The official blog for singer, writer, director and human rights advocate Aisha and her affiliated web sites.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
The Long Count Fight Between Jack Dempsey And Gene Tunney (Videos)
Longer version without audio:
Here's a flashback for you. The 1927 rematch "the Long Count" fight between light heavyweight boxers Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney went down in history as one of the most lucrative and controversial of its day. Two boxing legends fought in Chicago, Illinois at Soldier Field, before a sold out crowd of 104,943 people. 15,000,000 people also listened to the fight on the radio. The fight grossed over $2,658,660 in ticket sales, which when adjusted for inflation is approximately $22,000,000.
Short version with audio:
Due to Dempsey waiting 5 seconds to return to a neutral corner after knocking down Tunney, the 10-second count was delayed. Hence, the fight being dubbed "the Long Count." Tunney regained his focus with the extra 5-seconds and came back and won the fight (beat him in their first match as well in 1926). Dempsey later stated, "It's hard to stop what you're doing, standing over a guy and waiting for him to get up." Controversial or not, Dempsey and Tunney were very skilled boxers, who had many fights and formidable careers in boxing.
Bonus video: Jack Dempsey vs. Jess Willard "The Worst Beating in Boxing History"
