From Louis Armstrong to Al Capone via Greta Garbo and F Scott Fitzgerald, America's Jazz Age was a time of fast-paced living, creativity and change.

Wild parties were common, "speakeasy culture" grew up in illegal, prohibition-induced bars, and sport - assisted by the advent of network radio - became a passion of the masses.

Babe Ruth dazzled in baseball, Bobby Jones had records tumbling in golf and tennis starlet Helen Wills-Moody showed that women could perform and entertain as well.

But it fell to Jack Dempsey - "The Manassa Mauler" - to preside over them all as heavyweight champion of the world.

And sure enough, when the two met again in Chicago the next year, 104,000 paid out $2.65m to attend, a gate that stood as a record for an incredible 50 years.

They were not disappointed.

At the opening bell, the 32-year-old Dempsey, who had taken defeat magnanimously and was better loved by the public as a result, charged forward with the hunger of his youth.

Tunney resumed where he had left off, boxing with guile and suppressing his angry challenger with relative ease.

That is until the seventh.

In that round, Dempsey caught Tunney with a long right and followed up with a left hook to the chin.

For the first time in their two contests, Tunney was on the back foot and soon he was on the canvas, dropping hard after a four-punch flurry to his head.

Long count

Thus began boxing's fabled "long count".

Dempsey - who would later ask what a neutral corner was - failed to back away from his fallen foe as the then-new rule dictated.

And referee Dave Barry took several seconds to convince him to do so.

Only after half-pushing Dempsey in the right direction, did Barry turn back to Tunney and begin his count.

Afterwards, Tunney would insist that he could have got up earlier.

Either way, he managed to stave off Dempsey for the rest of the round and recovered to box his way to another clear-cut points victory.

He would retire unbeaten at heavyweight, a record only Rocky Marciano has emulated.

As for Dempsey, this second loss to Tunney propelled him to retirement.

America's revered Manassa Mauler had found one opponent he just could not maul.

From fighting for his own food, he went on to prepare meals for others as a successful restaurant owner in New York City.