I bought a copy of "Tunney:Boxing’s Brainiest Champ and His Upset of the Great Jack Dempsey" by Jack Cavanaugh yesterday (first day out) and have not been able to put the book down.

On September 23, 1926, in Philadelphia, Gene Tunney easily defeated Jack Dempsey for the title of heavyweight champion of the world, Dempsey was the Mike Tyson of his era, and his beating at the hands of the defense-minded, Shakespeare-quoting Tunney shocked the boxing cognoscenti. Exactly 364 days later, Tunney beat Dempsey again in the famous "Long-Count" match, still one of the most controversial in the history of boxing.

The two fights marked a pinnacle of popular success for boxing (which in the preceding decades had been illegal in much of the country), drew the largest crowds of any sporting event at that time and made the principals the most highly paid athletes in the world. In victory, however, Tunney proved to be an unpopular champion both with sportswriters and the American public, who like their heroes more common-minded. After successfully defending his title once more, Tunney took his millions, married an heiress and settled down in Greenwich, Conn.

Suprisingly, the losses only increased the popularity of Dempsey, who until then faced accusations of being a greedy draft dodger

A really excellent biography and unique insight into a vanished era. Highly recommended.

R