DEMPSEY, JACK-BILLY MISKE ORIGINAL WIRE PHOTO (1920)

HISTORY: On September 6, 1920 at the Floyd Fitzsimmons New Arena in Benton Harbor, Michigan world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey made his first title defense against Billy Miske. Dempsey knocked Miske out in the 3rd round.  This was the first bout broadcast on radio. Attendance was reported to be 11,346. According to promoter Floyd Fitzsimmons, total receipts were $134,904. Dempsey received 50% and Miske 25%. Miske was 7-3-2 since his previous fight with Dempsey in 1918. Miske was down for a count of five in the second round, said to be the first knockdown of his career. In the third round, he was floored for a count of nine before a right to the chin put him down for the count. Miske fought this bout while suffering from Bright's Disease, which is an inflammation of the structures in the kidney that produce urine. To quote from the biography Billy Miske The St. Paul Thunderbolt: "A number of years later, in his autobiography, Dempsey would comment, 'During the fight, I began to feel that Billy wasn't giving me as tough a battle as I had expected. He did not seem like his old self.'" In a 1926 newspaper article, Jim Corbett discussed the 1920 Dempsey-Miske bout. The quote from the article: "Before Billy Miske was taken sick—back in the days when Billy really was good—he was a fast, clever man. And he went the distance twice with Dempsey. When Bill had slipped and had lost his speed, Dempsey fought him the third time—and knocked him out. But Jack wasn't fighting a fast, clever man that day." This was the only time in over 100 bouts that Miske was knocked out. To quote boxing historian Eric Jorgensen from the FOX Sports biopic Billy Miske: Dead Man Fighting: "Any way you look at heart, toughness and determination—sheer guts—he definitely had it. The fact that it took a Jack Dempsey to knock him out—that tells you what a tough guy he was." Presented here is an original wirephoto from one of those bouts.

FULL DESCRIPTION: This original wirephoto from a Dempsey-Miske bout is 6 1/2" x 8 1/2." The lower right side is clipped and there is a smaller clip in the upper left corner. There are small creases along the edges. Clean image.