Jack DOC KEARNS ; Les DARCY GREATEST MW Of ALL-TIME

[McGoorty]

"Jack "Doc" KEARNS Writes ; "LES DARCY Was The Greatest Middleweight To Ever Live".

From Chapter 7 : SILVER DOLLAR AND CHEWING GUM MAKES SCALES DO ***** THINGS :- By Jack "Doc" KEARNS;- It is my opinion that LES DARCY was the greatest Middleweight to ever live. I will be taken to task over this statement, especially by friends of Bob FITZSIMMONS and Stanley KETCHEL, to say nothing of the admirers of Tommy RYAN, but I am sincere in saying that the unfortunate Darcy was the peer of them all. HE HAD WHAT THE BEST OF THEM HAD,... AND THEN SOME. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I believe that a fight between Darcy and Ketchel would have been the best that the ring ever saw.----- A good hitter and a consistent one, against a "now and then" socker. You know Ketchel was a "now and then" fellow, a miss, a jab, and then he'd let one go to collect the money. With Darcy it was all consistency, he was on top of his man continually. He was very much on the order of Jack DEMPSEY, only faster, in every respect. His aggressiveness would have made him whip the best that ever lived in his class. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had plenty of time to study this fellow. Billy MURRAY, whom I brought to Australia from San Francisco, went 20 rounds with him. Darcy was way off that day and he proved it by coming back a little later and knocking out Murray in 6 rounds. In quick order I matched Murray against Jimmy CLABBY, Eddie McGOORTY, Tom GIBBONS, Knockout BROWN and Jack DILLON, so you see I was sure I had something better than an ordinary fighter in Murray. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the first Darcy fight, Murray kept saying to me ; "This isn't a mug, Jack. He's got everything, I can't lay a glove on him, and I've tried everything I know". ---------------------------------------------- MODESTY ITSELF. --------------------------------------------- The longer it went the less chance Murray had to lay one on Darcy. He made a monkey out of poor Billy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Murray wasn't the only victim, Darcy whipped every Middleweight we ever sent to Australia, and we sent some real good ones over there. He was only a boy, but he was a real champion. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- He was a blacksmith, between fights, you'd see Les Darcy working at his trade. He wasn't too proud to go back to the forge, He whipped Mick KING for the Middleweight title in that country and the next day he was back at work, leather apron and all. Great crowds gathered to see the wonder boy of the land, but he paid little attention to the ovations that they heaped upon him. He was modesty itself. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boxing had taken on a new lease of life in that part of the world. Sam Langford had just left when we got there, and of course Jack JOHNSON's victory over Tommy BURNS for the Heavyweight Title had turned the eyes of the whole world on Australia. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hugh McIntosh had helped boom the sport and he was among those who had founded the great boxing stadiums at Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. He had a wonderful crowd,.. I mean the fans. I don't suppose there is a race of people on earth who are more devoted to the sport than the Australians.

Do you think Kearns is wrong ???......... This Article was published in the Rochester Evening Journal on 19 JULY 1926. I will not attempt to debate any fighters after this date, this thread is about gloved boxing, MW's only up to Mid-1926..... Man there's a hell of a lot of great MW's among those but Kearns totally thinks Darcy was the best of all-time up to that date. What are your thoughts, how do you rate Jack Kearns's knowledge and right to make this claim,............. IS LES DARCY THE GREATEST UP TO 1926 ????..... Or where should he rate ????.. the link to the article it is just part of Kearn's book http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...QFnkNk1QQ8F0XA

[McGoorty]

More Kearns Darcy news from 1915.. and more from Kearn's recollections on boxing............................................ ............ http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...30zMz0U72PYv-Q http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...XlWY-nBFEI3EsQ http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...G9vMRYHz-JdZQg http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...VBo7KXwAyqE92w http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...FudfLDU9ThKT6Q http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...es+darcy&hl=en

[McGoorty]

It's now 1961, and Kearns still ranks Darcy as an ATG,.... read this link.............. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...iV8JuPsjJanTLA

[McGoorty]

Bumped for Poet.........................................

[McGoorty]

More Darcy------------------------------------------------------------------- Linkshttp://www.google.com/url?url=http://news.google.com/newspapers%3Fid%3DLNJcAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DLFkNAAAAIB AJ%26pg%3D1220,504933%26dq%3Dles%2Bdarcy%26hl%3Den&rct=j&sa=X&ei=RgyLTp6iD-jwmAWgl5X3BA&ved=0CGUQ-AsoAjAI&q=les+darcy&usg=AFQjCNHMoaOu5Z7tGb5VHkmUvegjxCrO8Q http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...YSFbeZWjlfASUg http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...RsJgFJG4PC7hKQ http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...VtH3n7mgwpnuJQ http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...HGx_mIe9-9IXtQ http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...tcl-11wO6tJKLg http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...2kcebA0LJJTBeA http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...QM_DfqK_mNVbqw http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...1iKarX_xw2-68w

[McGoorty]

More Darcy sources............. I'm collecting as many as I can,...... always be as prepared as you can be,.... when war clouds are looming..... GERONIMO. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...1iKarX_xw2-68w http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...4vHhjkqp58VFrg -------------- http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...yfP0MrYFtWdVAg ---------------http://www.google.com/url?url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast%3Fa%3Dd%26d%3DWC19170305.2.3&rct=j&sa=X&ei=hhiLTqDXFOLUmAW5tbXGBA&ved=0CDYQ-AsoATACOB4&q=les+darcy&usg=AFQjCNGcWnyJvvTYH6St-IcKUsuJ9EF-7Q -----------------------------------------------------------------------http://www.google.com/url?url=http://news.google.com/newspapers%3Fid%3DtD5HAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DJ_gMAAAAIB AJ%26pg%3D5708,1014922%26dq%3Dles%2Bdarcy%26hl%3De n&rct=j&sa=X&ei=hhiLTqDXFOLUmAW5tbXGBA&ved=0CDcQ-AsoAjACOB4&q=les+darcy&usg=AFQjCNFmkTg5fBtPd2UZXXHGHTDfH7QzTQ ---------------http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=newssearch&cd=36&ved=0CEAQqQIwBTge&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnewspapers%3Fid %3D8NNgAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DuGMNAAAAIBAJ%26pg%3D4774% 2C560764%26dq%3Dles%2Bdarcy%26hl%3Den&ei=hhiLTqDXFOLUmAW5tbXGBA&usg=AFQjCNELmNUWBcG1ziIkESCD2xGlR_QVWQ&sig2=GDJna7ki_MsaJaGlgkuT_Q ----------------http://www.google.com/url?url=http://news.google.com/newspapers%3Fid%3DtD5HAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DJ_gMAAAAIB AJ%26pg%3D5708,1014922%26dq%3Dles%2Bdarcy%26hl%3De n&rct=j&sa=X&ei=1RqLTp2yIvHymAWTt6H0BA&ved=0CDcQ-AsoAjACOB4&q=les+darcy&usg=AFQjCNFSCLb79DX4QNJxF7wLJUsA8T4wAQ --------------http://www.google.com/url?url=http://news.google.com/newspapers%3Fid%3DzDNeAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DZWANAAAAIB AJ%26pg%3D6617,2952235%26dq%3Dles%2Bdarcy%26hl%3De n&rct=j&sa=X&ei=ZBuLTtzkGePemAWnt8TBBA&ved=0CDEQ-AsoATACOCg&q=les+darcy&usg=AFQjCNEc4lxCVheheAPM5G69MQ57PosWew ------------- http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...es+darcy&hl=en ------------ http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi...S19170303.2.38 -------- http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...es+darcy&hl=en ---------- http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...LouJyjep7bS-UA ---------------http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=newssearch&cd=65&ved=0CDUQqQIwBDg8&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaperspast.natlib.govt.nz%2Fcgi-bin%2Fpaperspast%3Fa%3Dd%26d%3DNZTR19140725.2.69.2&ei=DySLTtLIFeqdmQWC5s25BA&usg=AFQjCNGGli_-HFBmICGvzC3CtP1jMK8ICg&sig2=MAdTgTk8m06-dmeO9Fp_sA ----- A 1966 recollection from an ex-soldier about sparring a very young Darcy.http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...yUfs8wzJfaFgtA ------------------------------- Darcy Niland looking for Les Darcy in 1961. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...QLEg6digO87vsw ---------------------------------------- Link to Sgt. Darcy of the U.S. Aviation Corps. http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...ctxwLEn2A-nYIQ --------------------- Report of Darcy sparring in the land of his passing..http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...4uULmTNjYBSLhA

[McGoorty]

More Darcy sources............. I'm collecting as many as I can,...... always be as prepared as you can be,.... when war clouds are looming..... GERONIMO. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...1iKarX_xw2-68w http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...4vHhjkqp58VFrg -------------- http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...yfP0MrYFtWdVAg ---------------http://www.google.com/url?url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast%3Fa%3Dd%26d%3DWC19170305.2.3&rct=j&sa=X&ei=hhiLTqDXFOLUmAW5tbXGBA&ved=0CDYQ-AsoATACOB4&q=les+darcy&usg=AFQjCNGcWnyJvvTYH6St-IcKUsuJ9EF-7Q -----------------------------------------------------------------------http://www.google.com/url?url=http://news.google.com/newspapers%3Fid%3DtD5HAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DJ_gMAAAAIB AJ%26pg%3D5708,1014922%26dq%3Dles%2Bdarcy%26hl%3De n&rct=j&sa=X&ei=hhiLTqDXFOLUmAW5tbXGBA&ved=0CDcQ-AsoAjACOB4&q=les+darcy&usg=AFQjCNFmkTg5fBtPd2UZXXHGHTDfH7QzTQ ---------------http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=newssearch&cd=36&ved=0CEAQqQIwBTge&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnewspapers%3Fid %3D8NNgAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DuGMNAAAAIBAJ%26pg%3D4774% 2C560764%26dq%3Dles%2Bdarcy%26hl%3Den&ei=hhiLTqDXFOLUmAW5tbXGBA&usg=AFQjCNELmNUWBcG1ziIkESCD2xGlR_QVWQ&sig2=GDJna7ki_MsaJaGlgkuT_Q ----------------http://www.google.com/url?url=http://news.google.com/newspapers%3Fid%3DtD5HAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DJ_gMAAAAIB AJ%26pg%3D5708,1014922%26dq%3Dles%2Bdarcy%26hl%3De n&rct=j&sa=X&ei=1RqLTp2yIvHymAWTt6H0BA&ved=0CDcQ-AsoAjACOB4&q=les+darcy&usg=AFQjCNFSCLb79DX4QNJxF7wLJUsA8T4wAQ --------------http://www.google.com/url?url=http://news.google.com/newspapers%3Fid%3DzDNeAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DZWANAAAAIB AJ%26pg%3D6617,2952235%26dq%3Dles%2Bdarcy%26hl%3De n&rct=j&sa=X&ei=ZBuLTtzkGePemAWnt8TBBA&ved=0CDEQ-AsoATACOCg&q=les+darcy&usg=AFQjCNEc4lxCVheheAPM5G69MQ57PosWew ------------- http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...es+darcy&hl=en ------------ http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi...S19170303.2.38 -------- http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...es+darcy&hl=en ---------- http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...LouJyjep7bS-UA ---------------http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=newssearch&cd=65&ved=0CDUQqQIwBDg8&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpaperspast.natlib.govt.nz%2Fcgi-bin%2Fpaperspast%3Fa%3Dd%26d%3DNZTR19140725.2.69.2&ei=DySLTtLIFeqdmQWC5s25BA&usg=AFQjCNGGli_-HFBmICGvzC3CtP1jMK8ICg&sig2=MAdTgTk8m06-dmeO9Fp_sA ----- A 1966 recollection from an ex-soldier about sparring a very young Darcy.http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...yUfs8wzJfaFgtA ------------------------------- Darcy Niland looking for Les Darcy in 1961. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...QLEg6digO87vsw ---------------------------------------- Link to Sgt. Darcy of the U.S. Aviation Corps. http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...ctxwLEn2A-nYIQ --------------------- Report of Darcy sparring in the land of his passing..http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...4uULmTNjYBSLhA

Looks like something went wrong with some of the pasting.

[McGoorty]

Some interesting Comments from GENE TUNNEY on LES DARCY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From The Darcy book by RUTH PARK. --------------------------------------Dignified, astute, probably 60 or 50, Tunney still had the open-faced charm of the classic "college boy" boxer who took the heavyweight championship from Jack Dempsey in 1926. He was kindly, too, and talked for some time about Darcy.

"I think you'll find that he's well remembered in this country," Tunney said. "He was not only a boxing prodigy, a nonpareil, but he incarnated the hero principle as well. Young gladiator stuff. He was just a kid when he defeated some of the best middleweights this century ever produced. "If he had lived - to 24, say - he would have been a marvel of marvels. As it was, I would call him the best middleweight of all time. See if Mr Dempsey doesn't agree with me."

[McGoorty]

What JACK DEMPSEY said to D'Arcy NILAND.We walked down to Jack Dempsey's unpretentious restaurant, near 49th St. D'Arcy said, "I hope that the old Les heard that."

I said, "I hope the old Jack offers us a cup of coffee." We were nearly always ravenous, for we had just enough money to get by.


D'Arcy Niland and Jack Dempsey 1961
Thank God, the old Jack offered us a hamburger along with the coffee. Meeting him was an event for me, for he had been my father's criterion of manhood. As a child, I had constantly heard horses, dogs, pigs and Maoris described as "game as Jack Dempsey," "wild as Jack Dempsey," "hungry as Jack Dempsey."

And here he was, not only my father's but Gene Tunney's hero principle, in the flesh. In some mysterious way a hero resonates with the public; you can feel it sure as you can tell heat from cold. Dempsey helped us understand the Darcy myth. Tunney, of course, understood it well. He had defeated Dempsey twice, and the public never forgave him for it.

Flawlessly dressed, mighty paws manicured, with sleek jaguar head and Inca eyes, Dempsey chatted to us hospitably about his life as hobo, fighter, restaurateur and "Less" Darcy.

"Never saw him myself. There was a possibility we'd meet, you know, when it became obvious that Carpentier wasn't going to come fight him. So some of my handlers went to Goshen, where he gave an exhibition spar with Fred Fulton.

"Believe, me, Fred was a dinosaur, a nice dinosaur but twice as big as Less. But Less skittled him. He was one hell of a fighter. They sold him a bill of goods, Less. He got sick and I think he died of a broken heart.

"Who are we to say about the way he left Australia? Easy to throw stones. I was called a slacker later, and so was Jess Willard."

"Do you think you'd have licked him, Jack?"

"I reckon. But I tell you this straight: I'm working on the saying that a good big man can always beat a good little man. Less and I were the same age bar a few months, but he was giving away nearly 45 lb in weight, and nearly 7 inches in height. But, who knows? He was a game boy, I wish I could have shook him by the hand."

[McGoorty]

What Boxer Major said in 1917 - Darcy's Fights -

DEAD DARCY'S DEEDS
NZ Truth , Issue 630, 7 July 1917, Page 11 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEAD DARCY'S DEEDS
A Sketch of the Career of the Greatest Glove- Fighter on Record
(By "Boxer-Major" m "Sydney Sports-
man.")
The full name of the late middleweight champion of the world, whose dead body, we are informed, is now approaching the land he loved so well, for burial m friendly, instead of, to him, cruelly alien soil, was James Leslie D'Arcy ; his home name was Les, and he elected to cut out the apostrophe, as he thought D'Arcy was "too swell a name for a boxer ; " his own words to me m one of our first interviews. He was born at Woodville, on the Hunter River, on October, 28, 1895, so that he waa 21 on October, 28, 1916, and only five months into his 22nd year when he died In- Memphis, Tennessee, U.S-A. He left Newcastle on a steam collier, throe days before his 21at birthday, and was savagely assailed for declining to enlist, instead, and sacrifice thereby what was a certain brilliant and successful career m the ring, which would enable him to place hut parents and ten young brothers and sisters m financial safety. He was the | breadwinner of that helpless crowd, was deeply devoted to them, adored his mother, and was adored In turn ; and merely asked to be allowed to exploit his powers during the few years they could be expected to last, for the benefit of his beloved dependents. And they hounded him down and broke his brave heart, so that he was m just the state to fall before any illness. This wonderful lad began to show aptitude with the gloves at a very early age, and Mick Hawkins suggested that he should try his hand m a tournament m Newcastle, promoted by Mr. Jack Rowan, a Cftrrlngton Handicap winner of the eighties, then proprietor of an hotel In Coalytown, and now of the Savoy Hotel, Market-street, Sydney. The prize was a gold medal, and the East Maitland blacksmith's apprentice went through the series of bouts, and won the final ; the eldest surviving brother, "Frosty" D'Arcy, wears that medal on his watchchain to-day ; Les having made him a present of it. Later, the dead champion entered into a second tournament, for welters, and won that also. Encouraged by these successes, Darcy was matched against Dave Depena, a lad who was right up among the best second raters of the day. They : met m Newcastle on November 4, 1912, and Depena was knocked out In the ninth round. On December 17, following, Jimmy Burns shared the same fate only lasting into the eleventh round, Billy Hannan, a lad who had fought with distinction at the Gaiety [and well-known m this Dominion — "The Second"] took Darcy on next. They fought at West Maitland, on March 15, 1913. Billy was tough and clever, but Darcy belted him to such a tune that he knocked him In the eighteenth round. Darcy's friends oould get him no further matches with his fellow local | lads, bo they sent to Sydney for one likely to teat his powers, and "Reglo" (otherwise Reg. L. Paton.) who subsequently fought a lot at the Olympia ! and Stadium, under the ring name of Reg Delaney, and who was killed m France last year, fighting for **** and Country, was selected. Reglo already had quite a record as a Gaiety Club lightweight, and ho and hia friends thought he'd got a pretty soft thing on when they met on July 19, 1913. He certainly did what no other man m the world ever did, knocked Darcy down, m the second round ; but Les then proceeded to belt the stuffing out of him, and he stopped him m seven rounds, Reglo being unablo to continue. Joe Shakespeare, now at the front, 'but then a very promising Newcastle middleweight, reckoned it was up to him to stop Darcy's little trot, and ho journeyed to West Maitland with that Intention, only to be knocked out In tho seventh round, on September 27. Billy Mo Xabb, the Weston smashing red -headed butcher, a nephew of jawbreaker Jim Foggarty, tackled Les on October 25, when the apprentice was within three years of his 18th birthday and lasted the full twenty round*, Darcy won on points. Ou November 3,the boy met Bob Whlielaw, the Newcastle minc-blackamlth, a man of much experience, who had fought some desperate battles at the National Sporting Club (now National Theatre.) Arthur Scott was specially Invited up to referee the bout, and he adjudged Whitelaw the winner, at the closed of twenty rounds in a decision that mci with a Kooti tltwil of disfavor; anyway.