Gene Tunney

I did six years of planning to win the championship from Jack Dempsey.

My own ambition in the ring had always been skillful boxing, speed and defense - on the order of Mike Gibbons.

Though I was not a belligerent kid, I do not think I ever passed up a good opportunity to fight.

One half-conscious thought was burned in my mind: stay on your feet.

In youth, we get plenty of exercise through games and running around, but as middle life approaches, we settle down, literally and figuratively.

The way to know about championship quality is to learn from champions, and that I did; studying them with professional purpose during my time in the ring and from habitual interest afterward.

A boxer must exercise and develop every part of his body.

Ever since boyhood I've made a religion of keeping in shape by regular, conscientious exercise.

Exercise should be regarded as tribute to the heart.

To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise.

As a West Side kid fooling around with boxing gloves, I had been, for some reason of temperament, more interested in dodging a blow than in striking one.

If all human lives depended upon their usefulness - as might be judged by certain standards - there would be a sudden and terrific mortality in the world.