Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-03-28

championship pretensiOns in tn
heavyweight. class.
At that time Jeffries had retire,
from the ring, having handed the it'll
to Marvin Hart. Tommy Burns by de
feating the latter and also Jack O
Brien, who claimed the championship
assumed the worlds title in 1907
Johnson meanwhile was ploddint
along, incidentally knocking out Feli1
and Lang in Australia and ending thu
come back propesities of Bob Fitz
simmons in two rounds at Philadel
phia and an eleven-round knockout Of
Jim Flynn at San Francisco the same
year-19c7. In December 1908 John
son had the better Of Tommy Burns
at Sydney, Australia, when the police
stopped the bout in the fourteenth
round. This placed the big Galveston
negro right at the top of his class and
while no one was willing to recognize
him as the worlds title holder, John
son went right on fighting successful
ly, finishing up with. the knockout Of
the late Sydney Ketchel in twelve
rounds at Colma, CAL, on Oct. 16.
1909.
1t was then that the negro's pro.
nounced ability and recognized clever.
ness stung Jeffries into action. The
big C~alifornian's, self-enforced retire
ment ended abruptly AID Jetfries re-
entered the fistic arena to again de.
fend the title. This seemed to suit
Johnson perfectly and the great match
for the worlds championship was
quickly arranged with the result that
Johnson scored a decisive victory over
Jeffries, at Reno, July 4, 1910. From
that time to the present Johnson has
been the undisputed champion heavy
weight of the world. During the past
five years lie has been called upon
only three times to defend the title.
Stopped in Ninth.
His fight with Jim Flynn at Las
Togas, New Mexico, was stopped in
the ninth round by the authorities and
Johnson was declared the winner. In
Paris, France, the bout between the
champion and Battling Jim Johnson,
was called a draw and last year he
gained the referees decision over
Frank Moran in a twenty.round bout
which also took place in the French
capital, 3!!sL9 '%" - 4 +.
J Jess willard, who was born in Pot.
tawatohte County, Kansas, % years
ago, isl4sgiant in stature, standing
fully six feetosix inches, without shoes
and when fnhRgood condition for a boat,
turns to scale at 235 punds. Four
years ago he was first seen In a ring
fight when he lost on a foul to Louis
Fink in the tenth round Of a bout at
Sapulpa, Okla, but within six weeks
from that time he knocked out Fink
| in three rounds at Oklahoma CITY. He
followed up with five 'knockouts and
two ten.round winning brackets, on
points, during his first year Of fighting
in public, 1911.
Five knocckhoSuts and two n%o.decision
contests gave Him a clear record for
1912. THE two n%o-decision bouts
were WITH Arthur Pelky and Luther
McCarty lirINew York City and in
each Willard had the better of his op.
ponents. The big Kansan also scored
two Of his five k%nockouts in the East
at New York and Buffalo, his victims
being Soldier Kearns and Sailor White
Out of eleven fights which he took
part in during 1912 Willard, lost only
one. This was to "Gunboat' Smith in
twenty rounds at San Francisco.
Smith was the best man that Willard
had met in his ring career, with the
possible exception of Carl Morris
whom he defeated in a ten-round 60
at New York. Last year Willard met
Tom Mcmahon in a ten.round no.deci.
sion bout and scored k%nockouts over
Dan Daily in nine rounds at Buffalo
and George Rodel in six rounds at At
lanta, Ga. XXX
wizards powers of endurance are
unquestioned but he, lacks aggressive
ness and skill. These disadvantages,
however, may have been remedied by
strict attention to the coaching of his
handlers and what he has learned
his STARRING partners in training. He
has three distinct advantages over
Johnson in youth, height and reach,
the possession of. which, combined
with a splendid constitution make
Willard the most formidable opponent
that has been matched against John
son during his entire career in the
prize ring.
How They Compare.
The following table shows the rela'
tive measurements Of the champion
and challenger: