Firemen from around Cincinnati just squared off against police officers in a charity boxing match at Horseshoe Casino called Guns & Hoses. The firemen managed to capture the overall victory. 15 out of the 22 fights were fought by Cincinnati firefighters. The competition raised over $80,000 for charity. Given this recent interest in boxing I thought it would be a good time to share the following entry found in the company diary of Ladder 06.
On occasion an event of cultural significance is recorded in the diary of a fire company. Such was the case on 04 July 1919 when Jack Dempsey beat Jess Willard to claim the heavyweight boxing championship.
T06 Company Diary 1919 - Courtesy Cincinnati Fire Museum
Note the Entry for the 4th of July
Jess Willard was the world heavyweight boxing champion for over four years and was nicknamed the "Pottawatomie Giant." On the 4th of July 1919 Jack Dempsey delivered a bloody beating and claimed the title from Willard. When Willard went down in the 1st round it was the first time in his career he was knocked down. Dempsey would put him to the ground another six times before the first round ended. Willard was no pushover. In 1915 he knocked out the heavyweight champ Jack Johnson in the 26th round to claim the title for himself. Jack Dempsey, "The Manassa Mauler," went on to hold the title until 1926. His aggressive style and dynamic fights made him on of the most popular fighters of all time.
To better appreciate the aggressive style of Dempsey which made him so popular, check out this great video of his fight:
Toledo, Ohio
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