Dempsey in Nevada

by Clifton, Guy

• ISBN13: 9780930083335
• ISBN10: 0930083334
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-21
• Publisher: Jack Bacon & Co

Summary

Jack Dempsey's first trip to Nevada came as he clung to the underbelly of a train, a dangerous practice known as "riding the rods" and utilized by those too poor to purchase a ticket for one of the passenger cars.In later years, Dempsey, the heavyweight boxing champion from 1919 to 1926, returned to a hero's welcome with newspapermen, children and divorcees following his every move.Many people are surprised to learn that Dempsey once called Nevada home. Little remains to commemorate that time other than the yellowed archives of Nevada newspapers and the memories of a handful of old-timers. The fact is, Dempsey left footprints all over the Silver State."Dempsey In Nevada" is an untold chapter in Nevada's history and an untold story in the life of one of the great sports figures of the 20th Century.Jack Dempsey was born in Colorado and raised in Utah, but he was hardened in the rough-and-tumble mining camps of Nevada where he literally fought to eat. After winning the world heavyweight championship in 1919 - a title he held until 1926 - he became the greatest drawing card in sports, attracting tens of thousands of spectators to each of his bouts. He fought in the first $1 million gate in 1921 against French war hero Georges Carpentier and the first $2 million gate in 1927 against Gene Tunney in the famous "long-count" fight.Dempsey helped usher in the era referred to as "The Golden Age of Sport." Along with baseball's Babe Ruth, football's Red Grange, golf's Bobby Jones and tennis' Bill Tilden, Dempsey was a giant of the era and made more money in a single fight than all the others combined. Babe Ruth's largest salary with the Yankees was $85,000. Dempsey made $717,000 for his first fight with Gene Tunney.He lost his fortune in the stock market crash of 1929 and set about reclaiming it with Reno as his base in the early 1930s, first as a fight promoter and then, once again, as a fighter as he set out to reclaim the heavyweight championship.

Author Biography

Guy Clifton, a third-generation Nevadan, has been a sportswriter since 1982, receiving state,regional and national awards for his writing. He has worked for the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, Gardnerville Record-Courier, Fishing & Hunting News and the TahoeWorld. He is currently a senior reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal. ôDempsey in Nevadaö is his fourth book. He has also written ôReno Rodeo: A History,ö and two volumes of ôYouKnowYou'reANevadan Ifàö