El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-11-09
VIVID WILL FIGHT CHAMP WILLARD?
MORAN HAS THE STRONGEST CLAIM
Fulton and Coey Are Other Two Suggested Possible
Opponents, Though Neither Has Shown Enough to
Entitle Him to Match or Title; Gunboat Smith
is Best Man, But Woul dn't Draw at the Gate.
IN DAMON RUNYON.

TEW YORK,Nov- according to
N advices from New Orleans. Jess
WIZARDS opponent in his fight
there next March will be Frank Moran,
Jim Coffeey. or Fred Fulton.
The list is singularly unimpressive.
Fulton is unknown hereabouts, and
may be much better than his record in
dicates. while Moran has as vet done
nothing TO astonish the fistic world
However, it would be the height OF
absurdity to consider Jim Coffey
ahead Of Moran for a title contest in
view Of the Pittsburger's easy victory
over the Roscommon man a short time
ago.
OF the three named. Moran certainly
has the strongest claim on the cham
piOn's attention. if actual accomplish
ments in the ring are to be taken into
consideration. no matter what you may
think Of Franks ability. But accom-
plishments are not always figured when
promoters get their heads together On
the basis Of accomplishment, Jess VIII
lard had no more right to q fight with
Johnson than several other men in the
ring, but Willard got the match
If the bOx-fight boosters were real
sportsmen, and not real business men,
and II past performances entered into
the making Of championship matches.
Gunboat Smith would be the logical
contender against Willard. but you will
note that GunbOats name was not
mentioned in the list Of possibilities
sent out from New Orleans And Gun
boat not only gave Willard a thump-
ing. but he also holds a twenty-rOund
decision over Moran, whose name was
on the list
This Fred Fulton.
There is a tip out that Fred Fulton
is to be the man finally selected as
Jess opponent although no one has
any definite information on the sub
jeet. Fulton is a huge fellow who was
unearthed in Minnesota, and who has
some mythical claim to having knocked
Willard down during an exhibition bout
when Willard was out with a circus
Apparently the Willard syndicate re-
CARDS this claim Of a knockdOwn by an
unknown as a greater stain upon the
Willard escutcheon than the 2O-rOund
decision over Jess held by Gunboat
Smith. or the 12-round victory over the
champ attributed to Tom Mcmahon
Fulton has been doing most Of his
fighting out through the middle west
He beat Arthur Pelkey not long ago,
but then everybody beats Pelkey. True.
Willard failed 10 stop Pelkey in ten
rounds on one occasion, but that fact
adds nothing to Fulton's record. Al
PaIzer is credited with knocking Full
ton kicking in four rounds in May.
1914, at Hudson. Wis, and Palzer was
on the chutes even then
So Fulton has done nothing to date
that gives him any particular standing
in the more select fistic circles His
record is even less impressive than the
record Of Jess Willard before Jess met
johnson. and that was regarded as
about the last utterance in pugilistic
unimpressiveness
Properly press-agented in the mod
ern fashion OF constructing champions
by earnest typewriting, Fulton might
be made a more commanding figure
between now and the day of the battle
If he got the match; but at the present
moment he figures only as a set-up for
Jess On his record. he could not draw
enough outsiders to New Orleans TO
see him fight Willard to fill the front
row Of boxes.
He May Be Great.
We are not saying that Fulton is
poor fighter. He may be a marvel
for all We know TO the contrary. but
IL he would lick few birds like Moran.
Jack Dillon, Charley Weinert GunbOat
Smith. Jim Coffey. or even Jim Flynn.
Jim Savage, or Tom Cowler. We would
be more impressed with his chances
against Willard
As we have said before. and said at
some length. We do not regard Willard
as invincible. There is nothing in his
past record TO suggest invincibility:
and with another year added to his
life and a year of comparative mac