Gene Tunney

High school

LaSalle Academy

Hall of Fame

⭐ International Boxing Hall of Fame

James Joseph "Gene" Tunney was born on May 25, 1897, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, the son of Irish immigrants. He attended LaSalle Academy, the historic Catholic school in lower Manhattan, and joined the United States Marine Corps in 1917. During his military service in France during World War I he won the Light Heavyweight Championship of the American Expeditionary Forces. Tunney turned professional after the war and developed into one of the most scientific boxers the sport has ever seen — a cerebral technician who studied his opponents with a thoroughness that bordered on academic rigor. On September 23, 1926, he delivered one of the greatest upsets in boxing history, defeating the seemingly invincible Jack Dempsey to claim the heavyweight title in Philadelphia. The rematch on September 22, 1927 — the famous "Long Count" fight in Chicago — became one of the most controversial events in boxing history: knocked down in the seventh round, Tunney rose at what many counted as "14" seconds because Dempsey failed to go to a neutral corner immediately. Tunney insisted he was fully recovered by the time he rose and won the fight convincingly on points. He retired as heavyweight champion in 1928 — undefeated in his title reign and with an overall professional record of 61 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Born and raised in Greenwich Village, New York City.