THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 23, 1989.
Corbett, Fitzsimmons, Jack
Dempsey And Schmeling Prove
By Leo Fuller
They Never Come Back In The Heavyweight Ranks
HEY
"Thy never come back raised
down the years in the fighting game. And while this pessimism has not altogether been generally justified. its truth was re-confirm- ed in the heavyweight division when Joe Louis knocked Schmeling out in 124 seconds.
Gentleman Jim Corbett was the first fighter to try to regain his lost throne. And he tried twice. In 1897 he had been defeated by Bob Fitzsimmons in Carson City, Nevada, when Ruby Ro- bert invented the "solar-plexus punch”, and used Corbett as its first victim in the 14th round.
Jim then retired, and during the next three years the title passed to Jim Jef- fries. But at the age of 34 Corbett decided that he could beat Jeffries. The match was made, and after six months hard training the ex-champion stepped into the ring in great condition.
was
He had decided that speed could beat the giant champion, and the Coney Island crowd yelled as Corbett flashed away ahead on points, causing his slow rival to flounder clumsily after him.
Jeffries By the tenth round forced to halt his attack and forget all about the quick knockout he had plan- ned; by the 20th round he looked beaten man. As a thunderstorm broke over the open arena Jeffries managed to crash home a left hook, his only solid punch for rounds, He was breathing hard, and Corbett thought the champion had shot his bolt. That was his fatal mistake.
a
As water flooded the aisles, soaking everyone to the skin, Corbett decided to become a "killer" and win by a spec- tacular knockout. He waited for the 23rd round, then stepped in close with a left, his right cocked to finish the fight Jeffries moved in under the left, saw Corbett's chin unguarded as the right was pulled back and smacked home two murderous left hands in rapid succession...
Corbett's knees trembled, he crashed to the canvas and stayed there. Two punches had changed the course of the battle, two panches and Corbett's over-confid-
ence,
was
But
the 10th
AWOOD & UNDERWOOD,
the
GENE TUNNEY proved stumbling-block to Jack Dempsey
in his comeback effort.
For 15 flashed his
TENNIS
Bournemouth Hardcourt Tournament Finals
London, May 7.
BRILLIANT weather favoured the final day of the British Hard
Court Championships at Bournemouth, when the Women's Singles held the chief interest,
The Men's title was an all-Chinese affair with Kho Sin Kie, holder, meeting the challenge of W. C. Choy, a former Cambridge Blue, who had adapted lawn tennis theory to actual practice with an unparalleled degree of success.
Mrs. Ellis had the first success when I went the same way, and when again some neat, unhurried angles on the at 5-4 Choy had his fifth chance, the
first drive gave her the
game but relentless Kho once more held him off. there was little in the opening points. In the more delicate phases of the play Miss Stammers seemed to find her Kho had a decided advantage, his drop touch when some of her typical neat shots, his acutely angled passes, and cross-court drives from the forehand fine lobs were evidence of his wonder-
The found the corner,
first drop- ful touch, and it was with a total of shot, too, came from the left-hander's five games in succession that Kho won side of the net and what with some the first set 7-5. good volleys as well Mrs. Ellis had the worst of the next two games. The shots of Mrs. Ellis had so far lacked pace, but some neat drives straight down the line had Miss Stammers pok- ing up the ball defensively and Mrs. Ellis caught and passed her to lead 32.
After an opening game of fourteen deuces, which Choy won, the varied play of Kho made him master of the court in the second set. Finding the lines with precision and exploiting his top-spin forehand with effect, Kho took the next six games for the set at 6-1.
Choy abandoned most of his volley- ing efforts in the third set, but Kho, who had not taken off his sweater, was invariably the winner of the last shot in the crisp baseline exchanges. Kho never pressed really hard, but against a tiring man he won the set 6-4 for the match.
It was as much a battle of wits as of strokes and Miss Stammers found it increasingly difficult to get near the Under a broiling sun in Reno, Ne-net. Her steady pressure brought its vade, Jim Jeffries gave of his best reward when she took the first set at But it was a pitiable contest.
6-3, having won 4 games in a row. terrible rounds Johnson
one set Mrs.. Ellis managed to save gold-toothed smile as he ripped to rib-point in the ninth, but an attempted Kho thus won the Hard Court title
into the for the second year. volley at the second went bons the one-time great champion.
It was a victory Talking lightly all the time, the Gal- net.
So far she had been outplayed of a man with a wonderful touch and veston
negro played cat-and-mouse with Jeffries until he knocked him cold by a brilliant opponent who was right a genius for playing the right shot
on the top of her form.
at the right moment over a man with in that 15th session.
a studious, efficient game that lacked a spark of inspiration.
After that massacre there were no more come-backs until the most famous of all took place in 1927, when Dempsey and Tunney engag- ed in the battle that provided the
controversy, "long count"
that rages even to-day.
Dempsey's Second Chance
LEAD CHANGES HANDS
the
Unbeaten as a pair since they came together at the beginning of the sea- son, Miss J. Nicoll and Miss B. Nuthall played some great lawn tennis to win the women's doubles title against the Middlesex combination of Miss N. B. Brown and Miss R. Jarvis. The losers made a grand effort to win the first set after being led by 5-1, but sub- partnership and sequently the neat sound strokes of Miss Nicoll and Miss to a Nuthall carried them through. fairly easy victory. 2
Mrs. Ellis had one or two careless spells at the beginning of the second set and it was largely her own fault Retiring again, Corbett lay fallow
that Miss Stammers recovered from for another three years before cham-
an initial deficit of 1-2 for level He was pionship_dreams beset him.
scores. It was a grand backhand nearly 38 years old when he next faced
down the line that clinched the game. Jeffries. Weighing 190 pounds against
It was then the turn of
left knocked the champion's 220 he
hander to lapse and a double fault on down in the second round. He rose to
Previously a nervous, worried Demp-her part helped Mrs. Ellis to lead once take a bad beating until the sixth, when he was down for a count of nine. sey had lost his title to Gene Tunney. more.
of the on Afterwards Dempsey started
For a moment the complexion Gallantly he-rose.
comeback trail by knocking out Jack the match seemed to turn. For round saw Jeffries after him in earnest. Sharkey in seven rounds. Then came point or two Mrs. Ellis, finding the Pole-axe blows had the challenger down his second chance:
lines, and corners, had per opponent Once and gasping for another "nine".
In the dressing-rooms, prior to the running, where she wanted. Then a more he rose, only to sink under a ter-fight, Referee Dave Barry had made it fine burst of volleying sent Mrs. Ellis rific bombardment.
plain that in the event of a knockdown back on the defensive and a rather the man who scored it was to go to a half-hearted attempt on her part to neutral corner before the count started. retaliate in kind sent the ball into the For the first six rounds the cool, cal-stop netting to put Miss Stammers in culating Tunney out-boxed Jack, cut- front for the first time in this set at ting his face in two places, but when
4-3. the seventh came up Dempsey caught. Tunney with a 'murderous right-hand. er. A left-hook dazed Gene, while an- other right spun him into the ropes.
Yet Corbett's fighting heart was still there, and he was actually on his feet at "seven" when,his seconds threw in the towel.
Savage and bristling, his scowl deepening. Jack caught the champion coming off the ropes with a left-hook to the chin, and at once Tunney sagged
Fitzsimmons Too Between these fights Bob Fitzsim- mons also used Jeffries to teach him that "never come back" lesson. 'He was 40 years old when he again faced his one-time conqueror in San Francisco. Although they knew how great he had been, the fans were once more amazed at his smallness. Their amazement grew as this middle-aged man proceed at the knees. ed to cut the champion to pieces! As he sank, Dempsey whipped home Chopping, jabbing and clipping, Fitz-two sizzling rights and a powerful left, He pulled simmons set out to slaughter Jeffries. and Gene hit the boards. And at the end of the seventh round himself to a sitting position, while both men were drenched in blood-but Dempsey stood raging over him. Barry it was the champion's gore that stained refused to take up the count until Jack
went to a neutral corner.
Miss Stammers was getting right on top of the ball for her attacking forehand and her opponent's weak second service received a lot of pun- ishment. As in the opening set, Miss Stammers did not lose another game
after her 2-3 deficit.
form.
She clinched
Men's Singles.-Final: Kho Sin Kie beat W. C. Choy, 7-5, 6-1, 6—4.
Women's Singles.-Miss K. E. Stam- mers beat Mrs. R. Ellis, 6-3, 6-3
Women's Doubles.-Final: Miss J.. Nicoll and Miss B. Nuthall beat Miss N. B. Brown and Miss R. Jarvis, 5–7, 6-2, 6-2.
LATEST DERBY CALL-OVER
a close struggle to go to 5-3, and a the next game
London, May 22. burst of wildness in
The following is the latest call-over from Mrs. Ellis enabled Miss Stam- mers to take it to love, and the set
Wednesday: was hers at 6-3 for match and cham-for the Derby, which will be-run on pionship.
Blue Peter, 75/20 (o), 4/1 (t.) It was a climax of a week's brilliant
Hypnotish, 17/2 (0), 9/1 (t). play and Miss Stammers won her third
Fox Cub, 21/2 (0); 11/1 (t). Heliopolis, 19/1 (6), 14/1 (t). hard court without the loss of a set.
Triguero, 15/1 (t, and o).. Rarely has she shown such consistent
Admiral's Walk, 15/1 (t. and o). W. C. Choy began well in the men's
Dhoti, 100/8 (t, and o). Fairstone, 18/1 (t, and o). Casanova, 19/1 (0), 20/1 (t). Romeo, 27/1. (t, and o), Hastings, 28/1 (t, and o). Buxton, 28/1, (0). Vesperian, 35/1 (t. and o). Atout Maitre, 50/1 (t. and o). Salford, 50/1 (t. and o). Wheatland, 50/1 (0), 55/1. (t). Bellman, 66/1 (t, and o).. Mador Brackey, 66/1 (t. and o). Maunakea, 66/1 (t, and o). Rogerstone Castle, 60/1 ft. and o), King's Legend, 66/1 (t. and o). Fairfax, 66/1, "(0);;;; Fair Chance, 80/1 (t, and o). A│All other starters
are offered 100/1---Reu
the canvas.
The crowd were yelling for Bob to That's where the controversy lies. apply the final punch when the gladia-They say Tunney was on the floor for tors went into the eighth round. Blind-five-seconds before the count started. ed from the blood, Jeffries tore out He says he was conscious after "two", smashing with both hands. He threw Anyway, he was up when Dave Barry final and Kho Sin Kie was unable to and by brilliant ring get to grips with the methodical not boxing overboard and cornered Fitz-shouted"nine", simmons. Bob leaned back and smashed generalship kept away from Dempsey rushes of Choy. He was forced wide by his opponent's forcing strokes, but six consecutive lefts into his foe's face, until the bell ended the round.
his attempted passes were very wild.
• Afterwards he recovered" "and gave Bob's Desperately Jeffries feinted. guard dropped slightly, and the cham Dempsey a sound trouncing for the re- Choy went easily, to a 3-0 lead before pion hooked his dynamite left-hook to maining three rounds-it was a 10. Kho came into the picture and then some fine passes which Kho whipped Chinese the challenger's side. Fitzsimmons round bout.
And, now Schmeling has" once more across fast had the second dropped like a shot partridge and roll- ed in agony on the canvas while he was proved painfully the truth of the adage Davis Cup player completely beaten. in the heavyweight ranks, He has had It was a tremendous fight for the counted out.
One would imagine that Jeffries him an amazing ring career, so let us hope sixth game which Choy, after being self would have learned from these that he will have the good sense of drawn back to 3-2, took to lead 4—2. foes that the ex-heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey, who refused a third FIVE GAMES RUNNING cannot regain hondars, he has loss; But meeting with Tunney Jack was con- At 6-2 Choy led 40-love, but at after five years? retirement he was per videed THEY NEVER COME BACK each of the three set points Kho pull (COPYRIGHT);
ed him back with passing shots. suaded: to answer the call for a “white.
Boxing - Biggest Fiasco, fourth set point in the same game hope” who might dafant JA
Joht