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BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Sept. 4. After a year’s lay-off, Jack Demp sey, heavyweight boxing champion of the world, will get back into action Monday, in Floyd Fitzsimmon's big arena here, with Billy Miske. St.Paul heavyweight, for his opponent in a match in which the championship ti tle is the biggest stake. It is the third fight between the two men and Dempsey's first scrap in defense of the title which he won a year ago from Jess Willard. There will be no decision in the bout, under the agreement signed by the fighters and in conformity with the boxing laws for Michigan That Dempsey will try his utmost to knock out Miske is a foregone conclusion. If the St. Paul battler is able to stave off defeat by this method he will stand out as the best heavyweight in the country, bar ring only the champion himself, for on two other occasions he has kept away from the dangerous punch—the only man to last a full fight against Dempsey since he started his aston ishing climb to the top of the divi sion. The first time Dempsey and Miske met they went ten rounds in St.Paul and so good was Miske that night that several newspapermen declared Miske had held Dempsey even. Others said Dempsey won. The general opin ion was that the bout was a draw. Piuce because he had been unable oo stop Miske, Dempsey asked for another bout, and they were put on in Philadelphia, when six-round bouts were being conducted there. Again the St. Paul man stood up throug the mill, but he was a badly battered pugilist at the end. Some critics be lieved Miske was entitled to a draw in this engagement, but the consen sus gave the verdict to Dempsey. On the night of July 3, 1919, Miske met Battling Levinsky, the American light heavyweight champion, in an arena near Toledo, where Dempsey was to fight Jess Willard the next day. He put up a strong fight against Levinsky, but that was practically his last bout.He took to his bed soon after, attacked by Bright's dis ease. For a lone time Miske was very ill, but clean living and careful diet conquered his ailment and, as soon as he was able to dispense with physicians he went into the woods and stayed there for several months. When he came out he not, only was a better man than when taken ill, but he had grown taller and heavier. Miske went at once into training and shortly afterward entered into his first bout. He won it by a knock out. He tried another and the same thing resulted. It was evident that he was ready again for hard ring work. Some concern over Miske's condi tion has been expressed in some quarters. It has been contended that since his illness he is no fit opponent for Dempsey, but his last few fights do not warrant such a statement. When the pair meet Monday Miske will be practically Dempsey’s match in every particular save one—the powerful punch. He weighs more than 190 pounds, which is near Demp sey’s best fighting weight. The two men are practically the same height, Miske's reach is long and his body built proportionately to his weight. The big question among the fight fans is whether Dempsey will be able to stop the St. Paul fighter. No one expects Miske to accomplish such a thing as a knockout against Demp sey, but it was considered as a re mote possibility that he might out point the champion. ‘The betting ha been light but favorable to the cham pion at long odds. Dempsey will receive $50,000 for his bout provided 506 per cent of the cross receipts is not in excess of that sum. If the receipts run Great er Dempsey will take 50 per cent. Miske will receive $15,000. Immediately after the Miske bout Dempsey is expected to go to Boston to meet the ancient Gunboat Smith. This, of course, hinges to a great ex tent on what happens in Monday's bout.
Newspaper Details
Brownwood Bulletin
Brownwood, Texas, US
Sat, Sep 04, 1920
Page 9
Full Page
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Tim A.
CA, USA 14 Jul 2026
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