Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-22
MISTAKE To KEEP JESS
WILLARD UNDER COVER
Promoters OF Big Fight Would Have
Drawn More Attention Had West
crncr Fought His Way Up.
WAS AFRAID OF "A KNOCKOUT
as 1t Stands Now, tho Coming Bat.
tic seems to BE Nothing But IL
Meeting Between Second-Rate
Boxer and the Champion.

NEW YORK. January 21.-If those
who are promoting the Johnson Wi
iaru affair had ordered Jess Willard
OF Keeping him under cover, the bout
would have drawn pretty ,.early az we'll
as the JohnSon-J effries battle of four
years ago.
But they haven't. They've been con-
tent TO let willard rest upon the few
ring honors that are his; and are try
nE 70 hia ,b hnf pucie into
lard Is the best heavyweight In Amer
lea.
willard just now ranks on n par with
a haif dozen other white hopes. lie
ranks In the minds of most fight fans,
inferior to Sam Langford and Joe Jean
net'e. the dusky warriors: And so 1t
can, be seen why the willard Johnson
Dout isn't stirring up lot of commo :
tion In the pugilistic world.
II Willard lad gone out and scored
decisive Victories over Langford. Jean
Jim Coney. the Willard-Johnson bout
would have given promise of being n
gold mine for the promoters. But Will
lard hasn't any Of those things. lie
knocked out Il bunch OF NTH rate box
crs. scored 4 decision over Gunhoat
smith smith -, who is half his size; and is
staged in New York. And. oq because Snse
OF mis-: ne promoters are trying To tell
us that Willard is a champion.
The promoters. after hooking up Will
lara ana Johnson. probably thought
thcy were doing the wise thing by not
permitting Willard to take any chances
with Morris. Smith, Lunsford and the
others. Willard might have been given
decisive beating on points: might even
have been knocked out And that would
Kill off whatever interest there may be
| III he willard } ohnson affair.
The wiser course would have been
for the promoters 10 force Willard to
fight every aspirant for the privilege
OF meeting Johnson in n heavyweight
bout. III Willard was equal to the task
then willard Johnson fight would
have proved mighty drawing card.
But. as IT Is. the coming of Willard
Johnson bout seems to be nothing but a
meeting between Il second rate heavy
weight and one of the greatest heavy
weight fighters that ever stepped into a
ring.
Gunboat Smith. according to his
mnnager-press agent, Jim, Buckley. as
"Goorer" Graves culture in Just the
way that some men crave beer on Il
warm summer evening. Hes more con-
crrned Just now about the correct way
OF wearing n dress suit than he Is in adj
vancing himself in the pugilis,ic world.
=, The Gooncr,' says Buckley. reads
ne society columns more thoroughly
than he does the sporting pages II.
reads books on How TO Become a 90.
tiilion Leader and How to Eat soup
Correctly" and similar books.
cNcraiis or any. other kind OF garh
! that he happened TO he wearing at the
time, the dinner bell tinkled. Now no
wouldn't think of dining without wear
/ ing swallow tailed clothes. He goes
into II rage whenever he is forced tn
dine where the folks don't pass around
finger bowls.
II am trying to get up into the
world" said the "Gooncr." according
10 his managcr-press agent II don't
care for rough knocks any longer"