Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-06-04
JESS WILLARD'S FUTURE
RESTS WITH JONES
Syndicate May Ruin Big Jess by Keep
ing Him on the Stage.

It Is quite possible that Jones & Co.
of the Willard syndicate will be sue
cessful in making a profit out of the
big kansan in exhibition work The
the money they invested when they
clinched the match with Johnson and
brought it to g. successful conclusion
in Cuba.
At the same time, if Jones Co.
keep Willard on the show circuit for
two years, as threatened, they will ruin
him, from the standpoint of pugilistic
performance. 1t makes no difference
whether Willard is % or 33 years old.
Two years of overnight stands with
their absence of physical exercise, lack
Of fresh air and nothing but exhibition
boxing, will ruin the career of the best
man that ever drew on a glove
If the syndicate adheres to it's pro-
gram they will find when they finally
put the big fighter in the ring that he
is good for nothing else except ex-
hibition work.
Perhaps the Willard syndicate does
not care anything about Big Jess fu-
ture career, provided, they get the
money they desire. He would be able
after his theatrical work, and if he got
whipped the syndicate could then
come to terms with the victor.
a pugllist. like any other athlete,
can retain top form only by one pro-
cedure. After he had engaged in a
hard contest, preceded by long
course Of training, he requires a rest,
during which he naturally will take on
considerable flesh that was worked off
during the training work. Having re-
gained his normal condition Sas to
weight and flesh, the pugilist is then
ready to begin the same kind of work
that fitted him for the contest.
But let a pugilist, after a crucial
contest in the ring, begin a siege of
stage work, fail to get needed rest
gloves and continue the enervating
stage work for a long period of time
and the result will be to reduce his
pugilist ability to the vanishing
point.
1t does not necessarily follow that
tdissipation must enter into the calcu-
latlon- An athlete must be an athlete
II he wishes to perform efficiently in
his line of endeavor, and the instant
he cuts away from athletic habits he
loses form.
The fact that Willard. or rather the
syndicate has refused an offer of a.
$4,000 purse to battle with Gunboat
Smith at Denver, July T. indicates
clearly that Jess will not do any seri-
Gus boxing for some time to come.
He may engage in a few no-decision
contests for the gate receipts. but as
for a long battle in which his title
would be endangered there is small
prospect.
Jim Buckley, manager of Gunboat
smith, who was recently in Denver
with the Gunner, made the following
statement after Jones had refused the
fforef the Denver syndicate of a.
$4,000 purse:
I stand ready to post $1,000 with
any responsible parties in Denver to
natch the Gunner against Jess Willard
Tor a twenty-round or a finish fight
before any club that can guarantee to
pull the match off without interior
, ence, the deposit to go as a side bet.
winner take all if the Willard people
want 1t that way. I honestly believe
the Gunner is the most logical oDpo-
nent that Willard can meet, and the
public sooner or later will demand a
match between them. My boy has
beaten Willard once fair and square
and Willard has never fought him
since. We have tried every way to get
him In right with the Gunner. but
there has been nothing doing. He has
not any ears when fight is mentioned