Gene Tunney

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Lore & Background

Gene Tunney first won the world heavyweight title on September 23, 1926, by beating Jack Dempsey in ten rounds by unanimous decision at Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia. The rematch took place exactly 364 days later on September 22, 1927, at Chicago's Soldier Field. In the seventh round, Tunney was knocked down for the first time in his career after Dempsey landed two rights and two lefts on his chin, followed by four more punches. Referee Dave Barry ordered Dempsey to a neutral corner, but Dempsey lingered, delaying the count. By the time Dempsey walked to a neutral corner, Tunney had been down for around 3 to 8 seconds. Barry counted to nine before Tunney got up. The fight film's superimposed clock recorded Tunney's time on the floor as 13 seconds. Tunney floored Dempsey in the eighth round and went on to retain the title by unanimous decision. After the fight, Dempsey lifted Tunney's arm and said, "You were best. You fought a smart fight, kid." It was Dempsey's last career fight. Tunney said he picked up the referee's count at "two" and could have gotten up at any point, preferring to wait until "nine" for tactical reasons. Dempsey responded, "I have no reason not to believe him. Gene's a great guy."

Reader's Guide

Gene Tunney's significance lies in his two victories over Jack Dempsey, particularly the Long Count Fight. The fight took place under new rules: a fallen fighter had ten seconds to rise after his opponent moved to a neutral corner. The Dempsey camp requested this rule, but Dempsey apparently ignored it in training. The bout was staged in a 20-foot ring, which favored Tunney's superior footwork over Dempsey's preference for a 16-foot ring. Tunney dominated rounds one through six, building a points lead. After the seventh-round knockdown, Tunney resumed boxing from a distance in the eighth round and floored Dempsey. Tunney controlled the final two rounds to win by unanimous decision. Controversy erupted over whether Dempsey's delay cost him a knockout. A 1912 federal law banning transportation of boxing films across state lines prevented most people from seeing the footage until the law was repealed. Once the film became viewable, the controversy dwindled. Tunney and Dempsey later became good friends who visited each other frequently. Both are members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. In March 2011, Tunney's family donated the gloves he wore in the fight to The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Did You Know?

• The fight drew a gate of $2,658,660, the first $2 million gate in entertainment history.
• Tunney received a record purse of $990,445 for the rematch.
• The fight film's superimposed clock recorded Tunney's time on the floor as 13 seconds.
• After the fight, Dempsey lifted Tunney's arm and said, 'You were best. You fought a smart fight, kid.'
• In March 2011, Tunney's family donated the gloves he wore in the fight to The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

The Knockdown That Defined Boxing History

In the seventh round of the September 22, 1927 rematch at Soldier Field, world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney was knocked down for the first time in his career. Trapped against the ropes near a corner, Tunney absorbed two rights and two lefts to his chin, followed by four more punches that put him on the canvas. Dizzy and disoriented, Tunney grabbed the top rope with his left hand. Former champion Jack Dempsey stood over him, observing, instead of moving to a neutral corner as ordered by referee Dave Barry. By the time Dempsey finally walked to a neutral corner, Tunney had been down for around 3 to 8 seconds. Barry counted to nine before Tunney got up. The fight film's superimposed clock recorded Tunney's time on the floor as 13 seconds. This delay gave the fight its retroactive name: the Long Count Fight, or the Battle of the Long Count. Whether the long count affected the outcome remains a subject of debate.

Two Champions, Two Worlds

The 1927 rematch was a collision of two very different men. Just 364 days earlier, on September 23, 1926, Tunney had beaten Dempsey in ten rounds by unanimous decision to lift the world heavyweight title at Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia. Dempsey was one of the so-called "big five" sports legends of the 1920s, and it was widely rumored that he had refused to join the military during World War I — though he actually had attempted to enlist but was turned down, and a jury later exonerated him of draft evasion. Tunney, a former member of the United States Marine Corps, was nicknamed "The Fighting Marine" and enjoyed literature and the arts. Dempsey was favored by odds makers in both fights, largely because of public betting which heavily tilted towards Dempsey. The rematch at Chicago's Soldier Field drew 104,943 spectators and produced a gate of $2,658,660 — the first $2 million gate in entertainment history. Tunney received a record purse of $990,445. The match was broadcast by announcers Graham McNamee and Phillips Carlin to more than 60 NBC radio stations.

A Controversy That Outlived the Bell

Controversy over the Long Count Fight erupted promptly after the bout. A significant factor in prolonging the controversy was that, at the time, U.S. law prohibited the transportation of boxing match movies across state lines. This law had been passed in 1912 in reaction to riots that broke out after Jack Johnson's 1910 victory over James J. Jeffries. As a result, almost nobody was able to see the counts for themselves. Once the law was repealed and the footage became widely viewable, the controversy dwindled. To this day, boxing fans argue over whether Dempsey could or should have won the fight. What is not in dispute is that the public's affection for Dempsey grew in the wake of his two losses to Tunney. "In defeat, he gained more stature," wrote the Washington Post's Shirley Povich. "He was the loser in the battle of the long count, yet the hero." Tunney said he had picked up the referee's count at "two" and could have gotten up at any point after that, preferring to wait until "nine" for obvious tactical reasons. Dempsey said, "I have no reason not to believe him. Gene's a great guy."

Tactics, Rules, and a Final Bow

The tactical setup of the 1927 rematch played a significant role in the outcome. The Dempsey camp requested that the fight use new rules regarding knockdowns: the fallen fighter would have ten seconds to rise after his opponent had moved to a neutral corner. Dempsey, in the final days of training, apparently ignored the setting of the new rule. The fight was staged inside a 20-foot ring, which favored the boxer with superior footwork — in this case, Tunney. Dempsey liked to crowd his opponents and normally fought in a 16-foot ring that offered less space to maneuver. For the first six rounds, Tunney dominated, using his familiar style of boxing from a distance and building a points lead. After the seventh-round knockdown, Tunney resumed boxing from a distance in the eighth round and floored Dempsey with a punch. This time, referee Dave Barry started counting right away, before Tunney had moved to a neutral corner. Tunney dominated the final two rounds and retained the world title by unanimous decision. After the fight, Dempsey lifted Tunney's arm and said, "You were best. You fought a smart fight, kid." It was Dempsey's last career fight, and Tunney's next-to-last.