Historic Fights of the Century, Part III- 1920's

Gene Tunney vs. Jack Dempsey II (September 22nd, 1927)

By Michael Lamkin
FightBeat.com Staff Writer

When Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney first fought on September 23, 1926, it was a relatively uneventful contest.  Dempsey had been inactive for three years, and it showed as he was thoroughly outboxed over 10 rounds. A then-record crowd of 120,757 withstood pouring rains in Philadelphia to see a new champion crowned. A rematch was all but guaranteed.  

Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey would step into the ring again one year later. What transpired between the ropes that day would generate so much debate and controversy that it would be forever referred to as “The Long Count.” 

The beating that Tunney had administered in their first fight was so great and decisive, that Dempsey would have to fight another ranked heavyweight in order to prove himself worthy of another title shot. Jack Sharkey, a top contender whose most noteworthy victory was over Harry Wills, was chosen as Dempsey’s opponent. The two would meet in Yankee Stadium on July 21, 1927. 

Initially, Sharkey elected to stay on the outside and box Dempsey, who was just as ineffective here as he was against Tunney 10 months earlier. Soon thereafter, Sharkey abandoned his boxing style and began to fight on the inside against Dempsey. This style of fighting was tailor-made for the ex-champion, and Sharkey would soon pay for his mistake. 

Dempsey attacked the body viciously, and in the seventh round landed a punch that Sharkey claimed to be low. As Sharkey turned to the referee to protest, Dempsey connected with a smashing left hook that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas for a 10 count. Despite Sharkey’s protests, the referee upheld the decision.  

With that victory behind him, Dempsey could now look forward to a return bout with Tunney.  Promoter Tex Rickard soon announced that the rematch would take place in Chicago on September 22, 1927. 

A crowd of 104,943 packed into Soldier Field, putting the live gate at a then-record $2.6 million. For their forthcoming efforts, Dempsey was to receive $450,000 while the champion Tunney pocketed an even $1 million. The original referee, Dave Miller, was replaced at the last minute due to incessant rumors that notorious gangster Al Capone had attempted to fix the fight. Dave Barry, a ring veteran with nearly 600 contests under his belt, was selected as the replacement. 

For those who believed the three-year layoff had much to do with Dempsey’s performance in the first fight, the fight did not get off to a promising start. Dempsey was easily kept at bay by Tunney’s jabs and counterpunching. Despite Dempsey’s best efforts, the fight was progressing much the same as the previous one. Dempsey looked sluggish, slow and was being totally outclassed by the superior boxer for the first six rounds of the fight. 

When the bell rang for round seven, Dempsey came out like a man possessed. Having trapped Tunney against the ropes, Dempsey unleashed a furious left hook followed by a volley of punches that was reminiscent of “The Manassa Mauler” in his prime. Blow after blow connected against Tunney’s chin until the champion finally collapsed onto the canvas.   

As Tunney struggled to regain his composure, the crowd roared in anticipation of seeing Dempsey crowned the first ever two-time Heavyweight Champion.   

There was only one problem:  The referee wasn’t issuing a count. 

In the past when a fighter was knocked down, the other fighter was allowed to stand almost directly over them until they arose. A new rule had been installed before the rematch stating that when a fighter is knocked down, the opposing fighter must go directly to a neutral corner before the referee begins counting.   

Once he knocked Tunney down, Dempsey refused to go to a neutral corner. By the time the referee had ushered Dempsey to a neutral corner and began his count, the ringside timekeeper had already reached the count of five. Tunney rose to his feet as the referee reached the count of nine, but it had actually been 14 seconds since the champion was knocked down. 

Despite Dempsey’s urgings to “come on and fight,” Tunney danced away and survived to hear the bell ending the round.  

In round eight, Tunney had regained the momentum of the fight, even scoring a knockdown of Dempsey himself.  The fight went the distance, and Tunney was once again awarded a unanimous decision over his nemesis.  However, Tunney and his corner were the only ones doing any celebrating.  The crowd was livid. 

Nearly all in attendance believed that Dempsey had fallen victim to a “long count.”  The excitement and shock that resulted from the seventh round knockdown was enough to cause one radio listener to have a heart attack.  Newspapers across the country gave front page coverage to the controversial bout.  Did the referee make the right call?  Was Dempsey the uncrowned champion? 

Some had claimed that Tunney benefited from the extra time - he didn’t begin to rise until the referee counted to eight when actually 13 seconds had passed.  By that reasoning, Tunney was realistically down longer than the required ten-count and Dempsey should have been given the victory. 

Tunney and his supporters had long maintained that he was in complete control of his senses, and he merely took as much time as possible before getting up at the count of nine.  They used the actual fight film to boost their claims, as Tunney was clearly looking at the referee and paying attention to the count. 

In the years since, there are many who continue to feel that Jack Dempsey was cheated of a victory.  This, despite the fact that Dempsey himself later conceded victory to Tunney: 

“I didn't know what I was doing, I guess I was punchy. I didn't get to my corner. Besides, Tunney wasn't hurt that bad.” 

Had it not been for that seventh round knockdown, the Tunney-Dempsey rivalry would simply be remembered as two lackluster fights between an aging brawler and a master boxer. All it took was five seconds to turn a semi-entertaining bout into one of the most controversial prize fights in boxing history.

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