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Gene Tunney battling Jack Dempsey for the heavyweight crown at the Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, PA, September 23, 1926.
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A crowd surrounds a boxing arena as two men fight and a referee looks on.

Credit: Courtesy Urban Archives, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia

In September 1926, all eyes turned to Philadelphia, where heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey lost to former U.S. Marine Gene Tunney in Philadelphia in front of 120,557 fans. The 1926 Dempsey Tunney fight boasted the largest attendance and highest gross of any sporting event in the first half of the 20th century.

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