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Show VXHILE variouj promoters still are groping in the dark for a new heavyweight champion, with Joe Louis in possible retirement, there is a chance that the world soon will be cluttered up with ex-heavywelfht ex-heavywelfht stars. They make an interesting group: It was a matter of 49 years ago that Jim Jeffries knocked out Bob Fitzsimmons. The heavyweight champions cham-pions followed in this order: Tommy Burns, Jack Johnson, John-son, Jess Willard, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Max Schmeling, Jack Sharkey, Primo Camera, Max Baer, Jim Braddock and finally Louis. From this parade of 12 men, only DEMPSEY Johnson is missing. And he was killed in a motor car accident. Jeffries Jef-fries is still alive hale and rather hearty and so are Burns, Willard, Dempsey, Tunney, Schmeling, Sharkey, Camera, Baer, Braddock and Louis. The span from Jeffries to Louis covers almost half a century, cen-tury, and to have 11 out of 12 ex-champions still Inhabiting this planet Is full proof they are a hardy lot. Big Camera still is wrestling, or giving imitations thereof, and Dempsey still is refereeing now and then. Jeffries has been running a boxing school and holding fight nights. Louis says he is through, but he still hasn't turned la any formal or official abdication. Still in Good Shape Two men still in fine physical shape are Dempsey and Tunney. Both are now around 220 pounds, which could be a trifle lower, but they still look like ex-champions ought to look. At least they look as If they could handle most of the phony heavyweights I've seen around in the last few years. It might also be mentioned that outside of Louis, the two old rivals are better fixed financially finan-cially than any other heavyweight heavy-weight in history. Dompsey has one of the most beautiful homes in Los Angeles for his two laughters, while Tunney and his family never will have to worry wor-ry about the next beefsteak and ' caviar. I understand Sharkey isn't doing too badly, and I know Camera has been mopping up in the weird and incredible wrestling game. A Memorable Group Is it possible there could be any group more different than the 11 heavyweight champions still living? I doubt it I'd like to see motion picture shorts made of their lives: The big, burly bald-headed Jeffries Jef-fries now over 70 the toughest of them all. He was aa old man physically physi-cally when he fought Johnson, who was far below Louis in all moral values but a great fighter. Bums over (0 hooked in some odd philosophy of life. Willard a 260-pound giant the least equipped of them all mentally. men-tally. Just a guy who weighed 250 pounds. Ask Dempsey and others. Dempsey a firebrand In his day, an ex-hobo. Babe Ruth's successor. suc-cessor. Tough and rough in the ring. One of the few gentlemen I've known outside of the ring. The one colorful figure left in sport. ' Dempsey, the killer, Is also Dempsey who always thinks of the underdog and has given away more money to bums and has-beens than any two men in sports. As great a guy as any- on I ever met. I tnly wish I knew more words to write shout him. Tunney the man who made himself. A man of character and Intelligence. Not too much inclined towards popularity. Dempsey loved people; Tunney never did. Smart, keen, a man of indomitable will power. A man you must know to like, since he makes no effort to make new friends. But one who has written a great chapter in sport that will be remembered later on. Far up the ladder. Fill-Ins for Tunney Schmeling, Sharkey, Camera, Baer, Braddock. Here are five heavyweights that just happened to fill in after Tunney retired. Dempsey Demp-sey at bis peak could have stopped them all in two rounds. Tunney could have chopped them into mincemeat Camera was a clowa. Sharkey was aaother might-have-been, who was never tee smart la the ring. "I had Dempsey knocked at tn the first round," ha told me, "whea I stopped to make an address to the crowd that had betted me. Dempsey was oa the ropes." Now Louis. A great champion. A boxer and a puncher. Especially a puncher. Game, but no Dempsey at taking a punch. They all came along and knocked Louis down. I think Dempsey would have knocked him out. |