THE MACON TELEGRAPH FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 23, 192

Gene Tunney Keeps Title After Ten Round Fight With Dempsey

EX-CHAMPION JUST MISSES LANDING K.O. Sends Opponent Down For Pro- longed Count of Nine in Seventh Round RECORD CROWD SEES BOUT Battle Ends With Manassa Mauler Battered Groggy, Cut and Bleeding

By ALAN J. GOULD Associated Press Sports Editor _ SOLDIER FIELD, CHICAGO, Sept. 22 (AP). - Gene Tunney, the man of destiny, is still heavyweight champion of the world, but his crown was perilously close to being toppled from his head tonight by the gallant thrust of the old warrior, Jack Dempsey, in the greatest box- ing spectacle of all time. _ Tunney's hand was raised in vic- tory at the end of the slashing, smashing battle, but only because of the courage and fighting power for a sensational finish after being knock- ed down for a count of nine in the seventh round by Dempsey's vicious two-handed attack. _ Only one second, in this seventh round, separated Dempsey from the greatest victory of his career and an achievement no other ex-champion had ever recorded, but Tunney, back to his feet, slipped from range, cleared his head and weathered as stormy a session as he ever has ex- perienced. _ Safely past that crisis, Tunney fin- ished the last three rounds like a champion, regaining confidence, tak- ing the aggressive and beating Dempsey into defeat with a two- handed, well timed attack to the head. _ _Champion Rallies at Close _ With his title in danger, Tunney had the stuff to put on a victorious rally. At the close of the final round, Dempsey, both eyes cut and badly bleeding, was groggy and reel- ing "out on his feet." So battered was the old champion, his last charge expended, that he did not seem to know the battle was over and had to be led to his corner. _ Tunney's victory was not without dispute, however, for there were scores in the ringside section who thought the champion was saved from losing his crown in the seventh round by a count that was actually several seconds longer than the toll of nine. _ It was unquestionably a "long count" - from 12 to 14 seconds in all, to take the varying count of ring- side observers said, but its explana- tion lay in the fact that Illinois box- ing rules compelled the fighter scor- ing the knockdown to go to his cor- ner before the count starts. The time elapsing, during Dempsey's backing off to a corner accounted for the late start of the count, box- ing commissioners said. _ _Tunney Has Close Call _ Tunney took the count with his left hand holding the ropes. He was groggy and in bad shape but fully conscious of the count. Had it started sooner he probably would have been able to regain his feet but he might have been wobblier and an easier target. As it was he had the advantage of the few sec- onds and a chance to collect his faculties and ward off Dempsey's attack. The mightiest throng in fight or sporting history, estimated at 150,000 paid the record smashing sum of $2,800,000 to see the spec- tacular challenge of the old mauler and to defeat, as convincingly if not as decisively the man from whom Gene took the crown a year ago in the rain at Philadelphia. _ Victory unquestionably went to the better, the craftier boxer, the faster and stronger fighter, but was his only after the closest call he ever has had. _ The drama of Tunney's title de- fense, stirring as was his decisive finish was enacted principally in that seventh round. For it was here that the flashing old fighting spirit of Dempsey, making his greatest bid, came so close to accomplishing the unprecedented. _ _Tunney Starts Cautiously _ Through the first half of the bat- tle Tunney had boxed coolly and cautiously, shooting only when he saw his target and shooting accu- rately while Dempsey, always going in, found himself brought up time after time by jolting rights to the head or smart left jabs. _ Once or twice, Jack had lashed out with smashing body blows that hurt the champion, but there was little warning of what was impend- ing when the former champion sud- denly launched a vicious drive to the head in the seventh round.. Per- haps Tunney was off guard, for his foe had aimed his attack pre- viously at the body. But at any rate, Dempsey connected solidly with a series of staggering smashes. _ A right hand to the jaw sent Tunney back to the ropes sagging at the knees. He was on his way down when a left hook clipped and completed the job. _ Pandemonium was loose in the vast arena. Men and women screamed and Dempsey stood menac- ingly over his fallen foe and then moved to a corner. _ Slowly, the time-keeper began his count. It was inaudible even to those in the first row of the ringside but finally was made out by the form of the time-keeper's mouth as he took up the toll. _ _Champion Quickly Revives _ "Six, seven, eight, nine," it went and there was a "ten" it seemed on the timekeeper's lips as Gene slow- ly crawled to his feet and backed off, a dazed and surprised look in his eyes. This was a new experience for the champion. He had felt con- fident of his defense, but it had been pierced by the tigerish attack of the old Dempsey. _ About the ring Tunney circled, dancing and dodging to avoid an- other such punching. Dempsey fol- lowed, slowly, sure of himself, but seemingly puzzled as how to take up the attack again. _ "Come on and fight," Jack beck- oned, stopping in his tracks and dropping his gloves, as he looked dis- dainfully at the retreating figure of the champion. It would not have been Dempsey's way and he did not seem to understand it. _ Finally Jack leaped in and lashed Tunney about the head again, but now the champion's head had cleared. He was capable of taking care of himself again. He tied up the challenger in a clinch and the bell saved him from further dam- age. _ "Come on Jack," the crowd yelled as Dempsey, bobbing and weaving, came out of his corner for the eighth round. Tunney, worked over fever- ishly and freely administered to with smelling salts between rounds, was still cautious, wary against taking a further taste of Dempsey's dyna- mite. _ _ Dempsey's Bolt Is Shot _ But Dempsey, it seemed, had shot his big bolt, made his main bid for the title. The fact that it had failed seemed to sap something of the fury of his spirit. He seemed slower. _ Regaining confidence, Tunney was quick to seize the lead again. Be- fore the round was half over, Gene had opened a gash over jack's right eye. Dempsey went to one knee, partially by slipping and partly from the effect of a right to the chin, but he was up and back at his foe with- out taking a count. _ Tunney, the younger and stronger of the two, kept up his finishing at- tack in the ninth and tenth rounds, frustrating any counter drive of con- sequence by Dempsey and directing an accurate, punishing fire to the head. _ In the ninth, Dempsey's left eye was severely cut. Blood streamed down both sides of his face. _ He was a gory figure, resembling the beaten man now of a year ago. _ _ Mauler Still Aggressive _ Throughout the tenth, Tunney slashed and ripped his foe. Dempsey landed one more right, a hard smash to the head that sent Tunney back to his heels, but it was only the wild lunge of a fighter whose big- gest guns had been spiked. _ Until the final bell separated them, however, Dempsey kept plugging in. His aggressiveness was gone, his knees wobbled and his body sagged, but he was a fighter to the finish. But he was also as groggy a battler as ever stood on his feet. Almost blinded by the blood, the old cha- pion stood swaying, in the center of the ring as the referee parted them. He did not know the fight was over. He was trying to plunge in again when he was stopped and turned to- ward his corner. _ Tunney's magnificent rally had saved his crown and there was no murmur of protest when the unani- mous decision of the two judges and the referee, Dave Barry, in his favor, was announced by the lifting of Gene's hand. _ There was a sharp division of opin- ion among ringside experts in scor- ing the rounds. Some had the hon- ors evenly divided but the majority gave Tunney a decisive advantage. On the Associated Press score sheet, Tunney was given seven rounds and Dempsey three, the third, sixth and seventh. Through the first half of the fight, the champion appeared to pile up a substantial margin on points, as he outboxed, outstepped and outhit the bobbing, weaving challenger. In the third Dempsey uncorked his first flash of power, staggering Tunney with a sweeping right to the head, a variation from an attack that had been chiefly con- fined to the body before. _ _ Tunney Changes Style _ Tunney, casting aside his usual re- straint. was often the aggressor as he waded in to punch Dempsey about the head with both fists, land- ing an overhand right to the head that repeatedly shook the former champion. _ In the fourth, Tunney staggered Dempsey with one of those smashing right handers, a blow that landed with crushing effect and sent Jack reeling back to a corner. _ Dempsey put on another spurt in the sixth, sending Tunney back with long rights to the jaw that hurt the champion. _ Gene fought back, but he was cau- tious as he sensed that Jack was about to make his big bid. It did not come until the seventh and it al- most caused the champion's finish, but it marked the end of Dempsey's real threat. _ Once or twice afterward jack look- ed dangerous but the spark was gone as he was a target for right and left hook through the last three rounds. _ Early in the tenth, as they mauled together in the center of the ring, Dempsey wrestled Tunney to the floor. It was not a knockdown and Tunney was quickly on his feet. _ Dempsey's spirit was always will- ing, the old fighting flame was not extinguished altogether but it burned only feebly at the end. Round One _ Dempsey missed a left lunge, fall- ing into a clinch. Jack piled in again with two left hooks to the ribs. In the clinch that followed he clipped Gene four times with a right on the back of the head. They sparred cautiously, Dempsey preferring to feint for openings while Tunney lay back. Gene snapped a left to Demp- sey's chin and followed with a solid right smash to the chin. Jack fell into a clinch, taking another right to the head as he came in. Jack dropped a left on Tunney's body. Jack backed away while the cham- pion chased him across the ring with a volley of left and right hooks to the head close to the ropes. Gene missed an overhand right as the bell sounded. Round Two _ Dempsey was fighting cautiously, apparently seeking to evade the dis- astrous first rounds at Philadelphia last fall. They came out boxing again and Gene shot a left and right to the chin. They were danc- ing, boxing high. Gene dropped an overhand right on Dempsey's chin, after chasing him to a corner. An- other right missed and Dempsey smashed a left to the body and three lefts to the chin before Tunney could tie him up. Hands high, Jack dodged away from a right. There was little action as they sparred carefully in the center. Tunney's left was short, but Dempsey merely fell into a clinch. Gene missed two more lefts, while Jack clipped two short left hooks to the body, as Dempsey lunged low, Tunney missed again but managed to catch him- self and shot two lefts to Jack's face, as the round ended. Round Three _ Again they boxed carefully, slow- ly in the center of the ring. Demp- sey apparently was trying to tan- talize Tunney into leading and mak- ing an open fight of it. Tunney sneaked over a pretty left jab, but took a half dozen raps on the back of the neck. Gene took the offen- sive, driving Dempsey into the ropes where Jack tied him tight. As they bobbed in the center, Tunney led, and fell into Dempsey's straight right smash to the body. Gene held, while Jack clouted both hands to the mid-section. A right smash to the heart drove Tunney back. As they fiddled about, Dempsey wove in close again to cuff the back of Tunney's head with his right and left to the champion's rush. Round Four _ Dempsey took the offensive but Tunney's right cracked on his chin. Gene's left found the same mark. While Dempsey rapped two lefts to the body Gene complained that the blows were foul and fought Jack desperately as they fell against the ropes. Gene missed with a right and took another left to the body. Jack was leading again now. Short lefts to the body, while Tunney counted just as lightly to the head. Tunney, trying to nail Jack coming, missed with both hands but saved himself by falling into a clinch. Two right smashes to the chin stung Dempsey. Gene lifted two more left hooks to the head and nailed Dempsey on the ropes. A right sent Dempsey reeling into the corner. A left hook nearly floored him. As Dempsey lay against the ropes, stunned, Tunney missed with both hands and the bell killed his opportunity. Round Five _ Dempsey's handlers worked furi- ously on him during the intermis- sion while Tunney's handlers yelled that the stimulants were unfair. Tunney missed a right and they fell into a clinch. Jack fell in close, pounding to the body, when Tun- ney, overanxious, missed again. Jack backed away now, falling into the ropes as Tunney took to the at- tack. When Jack tied him up they sparred out to the center of the ring. Dempsey bobbed out of three left jabs. He sent Tunney's head back with a stiff straight left. A right high on the temple shook Dempsey badly. The champion backed away, however, content to jab and wait. In another clinch, Jack rapped again to the back of Tunney's neck. Gene dug two nice lefts into Dempsey's body at the bell. Round Six _ They boxed carefully several sec- onds, before coming together for a flurry of body punches. The crowd bellowed as Dempsey's right hand, "old iron Mike," smashed under Tunney's heart. But the champion came back, ripping both hands to the chin. Dempsey, tiring, fell into a clinch after the blows. Bobbing in through a stiff right, stiff left, Jack turned the champion half way around with a right hook to the head. Tunney came back strong, but two more left hooks and a straight right stung the champion. Missing a long left, Jack took a right under the heart, as they fell again into a clinch. Round Seven _ Dempsey's handlers pleaded with him to keep his chin down. As he came out, bobbing, weaving under Tunney's right, Jack slapped a right to the ribs. A volley of right and left hooks to the head floored Tunney for the count of nine. Demp- sey was on him like a wild cat as Gene pedaled backwards around the ring. Dempsey was in close with a smashing body attack. Wobbly and dazed, Tunney only could jump and flounder backwards. Dempsey cor- nered him at the ropes and smashed a left and right to the body. Gene came back weakly, jabbing a left to the head. Dempsey laughed and urged Gene to come in and fight. Losing his temper, Jack smashed Tunney with left and right swings to the head. Gene, badly dazed, grabbed Dempsey with both hands and still was holding on fiercely at the bell. Round Eight _ Dempsey came out in a crouch. Apparently somewhat recovered, Gene stabbed with his left and clinched. As Tunney backpedaled furiously, Dempsey made no effort to catch him, merely walking after him and taunting him to fight. Tun- ney did fight, whipping a left and right uppercut to Jack's chin. As they missed rights, Dempsey lifted his left to the jaw. In a clinch, Jack again cuffed Tunney's head. A smashing left to the body drove Tunney back and a right to the heart made him grab Jack. As Dempsey dodged a right, he slipped to one knee for no count. Taking courage, Tunney flew at Dempsey, pumping both hands to the head. Again Tunney nailed Jack with both hands to the chin as the former champion bounded out of the ropes. They were boxing cautiously, both tired, waiting for openings as the round ended. Round Nine _ Tunney's retreating tactics drew booes from the crowd between rounds. Jack grabbed the champion and smashed him half a dozen times an the back of the neck. They both had slowed up from the fierce pace. Tunney, standing in the center of the ring, held Jack off for a few moments with three straight left jabs but jack bore right to close quarters. Coming in, Gene's right opened a cut over Dempsey's right eye. The champion went after the wound fiercely. Snapping out both hands high to the head Jack tried to bob, but two solid rights bounced off his jaw. Dempsey was wobbly but as he cocked his right, Gene ran away. The champion came back, however, and rocked Jack again with swinging smashes to the head. Dempsey came to his corner a bit wobbly as the round ended. Round Ten _ They shook hands in the center of the ring. Jack floored Tunney again with a left right to the chin. Gene was up before the timer could start counting. Jack's right smashed into Gene's head again and the water from Jack's hair splashed over the right side writers. Jack, the tiger again, whaled in with both hands, but Tunney tied him up in a clinch. They paused, and as Dempsey dropped his hands, Tunney whipped a left and right hook into the attack, ripping both hands to the head. While Dempsey appeared to tire Gene came into the attack. Gene laid him on the ropes, but the champion's two- handed attack was a bit wild. Demp- sey dug several rights to the body. Gene countered with a left. A badly staggered Dempsey wobbled about the ring as the bell sounded. _ The former champion, still groggy, sparred dizzily after the gong.

THRONG OF FANS JAMS AUDITORIUM Capacity Crowd Listens to An- nouncements of Bout FIGHT-O-GRAPH IS SUCCESS

_ The largest - the most colorful - the most enthusiastic, noisiest - _ Those phrases are descriptive of the throngs that jammed the new city auditorium to capacity last night to listen to the detailed returns that were climaxed with the announce- ment that Gene Tunney, heavyweight champion of the world, retains his title despite the ferocious onslaught of his challenger and the man from whom he wrested the title last Sep- tember - Jack Dempsey. _ Never has the spacious building of which Macon is so justly proud, held as noisy an audience. Not even were the exciting Mercer basketball games of last winter seen by such a crowd.

NEWS OVERCOMES DEMPSEY'S WIFE

_ CHICAGO, Sept. 22 (AP). - Es- telle Taylor Dempsey collapsed in her suite at a fashionable North Shore hotel tonight, Her- ald Examiner says, after she heard over a radio that her husband had been defeated in his comeback attempt against Gene Tunney.

WEDDINGS POSTPONED IN FAVOR OF BATTLE

_ BLOOMINGDALE, N.J., Sept. 22 (AP) - A double wedding ceremony was postponed here tonight so that the principals might listen in on the radio re- ports of the Dempsey-Tunney fight tonight. _ Miss Minnie Cook was to have married Marinas Koelwyn, and her sister, Miss Anna Cook, was to have been wedded to Arthur Vanderhoof, at the Butler Meth- odist Episcopal church this eve- ning. _ The four decided to postpone the wedding until Saturday so they would not miss the fight returns.

THE MACON TELEGRAPH FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 23, 1927

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GENE TUNNEY vs JACK DEMPSEY
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