Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-06

ward to the fight Neither he nor
Johnson showed much evidence of
having been engaged in a heavyweight
championship battle. The new cham
pion's lip, right ear and left cheek
showed slight cuts but at no time
was there more than a drop or two
Of blood in evidence.
in this respect the fight was in
great contrast to the Johnson-J effries
bout at Reno five years ago, when
Jeffries was cut to pieces and blood
splashed over the spectators at the
ringside. Evidently thinking that
this condition might prevail again to-
of a white woman in the newspaper
seats just outside the ropes and she
was relegatedA to a place out of posi-
BILE range.
A@clean Fight.
On the contrary, no fight between
heaVyweights that has gone to a fin
tsh was cleaner and less brutal. john
sons left eye was partly closed in the
early rounds but not sufficiently to
interfere with his fighting. His lip
also was cut inside and his famous
golden smile flashed from a very red
setting. The end of the fight came
with a suddenness that dazed the
spectators. 1t followed two or three
rounds of almost complete idleness on
the part of the contestants and the
crowd settled down to a long drawn
struggle, believing that it would go
the full limit of the 45 rounds without
either being able to register a knock
out.
Laughed at Negroes Blows.
Willard said before entering the ring
that he expected to take a beating for
IN or 10 rounds at the hands of his
had trained to withstand it. AS a mat
ter of fact, he took 20 rounds of severe
punishment. but laughed the blows
aside and kept standing up against the
rushes Of the negro. who several times
in each Of the earlier rounds swept
Willard before him to the rope. Will
lard'S back showed numerous weltS
raised by the ropes as he fell into them.
In the rushes Johnson would attack
Willard in the body, and when the lat
ter'S hands and arms came down to
guard that part of his anatomy john
son would swing rights and lefts to the
unprotected jaw and face. After each
of these attacks Willard kept coming
cheerfully back for more.
Johnson's Blows Lost Force.
Johnson's perpetual grin through the
early rounds began to change to look
of wonderment as the battle turned in
to the twenties and it was perfectly
evident when the negro came to the
conclusion that it was useless for him
to try to knock out the young western
giant. johnson seemed also to know
that he was in no condition to fight As
rounds. His blows lacked the force
which sent Jeffries topping from the
topmost rung of the pugilistic ladder
at Reno. Time had done its work.
johnson and many of his friends
had believed that he need not be in
the best condition to whip Willard,
undertaking the latter's splendid con-
dition and youthful stamina. The fight
was all Johnson's during the first 20
rounds, Willard only once or twice
taking the aggressiI e, and then swing
ing clumsily and wildly. Meanwhile
his body was growing pink under the
blows that flashed from Johnson.
Took Rough Beating.
In these rounds Willard took a beat
| ing which would have put an ordinary
| fighter down and out. The crowd got
used to seeing him throw, off these
slashing blows and expected to see
Johnson do the same thing when Will
| lard swung his right to the negro's
| chin in the fatal 26th round. They
| expected to see Johnson jump UP and
| continue fighting, just as Willard had
come back, but the old champion knew
| that he had fought his last champion
| ship fight.
From the goth round to the final, the
| fight looked slow and the crowd began
| something. There was a single cry
| of "Fake!" but it was not taken up
| by the other spectators. The reason
| it looked slow was because Johnson
who had been doing all the fighting,
suddenly stopped and began sparring
for time.
It was some time before Willard OF
| his seconds realized that Johnson was
| through and needed only a blow or two
to send him to pugilistic oblivion.
Seconds Warned johnson.
| During the early part Of the fight
| Johnson carried all his oId-time conf
| dence and self assertiveness. He was
constantly bandy1ng words with the
! spectators about the ring and talked
| steadily at Willard, who needed the
negroes chatter as little as he did his
| blows.
| Wizards seconds were after johnson
all the time, warning him to keep away
| from Wizards terrific right. 1t was in
| the 10Th round that one of Wizards
| seconds shouted:
| "Jack, you run into Jess right; we
| will pick you up right over here"
| BE sure you take good care of me,
| said Johnson 1t so happened that
| when Johnson went down for the count
i was in Wizards corner.
| When spectator called out: John
son. you will get yours today" johnson
replied: "Well, there is good money il
| It, isn't there?"
Nervous at the Start.
Willard will probably take his OWL
| time in accepting any challenges. He
| already has announced that If he wor
| he would not fight another negro
| There is no doubt that today's fight
| will do the new champion a world OF
good. Today he was palpab1y nervous
and at first was afraid to go at John
son. He constantly jabbed or lunget
and then backed away, instead of fol
lowing up an advantage when it came
| to him
It can hardly be said at present thai
Willard is a great fighter, but he is g
wonderful specimen of physical man
| hood and is likely to develop an ag-
gressiveness and skill that may make
him invincible for years to come.
The Fight by Rounds.
Round johnson tented and land
ed his left on Wizards jaw. Repeat
ed uppercut right to Jess jaw. Lat
ter was very nervous. Johnson was
laughing when Willard drove two
lefts to the negro's body. johnson
drove a. right to Wizards body.
| Round johnson easily blocked
Wizards leads. F'einting him out OF
position and scoring right and left tt
the jaw. Willard replied by thrash.
ing his right to the negro's body
johnson then hooked his left to stom.
ach. johnson then landed three left!
to the body. Willard laughed. John
son drove Willard to the ropes will