Daily Kennebec Journal

Dempsey Confident
Will Keep Crown for
Some Years to Come

New York, March 1—(AP)—Jack Dempsey today paused in his long sparring match with boxing boards, promoters, politicians and managers over proposed fights with Harry Wills and Gene Tunney, to forecast retention of his title for several years to come and his ultimate departure from the heavyweight throne as a "fighting champion."

"I honestly and sincerely believe I am as good today as the day I won the championship from Jess Willard," the champion said. "Naturally, I am a bit ring rusty, but I'm not half as rusty as some people think, for I've never given up boxing. That's part of my regular exercise.

I'll be licked when my time comes," he continued. "But I'm not going to be licked anywhere near as soon as some people may imagine. And it will not be because I won't fight."

The champion then made his oft-repeated declaration that he was ready to step into the ring "as soon as I'm shown the money and guaranteed protection."

Dempsey displayed interest in the defeat of Harry Greb by Tiger Flowers for the middleweight title. The suggestion that Greb's defeat was due in part, at least, to a lack of condition prompted the heavyweight champion to say that "If I'm ever whipped, it will be the fists of an opponent; not by Broadway."

"I like my recreation and amusement as well as anyone else, but for every hour I spend in a lobster palace I spend one hundred in the open air. You can't be a champion in anything and hit up the stuff. Fortunately for me, I realized that early in my career," he concluded.