Carpentier did it again!, a second time, and this was the blow perfected by a lifetime of training…it rocked Dempsey to his heels, but it broke Carpentier’s hand. His best was not enough.
– Heywood Braun
Heywood Braun was an American sportswriter and the above is from his account of the Jack Dempsey/Georges Carpentier fight on July 2, 1921. It was Dempsey’s third defense of the heavyweight championship he had won in 1919 and would hold until 1926.
The punch Braun refers to came in the second round but it was not enough. Dempsey would recover, take command in the third round and win by knockout in the fourth round.
This is a good lesson to learn. Sometimes in life you come up short. Sometimes your very best is not enough. Carpentier’s best was not enough to defeat Dempsey.
In a larger sense, however, you best is always enough. It ensures you have gotten the most out of your talents and that you have made your time serve you. There might be some whose best is a bit better than your best, as Dempsy’s best was better than Carpentier’s, but we have no control over that. Your best is the most you are capable of. That is supreme satisfaction in that.
Note: quotes are from Gaylon’s own private stock, stolen from original source materials.
