Coming Soon - In the Ring With Jack Dempsey - Part III: The Championship and Beyond

I'm all in! Finish it up!

 

iF IT'S AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TWO VOLUMES WE ARE IN FOR A TREAT!

 

Looking forward to it, I have the first two. Great work!

 

Very exciting news.

 

Thanks for the heads up. Terrific news.

 

Not only excited to hear about the remainder of Dempsey's career, but also coverage of the rise of Gene Tunney.

 

Tunney, it seems like nobody's looking on him as so talented a fellow as Tommy Gibbons, or unique like Greb. But people respect him as a competent pro who's going to give a fight his best shot, isn't going to beat himself and, even in the Greb I horror show, stands the gaff, learns the hard way, doesn't get discouraged and gets right back on the horse that threw him. The fancy doesn't exactly like Tunney in an enthusiastic manner, but they're brought to respect him, and even acknowledge that he's coming along, in the sort of way that an hour-hand moves in a fashion which doesn't grab attention but is recognizable over time.

 

Curious Mr @apollack if this edition (or one of the earlier ones) sheds any new light on Dempsey’s military service (and lack thereof during WWI)? I’d be curious to know what your research has shown.

 

Nice. I am eager to buy it when it comes out.

 

Dempsey-Sharkey. It's remarkable that even though most observers thought Sharkey ought to have fought Dempsey differently, and some felt Sharkey had assets which _should__ have netted a victory, there's virtually no desire to see Sharkey and Dempsey rematch. Seems like observers felt Jack Sharkey's liabilities ran soul-deep, and Dempsey would always uncover them.

 

Have all three volumes. Absolutely outstanding work.

 

Tex Rickard framed the Dempsey-Sharkey fight as an elimination match with the winner to fight Tunney for the championship. That was the fight that the fans desired to see after Dempsey defeated Sharkey. Afterward, Dempsey had made a bundle fighting Tunney and decided to retire from fighting. He tried partnering with Rickard in the promoting business. When Rickard died, Dempsey moved to Chicago and tried his hand at promoting fights at the Chicago Coliseum. By then, the Great Depression was underway, and the Chicago venture proved to be a total failure. It was at this juncture, in August 1931, that Dempsey decided to bail himself out of debt by going on a barnstorming tour around the country fighting exhibitions against hand-picked local talent. To drum up interest in the tour, he talked like he was considering a real comeback, but it is highly debatable whether he ever had any real intentions in that regard.