Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-17
JACK JOHNSON PICKED TO
WIN OVER JESS WILLARD
Record in His Bout With Moran Mt
Paris Shows That the Big Smoke
Is Not "AIl In"
HAS PLENTY OF ENDURANCE
Also the Punch When Ncedcd-Se-
groes Are Able TO Stand More Than
White Fighter-Jcancttc and
Langford Are Examples.

NEW YORK, February l6.-And now
that the Jack Johnson-Jcss willard
affair seems fairly certain OF being
staged, as per schedule those posted
venture forth with this prediction:
Johnson will win with comparative
ease. If the fight is on the level.
There are n number of reasons why
portant one is that he comes of the
negro race-of race that can grow
old in years and yet retain, it's ,endu-
rance; Of q race that can indulge in
wild dissipation and not lose much OF
its physical power.
Those who believe Willard has fair
chance for victory come to such be-
lief, not because they think willard is
n great fighter. They know he isn't n
wonder. but they think that the negro
champion has gone back" so far that
any ordinary fighter can beat him. They
think that added years and an intern
perate life have reduced the once Inc
king of the puciliStic world TO n point
where he VIII become easy prey for
amy type of ring foe.
Those who figure thusly figure
wrongly. Johnson is thirty six years
old. There is no denying that, nor Is
there any denying Of the fact that he
has dlss!patcd. The extent of his dis
who are close to Johnson say that tho
reports of his SWIMMING in champagne
ana doing like stunts are gross eXas-
But the added years and the. d!ssi-
been, have not reduced Johnson 10 the
willard. the white giant, beautiful
lamming.
simply Toycd with Moran.
Johnson was thirty-six wears old
when he fought Frank Moran in Parit
last June. At that time many figured
that Johnson had gone back" so far
that Moran had chance against him
Johnson, the physical wreck" simp-
" toycd with Moran during those TWEEN
" rounds. lie could have knocked out
Moran in any round that he chose. out
he clictcd that the white man should
stay the limit. Moran did not furnish
Johnson q battle.
The negro didn't have to extend him
self. vet several times during those
twenty rounds he cut loose. Those who
were at tho rinpside say that the old
Johnson speed. the old Johnson cndur-
anCe and the old Johnson punch are
still there.
reported as n physical wreck, came out
of that scrap with hardly mark on
him. lie was as fresh and as cool as
Mh'h ne wb r'n IS o nnc me
younger than Johnson and who was
toutcd as being physically perfect. was
near q point of collapse, when the last
gong sounded.
Eut YOU needn't stop with Johnson In
putting TO the test the theory that n
negro can stand more physical mis-
treatment than II white man. The rec
Ords of sam Langford ana Joe jeanette.
the other two negro hcavywcightS. will
bear us out. Go back farther into
ring history and you will find that The
negroes who mixed in the fight game
seemed just as able to withstand tho
ravaEcs of age and physical excuses.
Langford has been fighting almost
constantly for thirteen ycars--and iiv
ing free and easy life during all
those years. Langford rarely trains
for his battles. For thirteen years he
has been living the careless kind of
life that probably would send a white
fighter to his grave in three or four
years. yet to-day that same Sam Lang
ford Is able To send the best white
fighter in the world to the pugilistic
scrap heap.
Laneford is n flrhtcr--not pugIlis-
tic loafcr. DnrnE 1914. after twelve
years in the ring game. he mingled In
seventeen ring bnttlcs--an average OF
one scrap in every three weeks. The
only reason he didn't fight oftcncr was
because he couldn't get any more
matches.
Joe Jeanette, the other ebony hucd
heavyweight, tx thirty-four years old,
horned into the lighting game back In
1904, and has been at IL ever since.
lighting every time match was Of
fcrcd. and not stopping to quibble
about terms.
jeanette fought sixteen battles In
1911. twenty-five In 1912. thirteen In
1913 and fourteen In l9li--un average
OF about one battle In every three
weeks over n four-year stretch--a rec
ord that no white lighter OF tho past
or present can equal