Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-04-05
JOHNSON WILLARD
FIGHT BY ROUNDS

hmSSiue, havana, April o.-Jack
johnson, champion heavyweight pu-
gilist since 1910, lost his title this
afternoon TO jess Willard, the Kansas
, cowboy, in the twenty-siNth round of
their scheduled forty-fiyc round bout.
The fight ended when the challenger
landed terrific blow on the negro's
jaw and hc took the count.
| The former champion began to show
signs OF weakness after the twentieth
round and Willard appeared to land
telling blows at will. The cowboy, III
the early rounds took probably more
punishment than any pugilst in many
years back and with every blow nc re-
cciNed he grinned.
In the twenty-iifth round Johnson's
actions indicated that he thought he
could get the decision on points and
attempted 10 draw out the battle. VIII
! lard'S punches changed his idea. and
at the end O fthc round he fell hcav-
lily into his seat.
| Ringside, April 5. In the chal-
| lenger's corner were the following sec
onds: Tex O'Rourke, Jim Savage,
| Walter Monahan; Johnson's seconds
| were Tom Flanagan, George Munroe,
Sam McVey, Collin Bell, Davis Mills
| and Bob Armstrong. The two pugi-
! lists shook hands for the movies. The
| ring gradually cleared of all except
Referee Jack Welsh, seconds and prin-
| cipals.
johnson objected to a woman spec
| tator in the press ringside stand and
she retired to an adjacent box. The
/ negro, stripping his bathrobe, showed
! himself clad in bright blue trunks and
| no belt. Willard wore dark blue
! trunks and an American flag as a belt.
I Both pugilists got on the scales in
! the ring. Wizards weight was 23S;
JChnson's, 225. The negro appeared
considerably heavier
I At LIS the ring was ordered cleared.
| The pugilists then SHOOK hands r'ime
| was called at /. .53 New York time
Rounds {
| johnson feinted and landed his left
| on Willard's jaw. Repeated uppercuts
with rights to jaw and he was very
| nervous. Johnson was laughing. Will
lard drove two lefts to the body. John
son drove right to Wizards body.
Round Two
! Johnson easily blocked Willard's j
| lead, feintinS and scoring right and
| left to jaw. Willard replied with a
thrashing right to the negros body.
Johnson then hooked left to the
stomach. Johnson then landed three
| lefts TO the body. Willard laughed.
Johnson then drove Willard to the
| ropes with a tatooo of lefts to the face.
Round Three
After much feinting Willard missed
! a right swing and both laughed. John
son rushed and scored a left on the
| body and a right to the jaw johnson
| landed the left on body. Willard
asked if that was the way you do it %
Round Four
| Willard lunged Intellectually. John
son laughed at his clumsy effort
| Johnson landed left to the ribs and
swung his right and left to the body
! and his left to WIZARDS face. Will
| lard's lip bleeding. Willard scored a
! left TO Johnson's nose.
! Round Five
! Johnson hooked lert and right to
| Wizards face. The referee ordered
! the fighters to break from a clinch.
| Johnson smashed hard to Wizards s
ribs and drove three blows to the cow
| boys stomach. Johnson rushed Will
lard to the ropes, scoring punches to
| the head and to the body. Willard
was badly distressed. Willard was
ratified and boxed like an amateur.
Round Six
! The negro was calm at the opening
of this round. He beat Willard to the
ropes with lefts. On the break John
son landed smashing blows on the law.
The negro rubbed Wizards cut lip at
| every opportunity. The negro landed
| three crashing blows to Wizards un-
protected body. At the bell johnson
was hammering hard at Willard s
body. The cowboys left cheek was
| cut
Round Seven
| johnson was using every chance to
| force the fighting. He rushed Willard
to the ropes, slugging both hands re-
| peatedly Wizards long left tempo-
| rartly blinded the negro's left eve.
johnson came back with a series of
swings to the body. 1t was a very
clean fight so far
Round Eight
| Willard was gaining confidence and
tried his hand at forcing the pace.
Johnson accepted his challenge. The
pugilists battered each other across
the ring, the negro having the better
of 1t. Willard landed on Johnson's s
mouth. Then Johnson uppercut VIII
! lard over the heart. Willard bounded
| OFF the ropes and landed a left to the
| Jaw. The round ended with the negro
swinging blows to WIZARDS head,
| Round Nine
| Willard assumed the aggressive
johnson started one of the cowboys
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