Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-12
JESS DOESN'T LIKE TO FIGHT
So Says Tom Jones, and from Will
lard's Recent Activities He
Probably is Right,
WILL QUIT THE RING SOON

NEW YORK, Dec. lido you know"
said Tom Jones' the other day, that
Jess Willard doesn't care a rap about
fighting? Well, that's the truth. He only
Intends to fight a few more battles and
he'll retire from the ring inside Of year.
Jess wants to dispose of all the prom
inent contenders before he retires,
though, to prove that he Is a real bona
fide champion. But the real truth is that
he would rather be doing something else
than swapping punches in the ring
Willard first took up boxing when
Jack Johnson was returned winner over
Jim Jeffries. 1t was his ambition to re-
move the negro from the limelight and
prove the superiority of the white race
that made the big cowboy take up fish
cuffs.
THE reason that he made such rapid
progress and developed from big, I'M
couth heavyweight into the best the sport
has produced was because of his deter
n1ination to take the title away from
johnson.
IF Jess liked boxing or It's sidelines.
such as stage and circus work, he could
now be making thousands of dollars
every week. Instead. he loves his family
and home. and he won't be contented
again until he quits the ring forever and
takes up farm life, or something like
that
willard has been receiving all kinds Of
offers since he quit the circus. 1t was
only the other day that he was offered
5000 a week for twelve weeks work on
| the stage, but he wouldn't even consider
1t. He Is now back home In Los Angeles
with his family. and no offer, no matter
how big. would induce him TO leave there
until after the new year starts.
Only Wants His Price.
willard will probably fight only three
or four battles before he quits his gloves
away for all time. OF course. he wants
to quit with the title in his possession.
This doesn't mean he is going to pick
any easy marks. AS long as he gets his
price, which is $4,000, he will let the
promoters pick his opponents"
Jones then showed the writer the con-
tract for Jess bout in March with Fred
Fulton at New Orleans. Fulton isn't
named, as the contract was signed before
Fulton had been secured. "'he contract
calls for $3.50, $500 of which is for
training expenses. The contract doesn't
say that he can't meet anybody before
then. and IL somebody steps forward
with the required sum bout between the
middle of January and the New Orleans
date, he will be accommodated.
What other champion ever signed to
fight eight months from tie date he won
the championship continued Jones. Il
guess they have been few and far be-
tween. Eleven months from the time
that he beat Johnson at Havana he will
be opposing Fulton in New Orleans. Some
record; that!
1T makes me laugh to see how some
of the so-called contenders are demand
ing exorbitant sums to fight Jess. For
instance, Moran has twice been offered
S1l.O0 for his end. but has turned it down.
Can you imagine a fellow who thinks he
has a change to cop the title refusing
such big guarantee?
willard Loses Money.
i've had three champions and all three
| together didn't make half what Moran is
| passing up when they captured the cham
| pionships In their respective classes
| When Wolgast beat Nelson he got $500
no training expenses or railroad tickets
When Pspke knocked out Ketchel he got
about 1880. Willard was over $4,000 in
debt after the Johnson fight.
But the way always figured 1t was
this: II had a boxer who had a chance
of beating the champion l was willing
to let him fight for almost anything. If
he won. / knew that It would be a
harvest"
Sam McVey, who fought Langford q
draw here the other night. heard about
Moran's refusal to meet willard for n
$1,000 guarantee, and he said:
II tell you what I'll do. I've got about
1900 in cash left. l won't want a cent
for fighting Willard. but / will bet what
money have that III stop him inside OF
six rounds"