heavyweight champion. A highly technical boxer, Tunney had a five fight rivalry with Harry Greb in which he went 3-1-1, knocked out Georges Carpentier and defeated Jack Dempsey twice; first in 1926 and again in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey remains one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known ... (展开) as The Long Count Fight. He retired as an undefeated heavyweight after his victory over Tom Heeney in 1928, after which Tunney was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine.

Gene Tunney Fighting Style 本结果选自387项相关网络资源 Tunney was a thinking fighter who preferred to make a boxing match into a game of chess, which was not popular during the times when such sluggers as Jack Dempsey, Harry Greb and Mickey Walker were commanding center stage. Tunney's style was influenced by other noted boxing thinkers such as James J.... gene tunney biography 本结果选自732项相关网络资源 Mary Lydon from Culleen House, Gorthgarve, Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland, emigrated to the United States after the Great Famine. She settled in New York City where she met John Tunney, also from Cill Aodain, Kiltimagh. They married after a short courtship. The Tunneys had seven children; one son w... Gene Tunney Biography Mary Lydon from Culleen House, Gorthgarve, Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland, emigrated to the United States after the Great Famine. She settled in New York City where she met John Tunney, also from Cill Aodain, Kiltimagh. They married after a short courtship.

The Tunneys had seven children; one son was murdered around 1920, another was a NYPD Detective from 1924 to 1951, dying in 1971, while Gene would become famous as a World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Tunney fought some 68 official professional fights, losing only one, to Harry Greb, while fighting as a light heavyweight. Tunney fought many other fights whose scoring was unofficial, judged by newspaper reporters. He also lost none of these "newspaper decisions." He reported that he lost a second fight during World War I, a 10 round decision, to Tommy Loughran, as a Marine before he began his professional boxing career. Tunney was regarded as an extremely skillful boxer who excelled in defense. In addition to beating Dempsey, the most famous fighter of his era, Tunney defeated Tommy Gibbons, Georges Carpentier and many other fine boxers. Already the U.S. Expeditionary Forces champion, Tunney spent the winter of 1921 as a lumberjack in northern Ontario for the J. R. Booth Company of Ottawa, without revealing he was a champion boxer.

He explained this as "wanting the solitude and the strenuous labors of the woods to help condition himself for the career that appeared before him." Tunney also had a brief acting career, starring in the movie The Fighting Marine in 1926. Unfortunately, no prints of this film are known to exist. He was elected as Ring Magazine's first-ever Fighter of the Year in 1928 and later elected to the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1980, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 and the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. In 1928, Tunney was married to a wealthy socialite, the former Mary "Polly" Lauder (1907 – April 19, 2008). The couple lived in Stamford, Connecticut and had four children. Among them is John V. Tunney (born 1934), who was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from California from 1971 until 1977. The others are Jonathan "Jay" Tunney of Stamford, Connecticut; Gene L.

Tunney of Honolulu, Hawaii and Joan Tunney Cook of Omaha in Boone County in northwestern Arkansas. Tunney's daughter Joan was committed to a mental hospital on June 6, 1970 after she murdered her husband. Mrs. Tunney's grandfather was George Lauder, Sr., a first cousin and business partner of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, founder and head of Carnegie Steel Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, George Lauder, Jr., was a philanthropist and yachtsman whose 136-foot (41 m) schooner once held the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic yacht passage ever made. According to a 2007 biography, Tunney promised Polly that he would quit boxing and defended his title only one more time after the second Dempsey fight, against Tom Heeney of New Zealand. Gene Tunney Fighting style Tunney was a thinking fighter who preferred to make a boxing match into a game of chess, which was not popular during the times when such sluggers as Jack Dempsey, Harry Greb and Mickey Walker were commanding center stage. Tunney's style was influenced by other noted boxing thinkers such as James J. Corbett and Benny Leonard.

Nevertheless, it is incorrect to think of Tunney as a stick-and-move fighter in the Ali style. While Tunney's heavyweight fights against Gibbons, Carpentier, and Dempsey featured his fleet-footed movement and rapid-fire jabbing, his earlier bouts, especially the five against Harry Greb, demonstrated his vicious body punching and willingness to fight toe-to-toe. It was Benny Leonard who advised Tunney that the only way to beat Harry "The Human Windmill" Greb was to aim his punches at Greb's body rather than his head. Always moving and boxing behind an excellent left jab, Tunney would study his opponents from the first bell. He generally preferred to stay outside and nullify any attacks, while using quick counters to keep the opponent off balance. Although not a big puncher, Tunney could still hit with power, especially after hurting his opponents and mastering their styles. In his fights against Jack Dempsey, today's viewer can see Tunney's style: hands held low for greater power, fast footwork that adjusts to every move his opponent makes and quick and accurate one-two style counter-punches with the left and right. Tunney did own a very solid chin.

He was never knocked out, and the only time he was ever knocked down was in the second fight with Dempsey in the infamous Long Count. Gene Tunney Cultural references Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had a comedy routine in which Lewis (in boxing shorts and gear) states he's fight'n Gene Tierney (the actress). Martin corrects Lewis and suggests that he must mean "Gene Tunney." Lewis then quips "You fight who you wanna fight, I'm fight'n who I wanna fight, I'm fight'n Gene Tierney." In the song She Twists the Knife Again from Richard Thompson's 1985 album Across a Crowded Room, describing the mismatched intensity in a strife-ladened relationship, Thompson writes: "I'm in a fist fight/She thinks she's Gene Tunney!\ He's also mentioned in Act 1 of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman: Willy tells his sons he has a punching bag with Tunney's signature on it. Mentioned in A Whistle in the Dark (Act 1, p31) by Tom Murphy : 'in the words of the great Gene Tunney, a man must fight back. His father was a Mayoman too'.

Mentioned in the short story "Fallon" by JD Luther, when imprisoned character Tyson Wayne Vance recalls his abusive father, "Was more than one night momma'd look like she went fifteen rounds with Gene Tunney...", Gene Tunney facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Gene Tunney American boxer C onsidered one of the giants of sports in the 1920s, Gene Tunney became heavyweight boxing champion of the world when he defeated Jack Dempsey in 1926. In a rematch with Dempsey in 1927, Tunney held on to his title in the hotly debated "battle of the long count," in which Tunney got the benefit of an extra long count when the referee, following standard boxing rules, refused to start the count until Dempsey returned to his corner. Known for his dispassionate, "scientific" boxing style, which involved a careful study of his opponents before he encountered them, Tunney suffered only one defeat in his career as a professional boxer. He was also the first heavyweight champion to retire as champion and not risk a comeback. A Boxing New Yorker Gene Tunney was born James Joseph Tunney to a working class Irish Catholic family in New York City.

His father worked as a longshoreman, loading and unloading freighter cargo at New York harbor, and was a fan of boxing. An amateur boxer, Tunney's father fought in matches at Owney Geaghan's boxing club on the Bowery. The young Tunney got into fights in the streets of his Greenwich Village neighborhood as a boy, and his father gave him a pair of boxing gloves for his tenth birthday in the hopes that he would learn to properly defend himself. At fifteen years of age, Tunney dropped out of school and got a job as an office boy at the Ocean Steamship Company, earning five dollars a week. He moved up to mail clerk, more than doubling his pay to eleven dollars a week, and from there was promoted to freight classifier, bringing in seventeen dollars a week. During breaks, Tunney sparred with any of his office mates who were willing, shoving desks and filing cabinets aside to form a makeshift ring. In the evenings, Tunney further honed his boxing skills at the Greenwich Village Athletic Club. In 1915, fresh out of his teens, Tunney became a professional boxer. This was when he fought his first professional match, against an accomplished young boxer named Bobby Dawson.

Tunney's seven-round knockout of Dawson earned him eighteen dollars—more than his weekly pay at the steamship company, and it left him with a taste for more. First North America, then the World After the United States entered World War I in 1917, Tunney joined the Marines and was stationed in France . While there, he fought in the American Expeditionary Force light heavyweight championship and won. He continued his civilian boxing career on his return from Europe , moving up the ranks to defeat successively more powerful opponents. Finally, in 1922, Tunney defeated Battling Levinsky in twelve rounds to take the title of light heavyweight boxing champion of North America . Tunney's success was short lived. Only months later, he was forced to defend his title against Harry Greb, a highly aggressive boxer who was known for intimidating his opponents with unusually savage attacks. Greb gave no quarter to Tunney in their match, pounding away at the champion for fifteen rounds, and using a number of tactics that were on the borderline of legality.

Tunney put up a heroic defense, managing to stay on his feet with a broken nose Greb gave him by head-butting him, and with his eyes swollen almost shut, until the fight was ended with Greb the winner by decision. Chronology Writes Encyclopedia Britannica entry on boxing 1978 Dies in Greenwich, Connecticut at the age of 80 But Tunney made a comeback the following year, 1923, challenging Greb to a rematch. This fight also went a full fifteen rounds before being called in a decision. This time, however, it was Tunney who got the upper hand. He had taken the advice of a boxing tactician, Benny Leonard, who had advised him to keep Greb off balance with as many punches to the body as he could manage. The strategy paid off, and Tunney took back his North American light heavyweight title. Tunney now had his ultimate goal in sight: the title of heavyweight boxing champion of the world. This title was held by Jack Dempsey, and the two squared off on September 23, 1926. The match was held at Philadelphia's Sesquicentennial Stadium.

This site had been chosen because Dempsey had been banned from fighting in New York because he had refused to accept a challenge from African-American boxer Harry Wills. Tunney had trained hard for his fight against Dempsey, watching films of the champion in action over and over again, probing for weaknesses. He also enlisted the aid of boxers who had fought Dempsey, both opponents and former sparring partners. Brought to Tunney's training camp, these fighters gave Tunney access to a pool of expert knowledge on Dempsey's fighting strengths and weaknesses from which to draw in the formation of his own strategies. He also drew on his own experience gained during his then-seventy-seven professional bouts, only one of which he had lost. On the day of the fight, the stadium was jammed with more than 120,000 spectators who shelled out a combined two million dollars to see the championship bout. Tunney's meticulous study of his adversary paid off. He came on strong in the first round, rocking Dempsey with a hard right to the face and then keeping him off balance for the remainder of the bout, until the fight was called in Tunney's favor after ten rounds.

It was the first time that anyone had won a heavyweight championship in a decision rather than a knockout. The "Battle of the Long Count" A year later, almost to the day, on September 22, 1927, Tunney and Dempsey met in a rematch. This time the venue was Soldier Field in Chicago , Illinois . Once again, more than 100,000 fans mobbed the grounds, paying a record $2.6 million to see the match (some sources say the box office take was more than $4.6 million). This fight was also the first to be covered by a professional radio announcer. Tunney and Dempsey slugged it out for the first six rounds, with neither boxer gaining a serious advantage, although Tunney managed to stay ahead in points. Then, in the seventh round, Dempsey dealt Tunney a staggering right to the temple and quickly pressed the attack with a fury of blows. Tunney went down. Dempsey, caught up in the heat of the moment, failed to promptly retire to his corner of the ring so that the count could start.

The referee pleaded with Dempsey to stop hovering over Tunney so that he could start the count, and finally Dempsey yielded. Getting Dempsey to move took all of four or five seconds, but those extra few moments were all Tunney needed to recover. As one of the spectators, sports writer Shirley Povich wrote fifty-one years later in the Washington Post, "I was positive then, as now, that Tunney would not have been up at a proper count of ten, but those precious seconds were heaven-sent for him, and at nine he made a gutsy rise to his feet." The fight was allowed to continue. Tunney managed to avoid Dempsey for the remainder of the round, buying himself even more time to recover. Maintaining his point lead for the remainder of the bout, Tunney won the match by decision in the 10th round. Many fans felt that an injustice had been done, that Dempsey should have won the fight in that fateful seventh round.

Povich recalled that there were "more cheers for Dempsey in that one round than for Tunney in the eight he won in the 10-round fight." The fight came to be known in boxing lore as the "battle of the long count." Undefeated to the End Tunney defended his title once more before hanging up his gloves for good. This was in a match with Tom Heeney in New York City on July 26, 1928. Tunney won that match after ten rounds in a technical knockout, allowing him to retire undefeated, the first heavyweight champion to do so. Awards and Accomplishments Tunney was defeated only once in is professional boxing career, retiring with a record of seventy-six wins to his one loss. He was the first heavy-weight champion to retire without losing his title. 1919 Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame Two Flaws in Tunney's Public Life; Gene Tunney: A Man in Search of Oblivion Gene Tunney should have been the living portrait of the certified American hero. He was the young handsome stalwart fighting Marine of World War I, square-jawed and fearless…. But complete admiration escaped Tunney. The flaws were two.

He was the man who beat a popular idol when he twice destroyed Dempsey. And … he lacked the common touch, choosing to hang out with scholars. Source: Povich, Shirley. Washington Post. (November 10, 1978): C1 Tunney led a full and active life following his retirement from boxing. He married Mary Josephine ("Polly") Lauder, niece of a steel baron Andrew Carnegie on October 3, 1928, and then started what was to be a lucrative career in business. After the United States entered World War II in 1942, Tunney served in the U. S. Navy. On his return from the war, he returned to his business career, seeking to remain out of the public eye for much of the remainder of his life. In 1945, he contributed an entry on boxing for the Encyclopedia Britannica, and in the 1950s and 1960s, he joined forces with his friend Jack Dempsey to argue before congress for the creation of a national commission that would oversee boxing.

Known for his intellect and appreciation for literature, Tunney befriended noted author and sportsman Ernest Hemingway as well as renown playwright and boxing fan George Bernard Shaw. He himself penned three books, Boxing and Training, A Man Must Fight, and Arms for Living. Tunney had four children, one of whom, John Varick Tunney, went on to become a member of the United States Senate representing California . Tunney died in 1978 at the age of eighty. SELECTED WRITINGS BY TUNNEY: Boxing and Training, A. G. Spaulding & Bros., 1928. A Man Must Fight, Houghton Mifflin, 1932. Arms for Living, W. Funk, Inc., 1941. FURTHER INFORMATION Dictionary of American Biography, Supplement 10: 1976-1980. Detroit : Charles Scribner's Sons, 1995. Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster Inc., 1995. Periodicals "Gene Tunney." Washington Post.

(November 12, 1978): B6. Povich, Shirley. "Two Flaws in Tunney's Public Life; Gene Tunney: A Man in Search of Oblivion." Washington Post (November 10, 1978): C1. Other "Gene Tunney." Cyber Boxing Zone. (October 15, 2002). "Gene Tunney." International Boxing Hall of Fame. (October 15, 2002). Sketch by Michael Belfiore About Us About Us About Us Page Content Jack Dempsey, world heavyweight boxing champion from 1919 to 1926, spent his boyhood in Logan, county seat of Logan County. Dempsey was born in Manassa, Colorado, but grew up in Logan, West Virginia. He began his career as a fighter at the tender age of 12 while working in the mines. Mining camp boxing bouts were set up. He lost the title to Gene Tunney in 1926.

At their second fight in 1927 he lost again on the so-called "long-count" when he failed to go to a neutral corner after knocking Tunney down in the seventh round. South of Logan is the burial site for Devil Anse Hatfield, one of the family leaders in the famous feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. Logan was originally called Lawnsville when it became the county seat in 1824. It later was named Aracoma, after the eldest daughter of Chief Cornstalk when she came to live there with her white husband, Bolling Baker. In 1907, it was renamed Logan in honor of the chief of the Mingos. Logan is the trading center for a large mining and logging area. Extensive logging of the area's poplar, cherry, and white oak timber started in 1850. Coal mining started to develop in 1904 with the advent of the railroad. Logan County is in southwest West Virginia on the Allegheny Plateau. It is known for its bituminous coal, natural gas, timber and livestock, fruit and tobacco farms. Logan County was founded in 1824.

Consisting of some 456 square miles of land area, the county was named after Logan, the most famous of the chiefs of the Mingo tribe which was an early inhabitant of the territory that became West Virginia. Logan had been extremely friendly and cooperative with whites until his own family was massacred in 1774. Then the Mingo tribe under Logan's leadership took savage vengeance against the settlers. Logan allied his tribe with the British forces after 1774. James Joseph Tunney (1897 - 1978) - Genealogy James Joseph Tunney New York, New York, United States Death: in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States Immediate Family: Father of John V. Tunney, U.S.

Senator ; <private> Tunney; <private> Tunney and <private> Tunney Managed by: May 25 1897 - New York, New York Death: Nov 7 1978 - Greenwich, Connecticut, USA Parents: John Tunney, Mary Tunney (born Lydon) Wife: May 25 1898 - Manhattan, New York, USA Death: Nov 7 1979 - Stamford, Connecticut, USA Parents: John Jr. Tunney, Mary Jane (Rose) Tunney (born Lydon) Siblings: Australian Newspapers Text: "..., and not up, the estuary. TUNNEY'S MARRIAGE. Audience with the Pope. ROME, Oct. 2.— Gene Tunney and his fiancee, Miss Josephine Laud... Publication: Oct 4 1928 - Perth, Western Australia, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... polished sur face of the piano with unusual clearness. Miss Josephine Lauder, of Green wich (U.S.A.), whose engagement to Gene Tunney ha...

Publication: Sep 22 1928 - Perth, Western Australia, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: "....) NAPLES, October 2. The' arrival of Gene Tunney's fiancee, Miss Josephine Lauder (the 50,000,000 dollar heiress), caused a mild sen... Publication: Oct 4 1928 - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... intends to have a quiet rest. The engagement Is announced of Gene Tunney, who ... recently resigned the world's heavyweight champion- sh... Publication: Aug 10 1928 - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... formally an- nounced the engagement of her heiress daughter. Mary Josephine, grand niece ot Mr. Andrew Carnegie, to Gene Tunney I dormer... Publication: Aug 10 1928 - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... 'News comes from South Bristol, Maine, of the engagement of Gene Tunney to Miss Josephine Lauder, of Greenwich, Connecticut, a niece ......

Publication: Aug 10 1928 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... Ltd., pro- prietors of "The Sydney Morning Herald." GENE TUNNEY. The champion world's heavyweight boxer was married in Rome ... ... Publication: Oct 11 1928 - Perth, Western Australia, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... intends to have a quiet rest. The engagement is announced of Gene Tunney, who recently resigned the world ... 's heavyweight champion sh... Publication: Aug 16 1928 - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: "...Tunney was married to-day to Miss Josephine Lauder, heiress of 50.000.00Cr doUars In the strictest privacy and in the presence of 20,... Publication: Oct 5 1928 - Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... majority , of whom were friends wlib accompanied the bride. Miss Josephine Lauder, from America. J GENE TUNNEY. MISS ... a squirrel or -...

Publication: Oct 12 1928 - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Page: mother About Gene Tunney James Joseph "Gene" Tunney (May 25, 1897 – November 7, 1978) was an American professional boxer and the world heavyweight champion from 1926–28. Having defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927, Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey remains one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight. Tunney retired as an undefeated heavyweight after his victory over Tom Heeney in 1928. Mary Lydon from Culleen House, Gorthgarve, Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland, emigrated to the United States after the Great Famine. She settled in New York City where she met John Tunney, also from Cill Aodain, Kiltimagh. They married after a short courtship.

The Tunneys had seven children; one son was murdered around 1920, another was a NYPD Detective from 1924 to 1951, dying in 1971, while Gene would become famous as a World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Tunney fought some 68 official professional fights, losing only one, to Harry Greb, while fighting as a light heavyweight. He reported that he lost a second fight during World War I, a 10 round decision, to Tommy Loughran, as a Marine before he began his professional boxing career. Tunney was regarded as an extremely skillful boxer who excelled in defense. In addition to beating Dempsey, the most famous fighter of his era, Tunney defeated Tommy Gibbons, Georges Carpentier and many other fine boxers. Already the U.S. Expeditionary Forces champion, Tunney spent the winter of 1921 as a lumberjack in northern Ontario for the J. R. Booth Company of Ottawa, without revealing he was a champion boxer.

He explained this as "wanting the solitude and the strenuous labors of the woods to help condition himself for the career that appeared before him." Tunney also had a brief acting career, starring in the movie The Fighting Marine in 1926. Unfortunately, no prints of this film are known to exist. He was elected as Ring Magazine's first-ever Fighter of the Year in 1928 and later elected to the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1980, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 and the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. In 1928, Tunney was married to a wealthy socialite, the former Mary "Polly" Lauder (1907 – April 19, 2008). The couple lived in Stamford, Connecticut and had four children. Among them is John V. Tunney (born 1934), who was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from California from 1971 until 1977. The others are Jonathan "Jay" Tunney of Stamford, Connecticut; Gene L.

Tunney of Honolulu, Hawaii and Joan Tunney Cook of Omaha in Boone County in northwestern Arkansas. Tunney's daughter Joan was committed to a mental hospital on June 6, 1970 after she murdered her husband. Mrs. Tunney's grandfather was George Lauder, Sr., a first cousin and business partner of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, founder and head of Carnegie Steel Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, George Lauder, Jr., was a philanthropist and yachtsman whose 136-foot (41 m) schooner once held the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic yacht passage ever made. According to a 2007 biography, Tunney promised Polly that he would quit boxing and defended his title only one more time after the second Dempsey fight, against Tom Heeney of New Zealand Upon his death at the age of eighty-one, Tunney was interred at Long Ridge Union Cemetery in Stamford.

He died at the Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut and had been suffering from a circulation ailment Tunney was a thinking fighter who preferred to make a boxing match into a game of chess, which was not popular during the times when such sluggers as Jack Dempsey, Harry Greb and Mickey Walker were commanding center stage. Tunney's style was influenced by other noted boxing thinkers such as James J. Corbett and Benny Leonard. Nevertheless, it is incorrect to think of Tunney as a stick-and-move fighter in the Ali style. While Tunney's heavyweight fights against Gibbons, Carpentier, and Dempsey featured his fleet-footed movement and rapid-fire jabbing, his earlier bouts, especially the five against Harry Greb, demonstrated his vicious body punching and willingness to fight toe-to-toe. It was Benny Leonard who advised Tunney that the only way to beat Harry "The Human Windmill" Greb was to aim his punches at Greb's body rather than his head. Always moving and boxing behind an excellent left jab, Tunney would study his opponents from the first bell. He generally preferred to stay outside and nullify any attacks, while using quick counters to keep the opponent off balance.

Although not a big puncher, Tunney could still hit with power, especially after hurting his opponents and mastering their styles. In his fights against Jack Dempsey, today's viewer can see Tunney's style: hands held low for greater power, fast footwork that adjusts to every move his opponent makes and quick and accurate one-two style counter-punches with the left and right. Tunney did own a very solid chin. He was never knocked out, and the only time he was ever knocked down was in the second fight with Dempsey in the infamous Long Count. In 1932, Tunney published a book called A Man Must Fight, in which he gave comments on his career and boxing techniques. James Joseph "Gene" Tunney (May 25, 1897 – November 7, 1978) was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey is one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight.

Tunney retired as an undefeated heavyweight after his victory over Tom Heeney in 1928. Biography Mary Lydon from Culleen House, Gorthgarve, Kiltimagh, Ireland, emigrated to the United States after the Great Famine. She settled in New York City where she met John Tunney, also from Cill Aodain, Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland. They married after a short courtship. The Tunneys had seven children; one son was killed in a homicide around 1920, another was a NYPD Detective from 1924 to 1951, dying in 1971, while Gene would become famous as a World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Tunney fought some 68 official professional fights, losing only one, to Harry Greb, while fighting as a light heavyweight. He reported that he lost a second fight during World War I, a 10 round decision, to Tommy Loughran, as a Marine before he began his professional boxing career. Tunney was regarded as an extremely skillful boxer who excelled in defense.

In addition to beating Dempsey, the most famous fighter of his era, Tunney defeated Tommy Gibbons, Georges Carpentier, and many other fine boxers. Already the U.S. Expeditionary Forces champion, Tunney spent the winter of 1921 as a lumberjack in northern Ontario for the J. R. Booth Company of Ottawa without revealing he was a champion boxer. He explained this as "wanting the solitude and the strenuous labors of the woods to help condition himself for the career that appeared before him." Tunney also had a brief acting career, starring in the movie The Fighting Marine in 1926. Unfortunately, no prints of this film are known to exist. He was elected as Ring Magazine's first-ever Fighter of the Year in 1928 and later elected to the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1980, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, and the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.

In 1928, Tunney was married to a wealthy socialite, the former Mary "Polly" Lauder (1907- April 19, 2008). The couple lived in Stamford, Connecticut and had four children. Among them is John V. Tunney (born 1934), who was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from California from 1971 until 1977. The others are Jonathan "Jay" Tunney of Stamford, Connecticut; Gene L. Tunney of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Joan Tunney Cook of Omaha in Boone County in northwestern Arkansas. Tunney's daughter Joan was committed to a mental hospital on June 6, 1970 after she murdered her husband. Mrs. Tunney's grandfather was George Lauder, Sr., a first cousin and business partner of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, founder and head of Carnegie Steel Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, George Lauder, Jr., was a philanthropist and yachtsman whose 136-foot (41 m) schooner once held the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic yacht passage ever made.

According to a 2007 biography, Tunney promised Polly that he would quit boxing and defended his title only one more time after the second Dempsey fight, against Tom Heeney of New Zealand. Death Upon his death at the age of eighty-one, Tunney was interred at Long Ridge Union Cemetery in Stamford. He died at the Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut and had been suffering from a circulation ailment. Fighting style Tunney was a thinking fighter who preferred to make a boxing match into a game of chess which was not popular during the times when such sluggers as Jack Dempsey, Harry Greb and Mickey Walker were commanding center stage. Tunney's style was influenced by other noted boxing thinkers such as James J. Corbett and Benny Leonard. Nevertheless, it is incorrect to think of Tunney as a stick and move fighter in the Ali style. While Tunney's heavyweight fights against Gibbons, Carpentier, and Dempsey featured his fleet-footed movement and rapid-fire jabbing, his earlier bouts, especially the five against Harry Greb, demonstrated his vicious body punching and willingness to fight toe-to-toe.

It was Benny Leonard who advised Tunney that the only way to beat Harry "The Human Windmill" Greb was to aim his punches at Greb's body rather than his head. Always moving and boxing behind an excellent left jab, Tunney would study his opponents from the first bell. He generally preferred to stay outside and nullify any attacks, while using quick counters to keep the opponent off balance. Although not a big puncher, Tunney could still hit with power, especially after hurting his opponents and mastering their styles. In his fights against Jack Dempsey, today's viewer can see Tunney's style: hands held low for greater power, fast footwork that adjusts to every move his opponent makes, and quick and accurate one-two style counter-punches with the left and right. Tunney, did own a very solid chin. He was never knocked out, and the only time he was ever knocked down was in the second fight with Dempsey in the infamous Long Count. Publications In 1932, Tunney published a book called A Man Must Fight, in which he gave comments on his career and boxing techniques.

Cultural references Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had a comedy routine in which Lewis (in boxing shorts and gear) states he's fight'n Gene Tierney (the actress). Martin corrects Lewis and suggests that he must mean "Gene Tunney". Lewis then quips "You fight who you wanna fight, I'm fight'n who I wanna fight, I'm fight'n Gene Tierney". In the song She Twists the Knife Again from Richard Thompson's 1985 album Across a Crowded Room, describing the mismatched intensity in a strife-ladened relationship, Thompson writes: "I'm in a fist fight/She thinks she's Gene Tunney!". He's also mentioned in Act 1 of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman: Willy tells his sons he has a punching bag with Tunney's signature on it. He's referenced by Tha Alkaholiks in "Pass Out" on their Likwidation album: "It's the beer-drinkin', breath-stinkin' sniffin' money/I throw my hands up and say 'It's good' like Gene Tunney".

Question: Who lost his world heavyweight boxing title to Gene Tunney in 1926?
Answer: JACK DEMPSEY