Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-31
ADVANCE SALE IS LIGHT
FOR HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT
Reservations for johnson Willard
Battle Far Below EXpecta-
lions OF Promoters.
SMOKE ruIRTl-sEvEN TO-DAY
Big Ace Will Celebrate Birthday by
Working Out Before Tackling
Chicken Dinner-Wiilard Does
Training i'll Shade Only.

HAVANA. March 3o.-With the Jack
johnson Jess Willard heavyweight
championship fight six days away, the
advance seat sale and reservations to
date total only $6J,oua.
While the promoters will not confirm
this statement and are voicing large
thoso OF TIE Jeffries- Johnson fight.
there is absolutely nothing 10 bear out
these claims.
The JeTries- Johnson fgh, drew ss31.-
0po. From present indications II IL
doubtful if Mondays affair will total
more than 100000"
SO far there has been no scramble to
obtain seats. and If specuiators have
chances are they Will lind ii n long
way back 10 the l.. :. y. The Cubans
know whole lot about baseball and
are strictly at home when it comes 10
bull hHhting. but prize fighting Is prac
tlcally new game to them, and they
show little evidence Of separating
themselves from their ha-d-earned du-
cats To see couple of husky gents bat
each other around In twenty four
foot ring. Then. too. there seems to be
u general Impression that the fight will
hibitive betting odds strengthen this
belief or course. hundreds will he
willing to pay from 81 to So for the
novelty Of the thing. but II tho pro-
motors are depending on the native
population 10 Ill the higher price seats
there are likely TO be long rows Of
Gate Receipts May he Light.
The incoming Americans. OF course,
and the Cuban officials will pay the
price to gather around the ringside
but i, is unlikely if there will he
enough to send the gate receipts soar
ing 10 any large extent
AS closely as can be figured at pres
cni between $500 and 1000 Americans
will see the fight. The majority are
expected to arrive late this week. one
flr-
leans on n chartered steamer, the New
York boats probably will bring, about
200, and another delegation viii come
by way Of Key West.
There seems to be Il lot OF doubt lust
what the seating capacity will he. Dick
hleSin. managing director of tho fight,
says 5000 to 100000 can be nccommo-
lie sets the capacity ut 10000, while
officials Of the Oriental race track
where the battle Will he staged says
the park normally will seat from D 900
u 10000
That Johnson is confident OF winning
was demonstrated to-day when he an.
nounced that. he had 10000 ready to
bet on himself II he could secure odds
OF ] IL 10 l. He declared that he
might possibly be willing to take . TO
All this talk that II the fight goes
more than twenty rounds Willard is
sure sur to win makes mo laugh" said tho
ger and has longer reach But re-
member that he must hit me, and 7
u"mnt whether he can do 1t. will
~ iii,een or sixteen rounds. and then
II Will be only Il case OF time before
I'll natten him
..NW., Willard Trains Only In shade.
wizard Is making n mistake in not
training I'm the sun. You know he 10
DOING M his work In the shade We
th ,,i d nEht ,r nhniring the hottest part OF
I'm bit overweight but iii need this
extra weight against him.
nave advised my friends 10 back
have $4,000 of my own money to bet
"Hgnt To be proof that l am confident
letting on the big scrap so far ia
very light There seems to be NAM
,hat want TO bet. In fact. one OF the
S WiIIn'1nsis' sa Of the Cuban is his
aha on anything. but they are uncer.
'ain how To place their money even
.o ne price were even instead OF John
S'i icing the odds-on favorite he Is.
opHiison AT present is the overwhelm.
ing iaporite: and his camp followers and
supporters halk ut having to give two
h!tu ohe-hait 10 one and better TO bet
>, noth lighters began tapering off in
,he,r work day. Willard rested com
piersir; put Viii resume active training
io-day on, not because he is afraid OF wn.
ing stale; but because his condition is
eoou mat II Is not necessary for him
~ 20 Wotk every day. He SAYS thnt
every day. Johnson. who has hcnn
d 6oMimR WE'VE rounds every day cut
Wv" S y ms Work to eight rounds to-day
~, go. "a dih some shadow boxing and
,adsssd inc medicine ball He finisbed
I've w,orKout In good shape. He now
Ups me heam AT o25 pounds.
Johnson Will celebrate his hI,thd
anniversary Tomorrow by sparrtnn
III un we've rounds. doing lot OF roma
~or' shadow boxing and other Indoor
md .'s says he will be thirty-seven
he;a,Tywe'ght championship. -
ON, ~ celebrate he said by work
'"o e"''hK a big chicken dinner"
Prize Fighter Dies I'm H..