Today in Boxing History: Dempsey/Tunney Long Count

On this day in 1927, one of boxing’s most notorious events took place… and Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight championship against Jack Dempsey.

Tunney had taken Dempsey’s heavyweight title when the two first met in Philadelphia a year earlier. The cerebral and fast Tunney dominated Dempsey from start to finish, winning almost every round.

When they faced off again in Chicago a year later, Tunney picked up right where he had left off. But in the seventh, Dempsey broke through Tunney’s defense, and put him on the canvas with a barrage of punches. He would later say, “Seventeen rounds. And now I had him.�

In Dempsey’s era, fighters were allowed to stand over an opponent after knocking him down. However, in this bout – at Dempsey’s insistence – he was required to go to the neutral corner. The only problem was that in all the excitement of knocking Tunney down, he forgot to do so.

Referee Dave Barry took Dempsey’s arm and led him to the corner. Paul Beeler, the official timekeeper, began the count. When Barry returned to Tunney, Beeler’s count stood at five, but Barry started at one. Tunney finally rose at Barry’s county of nine. All in all, he was on the canvas for at least 14 seconds.

The fight continued and Tunney went on to win a decision. Despite outcry from sportswriters and fans and protests by Dempsey, Barry’s count stood, and “The Long Count� remains one of the most controversial moments in boxing history.