Dempsey and Tunney in the Roaring Twenties

Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney were among the most revered and popular heavyweight champions in the sport’s history. Rising to prominence during the 1920s, they have since become known as the most significant fighters of a rip-roaring, wide-open decade in American life. Twice they met in the ring in hugely anticipated and closely watched encounters. One bout included the so-called “Long Count,” perhaps the most memorable round in boxing history. Both men’s fame endured in retirement and even today, nearly a century after their contests, their rivalry is considered to be among the best-remembered and most talked-about in the history of the mano-mano sport. This history of one of boxing’s most compelling rivalries is illustrated with photographs from the era, capturing the spirit of America’s most exhilarating decade.

Lew Freedman is a long-time, prize-winning journalist for such newspapers as the Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, Anchorage Daily News and Wyoming’s Cody Enterprise. Specializing in sports and the outdoors, he has written more than 100 books. He lives in Columbus, Indiana.

Lew Freedman
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: ca. 35 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9555-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5573-4
Imprint: McFarland