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Re: HitmanDonny's Hall of Fame.
Gene Tunney
The fighting Marine was born on the 25th of May 1898. Originally named Jim in Greenwich Village at 11 Bank Street, He received his name from his younger brother who was unable to pronounce Jim and instead donned him Gene. From an early age Tunney became accustomed with street fighting, but was renowned for his sense of fair play and good manners. His first pay day arrived far from the prize ring as he took a job as a stenographer. However, it was at this time that Gene began to drop into the Greenwich Village Evening Recreation Centre. Of his initial encounter with pugilism Gene was quoted Actually, I was less interested in hitting somebody than I was in not being hit. I was eager to learn how to protect myself. It is clear from these early indicators that the attributes that Tunney was most applauded for outside of the ring, his gentlemanly demeanour and articulate mind were instilled in the man at a young age.
Upon investigation, it appears the attribute associated with Tunney inside the ring was also instilled early. Tunney badly lost his debut amateur fight against another young man by the name of Willie Green.They fought a further four times. Tunney won the rubber match in their fifth fight in which he punished Green badly. This unrivalled courage was demonstrated for a second time in the professional ranks. Tunney met with the notorious Harry Greb and received a savage beating at the hands of the windmill. Tunney trainers, friends and family implored him never to step foot in the ring again with the Devil man. Four fights followed between these two opposites and Greb did not come out on top again! The loss to Greb was the only loss of his career.
It is common knowledge that Tunney began his professional career in the marines, this is in fact untrue. Entering the marines Gene already had five professional bouts. Billy Jacobs persuaded Gene to enter the Sharkey Athletic Club in New York and the journey began. His skill began to gain him a reputation, but his fighting courage and heart was confirmed in a fight where he represented the Marines against the US armies Sergeant Wuehrle whom Tunney came from behind to force the referee to declare a dubious uncompleted contest! It was whilst in the Marines Tunney began to believe. On tour in Germany with the German expeditionary forces he predicted When Dempsey loses it wont be because hes outfought, it will be because hes outboxed, and at a later debate You may or may not agree with me, Im not asking you, but I have the speed, the defence and the scientific fighting to beat Jack Dempsey someday.
In 1922 following a string of successful bouts Tunney entered the ring against Harry in what was to be an absolute bloodbath. For fifteen rounds Tunney took a systematic, brutal and damaging barrage of hateful punches in what turned out to be his first and solitary defeat. Rumour had it Tunney considered quitting boxing, yet records show that within two days Gene approached the boxing commission with a sum of $2,500 in search of a rematch. This rematch occurred in February and Tunney miraculously reversed the result. A year later he outfoxed and stopped Georges Carpentier and stopped Tommy Gibbons, the man who had forced Dempsey the distance.
. Tommy Reilly refereed what was seen to be another routine Dempsey exhibition of violence. Dempsey exploded from his corner, in typical Dempsey style he drove Tunney back and landed a good left, yet surprisingly Tunney seemed to like boxing off the back foot and the next scoring blow was a hard counter right landed flush by Tunney. At the end of the first video evidence shows Tunney pursuing a dazed Dempsey and the rest is history. The next day Tunney went to visit the ex-champion to find him in a darkened room, alone and inconsolable.
21 July 1927 Dempseyy met the ever popular Jack Sharkey (whose real name was Joseph Paul Zukauskas) and although Sharkey fought gallantly and attempted to outbox Dempsey he was viscerally dispatched with the left hook. With this demonstration Jack Dempsey was back in the mix and Tunneys reputation rose, the battle of the Long count was in fruition. There has been so much written and debated on this subject that it does not need to be retold here. Tunney retained his title in indefinitely the most debated fight of the era. Tunney only defended the Title once more as before the fight he engaged to wed. In what is remembered as a masterful exhibition of skill and wit Tunney stopped Tom Heeny of New Zealand with 11 seconds remaining in Round 11. The fight was simply artistic and Tunney moved on afterward to Hollywood.
There is a second motive behind Tunneys retirement, having witnessed his close friend Gene Delmont blinded in an exhibition Tunney felt he could not willingly inflict damage upon another man and retired.
Tunney remains one of the most under rated and least remembered heavyweight fighters of all time. His defensive brilliance was decades ahead of his time, his training was carefully considered and calculated and his approach to the sweet science was entirely emotionless and professional. In short he was a fighter we would worship in our own era, so why not remember The fighting Marine.
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Originally Posted by hitmandonny
Great Read Donny.We need much more of this to keep the past Era's and great memories alive.Sometimes we get caught up In a "seeing is believing " mentality and set aside history and old time greats as untouchable entity's and or uncertain facts . Its all there to be disected,explored and obtained.Boxing did not start with us and god willing it will outlive every one of us so the next generations of fans can read and 'live' ,with todays technology,what we witnessed with todays greats.
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Re: HitmanDonny's Hall of Fame.
. The way you Rep Is by clicking the grey scales in the upper right hand corner and that should do It . How about a Bio on George Dixon?
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