Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-03-31
Willard Will TOWER
ABOVE JACK johnson
Champions Rival OutweighS
Him Twenty
Pounds
BIGGEST MEN
IN FIGHT HISTORY

NEW YORK, March 31-Tho history
of the prize ring offers no parallel
OF the battle for the worlds heavy
weight championship in which Jack
johnson and Jess Willard will engage
next Monday at Havana. Cuba. Big
men have fought for this premier title
of fistiana since the early days of
the eighteenth century, but never
through the long list of champions
from James Biggs to Jim Jeffries have
two fighters of the physical proper
lions OF Willard and Johnson crossed
arms in the roped arena.
OF the champions of modern times
Corbett, Jeffries and Johnson all pass
ed the six foot mark, while Sullivan
Sharkey and Fitzsimmons were from
one to three inches below this height
When the negro title holder and his
challenger step into the ring on Eas-
ter Monday, Willard will tower six
feet six inches in the air while John
son will stand five and a half inches
below him. In weight these fighters
are far above the ring average of the
heavyweight class. Willard will weigh
close to 235 pounds, which will give
him an advantage of 20 pounds over
Johnson in the olinching and tussling
which will doubtless play an import
ant part in the battle
Next to Jim Jefferies. the Goliath of
modern ring times. Johnson is the
biggest man who ever held the title.
Jeffries weighed 220 pounds, and stood
- l. d.
fighting shoes Johnson is six feet
one-half inch tall and weighs about
215 pounds in condition; Jim Corbett
scaled 1877 pounds at his best and
was feet / inch tall: Fitzsimmons
was one and one-fourth of an inch
shorter and fought at about 40
pounds; Sullivan stood g feet 10 IL
inches and fought at 1875 pounds: Tom
Sharkey was five feet nine inches and
fought his best bouts at close to
100 pounds.
Compared with these past heavy
weight gladiators. Willard appears as
a Sampson. Even when ranged along
side of Johnson the Kansas cowboy
overshadows the negro title holder
IN almost every point OF physical
measurements. In addition to his 8
IL inches advantage in height and
ten years difference In age he out
weighs Johnson by 20 pounds. His
reach of SO 1-2 inches, against the
Negroes 76 inches will also prove of
exceptional value if properly used. In
all the measurements Of trunk and
limbs, Willard shows an advantage in
structure. muscle and chest cXpan-
sion varying from two TO four inches.
To offset these physical assets John
son has the benefit of ring wisdom
and craft, cultivated during his long
career as championship contender and
holder. Just as Willard surpasses
Johnson in every point of physical
makeup the Galveston pugilist eXcels
the Kansas boxer i'm all departments
OF the science Of giving and eyading
glove punishment With youth and
power ranged against experience and
skill, the battle is likely to develop
into a contest in which ring strate-
gy will equalize brute strength and
courage.
Johnson's ring assets are well
known but uncertainty clouds VIII
lard's prospects. In his short per-
Tod of glove battling he has never
faced an opponent OF the power. skill
and experience of Johnson. The ne
gro is no physical weakling even at
the age of IS years. and while Willard
must be accorded the advantage here
II is likely that the champions Of
ifensive and defensive skill in both
boxing and clinchiug VII nullify this
20 a considerable extent In the clos
ling rounds of the battle il is prob
able that endurance and courage will
play an important part
Willard has shown both these quail
tiles. but up 20 the present time has
not been noted for aggressiveness or
lboxing ability. Whether he can rise
10 the opportunity will be demonstrate
ed in the supreme test at Havana next
Monday. The future drawing powers
of new champion towering far
above many of his predecessors, ADDS
a glamor to the battle which the pro-
motors have had in mind since they
began the preliminary arrangements
some months ago.
That the match making was not
without its delays and upsets is
shown by the fact that If the pugll-
lists meet as scheduled next Monday
exactly six months will have elapsed
since tho day Jack Curley and the
other promoters of the big bout de-
cided upon securing Johnson's sigma
ture 10 the articles Of agreement. The
pig champion was in France at that
time and Curley was entrusted with
the commission TO go find some Texas
negro and secure his endorsement on
the articles which had been signed by