BoxRec

Just read Pegler in the Chicago Tribune on the first Tunney-Dempsey fight. Two interesting points came up.

"...(Dempsey had) gauzy little patches of bandage glued to his eyebrows like horns..." at the start of the fight!

Pegler states that if the bout had taken place in New York, where 15 rounds are allowed, Tunney woulda knocked Dempsey out. So Philly did not allow more than 10 rounds. I used to wonder why this world title fight was only ten rounds.

Cap

From my own studies lately, I've learned what a real hodge-podge of boxing laws existed in North America around the First World War and even into the 1920s. Not only no decision bouts. Many places banned boxing/prize fights all together. Some jurisdictions like Edmonton had, for a time, the Clean Break rules, which did not allow infighting. For a number of years, starting around 1912, many places banned mixed matches between blacks and whites. As late as 1927 there were cities and states which only allowed boxing if the distance was no greater than 10 rounds.

Cap

P.S. Can you imagine a title fight or any fight taking place today where one of the fighters entered the ring with bandages on his face?

Decagon wrote:Remember, this fight took place when there were still 40-round fights and fights to the finish. Dempsey was the new face of boxing, someone who would only fight for 10 or 15 rounds, but fight like a madman.

Clueless Hexagon puts his foot in his mouth again.

It's all very vague to you, isn't it Hexagon.

Tunney fought Dempsey the first time in 1926.

Please tell us all when the last 45 [not 40--there never was such a thing]round fight was scheduled, Hexagon.

LOL

In both Pennsylvania and Illinois during the middle
1920s, the maximum number of rounds allowed in
a professional bout was ten.

I have seen footage of the first bout with Gene
Tunney and Jack Dempsey on YouTube earlier
this year. In that first bout, Tunney gave
Dempsey a quite a beating while landing
punches almost at will to both the head and
body. At the same time, Dempsey had a very
hard time landing effective blows largely due
to the fact that Tunney was boxing so well.
It also must be noted that Tunney didn't dance
around a lot in the bout, but he often stepped
to the side and countered with several punches
when Dempsey was moving forward and trying
to land a punch

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck1052 wrote:In both Pennsylvania and Illinois during the middle
1920s, the maximum number of rounds allowed in
a professional bout was ten.

I have seen footage of the first bout with Gene
Tunney and Jack Dempsey on YouTube earlier
this year. In that first bout, Tunney gave
Dempsey a quite a beating while landing
punches almost at will to both the head and
body. At the same time, Dempsey had a very
hard time landing effective blows largely due
to the fact that Tunney was boxing so well.
It also must be noted that Tunney didn't dance
around a lot in the bout, but he often stepped
to the side and countered with several punches
when Dempsey was moving forward and trying
to land a punch

- Chuck Johnston

Chuck,

Why don't you get a tape of the ENTIRE fight.

Depending on UTUBE is pathetic.

Dempsey had no legs at this point. He couldn't move at all on his feet.

Dempsey was shot by this time. His build is completely different from earlier when he fought Willard.
His face is soft as compared with his best years.

In the 4th round Dempsey landed a left hook on the neck and Tunney fell into the ropes, grabbed onto them, and then got away.

Tunney didn't dance around a lot?

NO, he didn't make aimless, waste of energy moves.
Only effective ones---for a purpose.

Tunney later criticized Ali for making aimless movement on his feet, wasting energy for no purpose.

Tunney said he considered Ali "a mediocre fighter, at best."

Granberry- Thanks for the tip about the fight film of
the first bout between Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey.
Yes, I knew that Dempsey landed that hard punch during
the bout in addition to being past his prime, but Tunney
still must be given some credit.

I agree that Muhammad Ali was far from being fundamentally
sound in terms of his boxing style, but he was able to get
away with it because of his tremendous quickness, athleticism
and ring savvy.

- Chuck Johnston

Last time I recall a 45 round fight being scheduled for the HW title was Johnson-Willard, while the last 20 round fight scheduled for the HW title, I believe was actually in a fight Louis had. I do know that Max Baer had a fight that went a 20 round distance.

It was all same era, but, by the time the Johnson "era" was over, all title fights seemed to dwindle down to 15 round limits.

There was a "fight-to-a-finish" between Merci Montes and
Jimmy Dundee (apparently not the fighter from Oakland)
in Mexico City during the early 1920s. As I recall, Montes
knocked out Dundee in the 51st round.

- Chuck Johnston

HomicideHenry wrote:Last time I recall a 45 round fight being scheduled for the HW title was Johnson-Willard, while the last 20 round fight scheduled for the HW title, I believe was actually in a fight Louis had. I do know that Max Baer had a fight that went a 20 round distance.

It was all same era, but, by the time the Johnson "era" was over, all title fights seemed to dwindle down to 15 round limits.

I think you're right about Louis having the last 20-rounder. Was it against Tommy Farr, maybe?

...goodnight...the louis/farr fight was a fifteen rounder and louis won the decision.

i think the re-match between louis and abe simon was scheduled for twenty, but don't bet money on it. it's ahrd to tell when knockouts are scored how long the fight was scheduled for.

Ah, so that's clear now.

That Abe Simon was a monster. Watching him & Louis in the ring together, he looks like the Hulk or something. It'd be interesting to see what he actually weighed.