The genius of Tunney

[billeau2]

- - Corbett was a cadaver by then. It was just fake spar for cameras to roust up the rubes.

No... Tunney was giving Corbett the role of a mentor. Yes, the sparring was not on an equal footing. When I am teaching a student, the Ginsburgh shuffle, at 60 years old, the students interest is not in going hammer and tongs, they are learning. Tunney was obviously giving Corbett that space.

[QueensburyRules]

No... Tunney was giving Corbett the role of a mentor. Yes, the sparring was not on an equal footing. When I am teaching a student, the Ginsburgh shuffle, at 60 years old, the students interest is not in going hammer and tongs, they are learning. Tunney was obviously giving Corbett that space.

- - Promo...Tunney had nothing of significance to learn from Corbett then.

[Willie Pep 229]

It was probably a treat for Corbett. He was being redeemed.

When Corbett dominated Sullivan it was thought by the boxing world that boxing would, without question, now dominate over brawling and shear strength. A new era had arrived.

But then the next champions (Fitzsimmons, Jeffries, Burns, Wiilard, Dempsey) were all better known for their power and tenacity than for their skills.

Between Corbett and Tunney the only "scientific boxer" champion (to use a clich?of the day) was Jack Johnson.

But Corbett seems to have been a serious racist and would never have embraced Johnson.

So in a sense, it takes Tunney beating Dempsey to finally redeem Corbett's style; Corbett finally had a champion where he could see a mirror image of himself.

It was probably Corbett's last day in the sun and he probably enjoyed the attention; the redemption.

The boxer was once again on the top, not the big punch guy.

[billeau2]

- - Promo...Tunney had nothing of significance to learn from Corbett then.

How could you possibly know that? Some people are always willing to learn from others and Tunney, as an irishman had a lot of respect for Corbett. I mean LOOK at the film! Its obvious Tunney has that type of respect for Corbett... By contrast look at when Corbett and Sullivan get together... they obviously hated each other and had to keep from coming to blows.

[QueensburyRules]

How could you possibly know that? Some people are always willing to learn from others and Tunney, as an irishman had a lot of respect for Corbett. I mean LOOK at the film! Its obvious Tunney has that type of respect for Corbett... By contrast look at when Corbett and Sullivan get together... they obviously hated each other and had to keep from coming to blows.

- - Tunney already had respect for Corbett. It was just a publicity stunt to promote new fangled cinematography and of course Corbett was always a publicity hog, a true diva who renounced his heavy title before the turn of the century.

[billeau2]

- - Tunney already had respect for Corbett. It was just a publicity stunt to promote new fangled cinematography and of course Corbett was always a publicity hog, a true diva who renounced his heavy title before the turn of the century.

Yes... This much I agree with.

[ShoulderRoll]

I have heard but never been able to verify that Gene spent some time with or studied the craft with the Gibbons brothers in Minnesota I think it was. But you hear a lot of things you don't know the veracity of.

Tunney was a big admirer of Mike Gibbons and patterned his style after him.

[Slugfester]

Tunney was a big admirer of Mike Gibbons and patterned his style after him.

Fantastic! Do you have any more information on this, and sources? Maybe just something you heard once upon a time. Speak, oracle.

[ShoulderRoll]

Fantastic! Do you have any more information on this, and sources? Maybe just something you heard once upon a time. Speak, oracle.

“Gene Tunney called Gibbons 'the perfect boxer.' Gene said he learned more about the technique of boxing and punching from watching Mike training in New York gymnasiums and in actual fights in Gotham than he learned from any other individual associated with the fistic sport. Moreover, Tunney has told me it was Gibbons' clean-cut victory over Jack Dillon, the mighty light heavyweight from Indianapolis, that inspired in him the belief he could whip Jack Dempsey."

-George A. Barton. My Lifetime In Sports. Minneapolis: The Olympic Press, 1957

[Slugfester]

“Gene Tunney called Gibbons 'the perfect boxer.' Gene said he learned more about the technique of boxing and punching from watching Mike training in New York gymnasiums and in actual fights in Gotham than he learned from any other individual associated with the fistic sport. Moreover, Tunney has told me it was Gibbons' clean-cut victory over Jack Dillon, the mighty light heavyweight from Indianapolis, that inspired in him the belief he could whip Jack Dempsey."

-George A. Barton. My Lifetime In Sports. Minneapolis: The Olympic Press, 1957

Beautiful. Thanks an octillion.