Gene Tunney Park

Gene Tunney Park. . , Gene Tunney enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps from high school and served in France during World War I. While there, he boxed in military tournaments as a marine for the entertainment of the American troops. At the end of the war, he returned home to New York City, turned professional, and went on to achieve a string of victories which allowed him to be selected to fight Jack Dempsey, the World Heavyweight champion. Gene's friend, Bill Osborne, a fellow marine in France, and owner of an Inn in Speculator, New York, convinced Gene to set up his training camp in Speculator for his championship fights with Dempsey. The first Tunney-Dempsey match was held on September 23, 1926 in Philadelphia. It was labeled "The Fighting Marine" vs. "The Manassa Mauler” and Tunney, The Fighting Marine, defeated Dempsey. A return match in Chicago a year later on September 22, 1927 witnessed 120,000 fans see the same outcome as Tunney successfully defended his new title. Speculator became known as the training camp for would-be champions. Max Schmeling, the German champion came to the camp in 1931 and Max Baer, the Californian champion, arrived in 1934., Not only was Gene a great boxer, but he was an avid reader of many great books. George Bernard Shaw, the world renowned playwright became a very close friend of Gene. In a new book, The Prizefighter and The Playwright, by Gene's son Jay, the private and human sides of Gene Tunney and Bernard Shaw are richly portrayed