[BigBoyBrackey]

Jack Dempsey (1) vs. Quintin Romero Rojas (49): The second-lowest seed remaining, Rojas got here with a disqualification win – albeit not an especially controversial one, since he had won five of the six completed rounds on all three scorecards – over No. 16 Bob Roper, followed by a disputed majority decision win over No. 17 Bearcat Wright.

Dempsey left no questions about his first two fights, kayoing Sully Montgomery in two rounds, then obliterating Fighting Bob Martin in less than three minutes.

Rojas has shown tremendous heart so far, but will need a lot more just to make it past the six-minute mark.

Gene Tunney (2) vs. Primo Carnera (18): Carnera has been something of a revelation through two rounds, dominating Lou Barba throughout a 10-round decision and using his size and strength to stop favored Bill Brennan to reach the round of 16.

Tunney dispatched Bud Gorman with a perfectly thrown right cross in 102 seconds, then turned in a rather flat, if technically sound, performance in winning a clear-cut decision over Ernie Schaaf, even if one judge somehow scored it even.

Carnera’s size and brawling style could present problems, but Tunney figures to cruise if he can avoid Da Preem’s clubbing swings.

Fred Fulton (30) vs. Jack Johnson (19): Two of the bigger surprises meet, with a trip to the quarterfinals to be had.

Fulton came on late to beat Con O’Kelly in a first-round match that saw both men hit the floor, then overwhelmed No. 3 seed Tommy Gibbons with his size and power, scoring a ninth-round knockdown en route to a one-sided decision win.

It was no surprise that Jack Johnson, even well into his 40s, handled Chuck Wiggins with ease in the first round. His performance against Johnny Risko, though, recalled his championship peak, as The Galveston Giant slipped and blocked just about everything thrown by The Cleveland Rubber Man, while cutting and dropping the favorite, finally stopping him midway through the ninth.

Johnson is the clear favorite here, but Fulton’s power against a suspect chin could turn into another upset by The Rochester Plasterer.

Max Schmeling (4) vs. Tuffy Griffiths (13): Schmeling savaged Arthur De Kuh before stopping him in the sixth, then delivered a systematic beating to Jess Willard in the course of a 10th-round TKO.

Griffiths finished Sandy Seifert inside six rounds, then rebounded from a first-round knockdown to take a decision against ancient Sam Langford.

Stronger and equally clever, Schmeling offers Griffiths no clear path to victory.

Harry Wills (5) vs. Georges Carpentier (12): Wills dispatched Ray Neuman in the fifth before winning a tougher-than-expected nod over No. 28 Larry Gains, thanks to a strong showing in the last two rounds.

Carpentier won an easy decision over Monte Munn and thrashed Alvin Hunt, including a pair of eighth-round knockdowns, before a cut incurred by an unintentional butt rendered him unable to continue in the ninth, at which point he was awarded a clear technical decision.

The edges in skill and hand speed Carpentier enjoyed through the first two rounds should be nullified by Wills, who is also significantly larger and more powerful.

Young Stribling (6) vs. George Godfrey (11): Stribling impressed throughout a six-round stoppage over Bombardier Billy Wells and during the second half of a decision win against Martin Burke.

Godfrey started slow in both his fights, splitting four rounds before lowering the boom on Jack Dorval in the fifth, then getting floored by Phil Scott and dropping five of six rounds before suddenly ending things with a strong jab followed by a paralyzing right cross.

Godfrey doesn’t figure to have the luxury of giving away rounds against Stribling, who was stopped just once in 290 career bouts.

Billy Miske (7) vs. Luis Angel Firpo (23): Miske, a sentimental favorite due to his refusal to submit to the ravages of Bright’s Disease, scores a comprehensive decision against Arthur Pelkey, but struggles badly against Jack Gross, overcoming two badly swollen eyes to eke out a disputed win.

Firpo left no doubt in his two appearances, dropping Carl Morris three times and crashing once himself before scoring a seventh-round knockout, then wins a unanimous decision against No. 10 Paulino Uzcudun. As is his wont, though, Firpo makes things exciting by charging after The Basque Woodchopper as if badly trailing in the late rounds, getting dropped in the eighth and 10th.

Miske’s skill gives him a slight edge, though The Wild Bull of the Pampas is tough to pick against.

George Cook (57) vs. Jack Sharkey (9): Cook had a record of 45-54-12 in real life, but has somehow gotten to 2-0 in this tournament.

In the opening round, Cook was declared the winner over Jack Delaney in a bizarre decision by referee Alan Moore, who ignored his own directive that a cut over Delaney’s eye was caused by an unintentional head butt in the first round, then raised Cook’s hand when the wound reopened and worsened two rounds later. Instead of a technical draw and rematch, Cook got a TKO win and a date with No. 25 Charlie Weinert.

Brawling his way inside after getting out-boxed early, the 5-foot-9 Cook prevailed again, this time by a one-point decision on all three cards, a verdict which swung on the knockdown he scored in the eighth round.

Sharkey was nearly on the wrong end of an enormous upset in the first round, taking the late rounds off against Vittorio Campolo, but doing just enough to pull out a split decision.

The Boston Gob was more impressive in the second round, dropping Erminio Spalla in the first and building a decisive lead before a cut caused by an unintentional butt forced a technical decision in the sixth round.

Cook’s run has to stop sometime, or at least it would seem, but Sharkey can always be counted on to fight down to his opponent’s level.