The Long Count is the biggest non-controversy in boxing history

For generations the battle of the long count has gone down as one of boxing's biggest controversies. Dempsey apologists often paint this as a robbery of Dempsey. Ive been working on this film lately and Im struck by just how blind some fans can be to the obvious. There was absolutely nothing controversial about this fight. First and foremost the rules in Illinois, and the rules that both Dempsey and Tunney agreed to were that a fighter had to go to the corner in the event of a knockdown. In fact this rule had been in place in New York in 1923 when Dempsey fought Firpo and it was noted by many at the time that he had been allowed to linger over Firpo on several occasions and attack upon rising in that fight.

In the seventh round Dempsey floors Tunney and then begins to linger over him, there are a few seconds of confusion as the referee tries to get Dempsey to a corner. First Dempsey attempts to go to the closest corner to Tunney (directly behind Tunney, and incidentally the same thing he did against Firpo) and then is forced by the referee to observe the rule and go to the far side of the ring before resuming the count. Tunney picks up the count in time, gets up, and then goes on his bicycle before resuming control.

In the next round Tunney floors Dempsey with a short right and Dave Barry immediately jumps in to begin his count but is interrupted before he even completes "1" as Dempsey rises. Dempsey supporters have used this as evidence of a bias by the referee but watch the seventh round again. When Tunney is knocked down Barry does exactly the same thing. Tunney goes down and Barry leaps in with arm raised to begin a count. He even attempts to continue to the count for a split second, looking back at Tunney while trying to usher Dempsey away but is interrupted by Dempsey going to the wrong corner and points to the correct corner.

The only difference in Barry's reaction to Tunney and Dempsey is that Dempsey rose before the count of 1 could even be completed and before there was even a chance for Tunney to go to a different corner or for the referee to direct him there. I see no inconsistency here and given the rules, and the actions of both fighters I see nothing wrong with the officiating or how the fight played out.

There will always be questions about what MIGHT have happened had Dempsey not bungled going to the corner prolonging the count and whether Tunney could have recovered enough without those few extra seconds but the blame for that is on Dempsey, not the referee or Tunney. One could easily turn that argument around and wonder how successful Dempsey would have been against some of his previous opponents had he not been allowed (whether the rules allowed it or not) to linger over his opponents and strike them upon rising.

 

1. That rule had been in place since early 1921 in New York. It was one of the new rules implemented after the Walker law went in place. I can quote the actual rule if need be when i get home. i have it saved
I have the NYSAC rules saved.

2. He also picked up the count immediately when Tunney was down, only stopping to usher Dempsey to his corner. He didnt have this chance in rd 8 because Dempsey rose before Tunney could move and before Barry would need to send Tunney off.

 

That rule is not universal though and examples of this can be cited ad naseum. i seem to recall quite a bit of indignation over Liston being stopped against Ali because he didnt beat the timekeepers count but DID beat the referee's. That wad 40 years later.

 

I just checked every source i can find states that the referee in chicago followed the rules of the isac in the dempsey-tunney 2 fight. the nba came out and publicly supported the referees performance and then adopted a NEW rule whereby the timekeeper continued to count in an event like the 7th round of demosey tunney and the ref would pick up the count after resolving the corner isdue. this was not in effect in illinois according to the sources.