June 1919 Jack Dempsey

Jack Dempsey had become the heavyweight champ the same year the paper was born, in 1919

Only five years earlier, at the age of 19, he had entered his first competition in place of his brother, Bernie, who was much older and had used the name "Jack" in the ring, in Cripple Creek, Colorado where he downed his competitor 8 times in the first two rounds, both of them winded early on.  

Jack was on record noting that, "Neither Bernie nor I had taken into consideration the high altitude at Cripple Creek." 

The ref made the very unusual move of stopping the fight after the seventh round, calling it for Jack.  According to Dempsey "In those days they didn't stop mining-town fights as long as one guy could move." He won $100. 

Five years later, how far he's come!