Show When Tunney Tunnel and Corbett Sparred I I By GRANTLAND RICE RICE- i HEY WERE TALKING about the i j 11 rings ring's best boxers They were a la bunch of time old-time fight writers i and land time old-time fighters They had listed Joe Gans Cans Sam Langford jack rack Jack Blackburn Gene Tunney Joe JoeLouis Louis Tommy Loughran Packy McFarland Benny Leonard and a afew afew few others other They also naturally named Jim Corbett as one of the I best Ill I'll take a r i r t chance and pick t Corbett as THE i i best est boxer of all time t ti i Heres Here's one of many other rea rea- rea- rea 1 sons Just a short while w h i I e before Gene G ene Tunney met Jack Demp- Demp p f. f Grantland Rice sey for the title l y Jim Corbett had written a book books s ij called The Roar of the Crowd J Jim was looking for some pub pub- publicity publicity for the book Tunney at atthe atthe atthe the time was looking for pub pub- publicity publicity publicity that would help him nail down the Dempsey fight Gene was just finishing a long cam cam- campaign campaign campaign for the championship So Sot t 1 Jack Eaton and your correspondent correspondent correspondent I dent got the idea of using Cor Cor- Corbett CorI Corbett bett and Tunney in a one I f in our movie sport-reel sport series Both agreed promptly The meet- meet meetIng meeting meeting Ing was to be only ocly two rounds at two minutes each The only outsider er permitted to see the boxing duel was Frank Craven the late lae and always brilliant actor Jim Corbett was iwas then 63 years old Tunney was 1 around 25 or 26 Tunney was dressed in full fighting costume but Corbett asked to be allowed to wear long white trousers My legs are not what they used to be he said They have thinned out a lot I dont don't want the old gang around the Olympic Club in San Francisco to note the change In addition to his 63 years Corbett also had a cold Gene Tunney Tonney later admitted that he had never faced a boxer with that much boxing skill Corbett I would feint with his left and then lead with his left Or he would feint with his left two or three times before calling on his right Old Jim had an amazing amazing amazing ing repertoire I 1 used the feint he said both bothon on attack and defense Most box box- boxers boxers boxers ers now use it only in defense defense- to make you miss The feint is a I wonderful attacking device It was not only the various uses Cor Cor- Corbett Corbett Corbett bett had for his feinting but also the speed of his hands at 63 Nat Nat- Naturally Naturally Naturally Gene Tunney was not out outto outto outto to show Corbett up or to make it I too rough But Corbett kept Tun Tun- Tunney Tunney Tunney I ney busy enough through those four minutes And Tunney that afternoon was wasat wasat wasat at his peak as a boxer one boxer one of the best in the game Corbetts Corbett's Choice They always said I was a boxer who couldn't punch Gentleman G Jim said ore one day dayI dayI dayI I could punch more than hard enough But there were two fights fi ts that I won won von by knockouts In both I hurt my hands So I got to tOI thinking l I knew I could anyone then around by by a wide wd margin So I de decided d de- de decided to tb save my hands and win wm I decisions A good boxer b x r can can last fast much longer than a good goo slugger sl In Jn Inthe the he first place he can save him him- himself himsel himself self sel from punishment ment Especially to his IDs hands In the second place he can concentrate on one detail in place of two That was was some 24 years ago But even then Corbett was se- se verly critical of the t 1 way all n fighters that far back trained All AIl except Gene Tunney who studied the game g- g gme me Intelligently f who who worked studied the ef ef- effect effect effect of many punches and punches and who also kept himself in marvelous condition for the five years years' needed to reach and hold his goal Dempsey cant can't relax Corbett said at that time Jack goes out for the quick kill He puts every every- everything everything everything thing he has into his earlier as as- Dempsey has the finest com com- competitive competitive competitive spirit Ive I've ever seen Tunney Tun Tun- Tunney Tunney ney is the coolest man in the ring ringIve ringIve ringIve Ive I've ever seen Here are two great fighters who are almost opposite in everything they do Dempsey is 99 per cent attack attack Tunney Tunney at least 80 per cent defense But dont don't think Tunney cant can't hurt you When you think of fighters like Corbett Dempsey and Tunney Tunney- and Louis in his prime prime and and then look look at the morbid heavyweights you see today you wonder how such sucha a change could take place Future of Cardinals Is the once great Cardinal ma ma- machine machine machine chine on its way out At least it faces stormy days When Bob Han- Han Hannegan Hannegan and Fred took over the star team of the older league both knew the handicap they faced Our farm system is far behind what it should be Hannegan told me one day just before he died Branch Rickey is with Brooklyn building up that organization now and arid Sam Breadon has been too sick to plan anything Fred is one of the smartest operators baseball has is isa isa isa a keen working hard-working owner But neither owners nor managers bat hit run or throw No one could ask for a better manager than Eddie Dyer the Texan But Dyer cant can't replace old tiring arms and legs with the sin sin- sinews sinews sinews of youth Today the Cardinals have Stan almost half a ball club and Red another star |