New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-06
ALL EARLY ROUNDS
FAVORED CHAMPION
Apparently Held Cowboy Oppo'
nent in Scant Respect Until
He Began to Tire.


Four minutes later prolonged yelling
and cheering announced the appear
ance of Willard. The crowd went Wild
over the young giant, screaming ana
hand-clapping as he crawled through
the ropes.
Willard wore n heavy red sweater,
blue trousers and black sombrero.
In Wizards corner were Tex
ORourke, Jim Savage and Walter
I Monahan Johnson was seconded By
Tom Flanagan, George Monroe, Sam
McVcy. Dave Mills and Bob Armstrong.
The two men shook hands for the
"movies," then the ring gradually
cleared Of all except Jack Welch, the
referee, and the principals.
johnson objected TO woman spec
tator in the press ringside seat, and
she retired TO an adjacent box. The
negro, stripping his bathrobe, stood
forth in bright blue trunks and no belt.
willard wore dark blue trunks, with
an American flag belt.
A second Of each man carefully in
spected the adjustment Of the gloves,
and the battle was on.
ROUND Johnson tented, landed
his left on Wizards jaw and repeated
with am uppercut that carried sting.
The challenger was plainly nervous,
while Johnson was laughing as willard
drove two lefts to che body. The cham
piou retaliatcd with a right to his OPP
ponent's body, but seemed unwilling TO
force the fighting He acted, I'm feet
as if he held willard in scant respect
and had made up his Tind to take
things easy.
ROUND > johnson easily blocked
HtT.ft.wlf.. l., IL an gocOvd round he
gan. Fcinting him out Of position, he
scored with right and left 10 the jaw
Willard replied by thrashing his right
to the Negroes body, but Johnson. smil-
ing. almost sneering. hooked his left to
the stomach and landed three lefts TO
the body. Willard laughed In turn, as
if gaining confidence, but Johnson drove
him to the ropes with tattoo Of lofts
70 the face.
ROUND 3-After much feinting and
sparring in the third round Willard
missed a right swing and both laughed.
Johnson rushed and landed left on
the body and right 90 the jaw, and
then another left to the body, Willard
asking, as that the way you do it|'
This Indicated clearly that the blows
were doing little or no damage
ROUND 4 Willard lunged inef-
fectuallv as the fourth round began,
Johnson laughing at his clumsy efforts.
There was much fcinting, sparrlng and
clinching, but Johnson finally landed a
left TO the ribs, swung his right and
left to the body and his left again TO
Wizards face. cutting the lip and draw
ing blood. Willard shot a left TO john
sons nose, but il was glanclng blow
and carried little power.
ROUND 5-Johnson poked light
left and right TO Wizards face shortly
after the fifth round began and later
the referee ordered them TO break from
clinch. The negro smashed a hard
one TO Jess's ribs and drove three blows
10 the stomach. The champion also
rushed willard to the ropes, scoring
punches to the head and to the body.
Willard was badly distressed and so
plainly ratified that he boxed like an
amateur. It was Johnson's round by a
vide margin and his rival suffered in
comparison.
l. ROUND 6-The negro was confident
at the opening Of this round lie beat
Willard SO the ropes with a fusillade OF
lefts. and. on the bretk, landed hard
drive TO the giants jaw. The negro
rubbed Wizards bleeding lip at every
opportunity. and finally landed three
crashing blows to Wizards unprotected
body. At the bell Johnson was ham
mering away as ne pleased. The cow
boys left cheek was cut and he seemed
in sore distress.
ROUND johnson used every arti-
fee to force the fighting in the seventh
round. lie rushed Willard 20 the ropes,
smuggling with both hands. The chal-
lenger's long left kept jabbing at John
sons eyes, but the latter came back
of rTrtfr to D "A 9
body. Il was a clean fight so FAR, and
all in favor of the champion.
ROUND S-Willard seemed to gam
confidence as the eighth round opened
and tried his hand at forcing the pace.
Johnson accepted the challenge and the
pugilists battered each other around
the ring. the negro having the better Of
il. willard landed one on Johnson'3
mouth, but the latter uppercut him over
the heart i'm return and drove HIM
across the ring. Willard bounced of
the ropes and landed a LETT 10 the Jaw,
but the round ended with the negro
swinging blows to head and body.
ROUND Willard again took the
aggressive in the ninth round. but
Jobnsons stabbing lefts started the
cowboys ear bleeding, while he landed
frequently The blows, however, lacked
their oldtimc power. Amid the feint-
ing the crowd yelled: xiii the black
bearl" Johnson Immediately started
rally. driving three hard hooks 20 WI
lard's stomach. A left by willard start
ed the negro's mouth bleeding, and this
so infuriated the champion that he
slugeed the white man TO the ropes
and fairly rained blow after blow.
ROUND 10 johnson was slow in
coming from his corner for the tenth
round, the pace telling. willard scored
two lefts to the face and blocked re-
turn. showing 10 better advantage a. his
nervousness wore Off Johnson finally
swung left to Wizards ribs and drove
half a dozen hard blows TO the body
and Jaw. The negro, suddenly reused
20 fighting fury, swung right and left
70 the body and wound up with hard
right chop that staggered Willard and
sent him Keeling across the ring al the
bell.
ROUND 1.-THE crowd was deriding
Johnson when the eleventh round got
under way, and the negro fought and
answered the sallies at the same time
Willard drove his left 10 JOhnson's
mouth and received a right hook 70 the
body Johnson smashed LETT TO the
COWBOYS Jaw, followed by several in
effective swings. The negro tried 70
rattle Willard by talk, and the latteF,
plainly showing his anger, replied IN
kind. Johnson tapped the giants shout
der, ending a slow round
ROUND l2-The negro opened the
twelfth round with left TO Wizards
body and a right to the jaw. They
dropped into clinch and the negro
smashed his opponent three times with
the left. As they broke apart Johnson
drove right to the body and left TO
the head The storm Of blows apparent
Isl had no effect on Willard, nor did he