Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-01-18
Rv LANES ]. cORRETT.


ing director OF the Jess Willard COM
kle. Incorporating pugilist--has an
nounCed that johnson and Willard
will meet in n battle for the champion
ship of the world some time next
March. A despatch from FL Paso
states that JuareZ, Mexico, has been
selected as the battle ground, and
March & as the date for the big doings.
Now, l am not one of those persons
who have attempted to poke fun at
Willard and his desire to take a short
cut to the championship, and realize,
probably to a greater extent than 9th.
er critics, that the dark horse often
brings home the bacon. The one OBJ
lection have to advance to the
match is that Willard has not yet quail
flied as the accredited representative
of the white race, the hope of the
sports who for more than four years
have been vainly seeking white
heavyweight with skill enough to hum
BILE the big negro now at the head OF
the division, and who has been any
thing but credit to the sport -.
| have repeatedly urged those back
of Willard to turn him loose among
the leading white heayyweights first,
thus giving him an opportunity to
prove his class believe he caIf lick
any and all Of those at present active
ly engaged in the pursuit of white
hoping" but he should settle the
question beyond all doubt If he
can beat Smith, Coffey, Reich and
the rest he should then be matched
with Langford, Mcyey or Jeanette,
and if found worthy of its support the
public would rally to his colors as one
man, and the receipts on March 6, or
whatever date selected for the bout
with Johnson, would shame the record
breaking gate" at Reno July 4, 1910.
For, given a little encouragement in
the way of fighter who figured on
the dope to have a chance to bring
back the title, the sports would turn
out in such numbers that it would tax
the ingenuity and resources OF the pro,
nioters to build an arena large enough
to accommodate them.
But nothing Willard has accom-
plished to date warrants the belief
that he has the ghost of a show to
defeat Johnson. those who are root
ing for Willard, and most white men
are, pin their faith on the sole chance
that Johnsen,s mode of living In re-
cent years has started him down the
ladder. Well, he win have to be pref
ty far down to lose, judging by what
Jess has so far shown in public. On
that frail hope the fans are forced to
base their hopes for shift in the
pugilistic deal next March.
Bout With Morris a Fiasco.
Willard has not made much of hit
anywhere he has appeared outside OF
New York, where the fans are more
lenient than in other cities. But Jess
last bout here with Carl Morris, an.
other elephantine product of the
times, almost cost every bit of respect
local sports ever had for him.
No matter how the bout ends there
Is bound to be great deal of dissat-
isfaction expressed on all sides. II
Johnson wins the critics will roast
everybody connected with it for foist-
ing such an uneven affair on an unso,
phisticated public, while If Willard
cops there is no telling what will be
said and written of the affair. And
all because Jess has not yet shown
anything worth while; whether
through timidity or lack of opportun-
ity will not make any difference in
the public attitude.
Must Annex Title on Merits.
While a white champion would be
more than welcomed, a titlehoIder
VINO annexes honors by any other
method than victory on his merits
will meet with scant reception from
the American public. And should VIII
lard defeat johnson and the public is
at all suspicious of the result, there
will be big demand for Jess to meet
Langford or one of the other negroes
left in the hunt before they will &C
cept him as champion worthy of the
name. And this is spite of the preju- /
dice existing agains the holding of the
title by black man. American sports
do not want to see one of their race
at the head of pugilism unless he has