The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-05-02

to hang around the camps of moro
prominent fighters as attendants.
Results Of bouts early in the career
OF both did not Indicate future
greatness Several times Willard
was pronounced an inapossibflity as
plugging and has finally succeeded
in reaching the highest honor pos
sfble in the ring, that of world 5
heavy weight champion.
Wizards early career is not car
ried in any of the ring records. In
his record the first fight is given as
against Louis Fink, in February of
1911, but Willard was in st. Louis
before that date and trying to get
started on a ring career in 4 big
city. While he had not had fights
OF enough Importance 10 get in print
to any extent. Willard ut tl.at time
claimed to have some ring expert
cnce Willard did not meet with
success in ST. Louis in the way of
getting bouts and went back to
Oklahoma or Kansas. He was after
ward heard of at Chicago working
around gymnasium and picking
up pointers while acting as sparrfng
partner for other fighters. Will
lard's claim TO attention then was
mere in the fact that he was COW
boy trying to become a fighter than
any ability in the ring.
Loses First Bout.
Subsequently Willard got back TO
Oklahoma and his first fight in the
records was with Louis Fink, which
he lost on. foul. After that VIII
lard fought some half dozen battles
and began TO attract attention To
himself by knocking out good
last fight Willard had in 1911 was
ut Hammond. Ind. and after that he
again dropped out OF sight until
May Of 1912, when he fought John
Young at Fort WayEe. Ind. Willard
fought around Indiana for some
time after that and finally began
TO get recognition in New York. The
first important battle OF his career
was with Arthur Peikey in a white
hope tournament at New York. the
pair going ten rounds. without a de-
cision. Then Willard began to gath
err fame when he battlcd another ten
round no-dccision bout with Luther
McCarty in New York, the papers
generally crcditinS Jess with a vic
tory. Finishing up 1872 Willard put
out Sailor White and Soldier Kcrns.
setback in 1915.
Willard got a setback in 1913
which was supposed to have ended
his urctentions to the beavyw eight
title. He battled Gunboat Smith at
San Francisco and was beaten in
twenty rounds. This was in an
elimination to pick an opponent to
meet johnson. In August OF the
same year Willard killed Bull
Young at Vernon, Cal. and the acct
dent for a time caused him to lose
his confidence He was evidently
afraid to cut lose for fear of killing
some one else and fought some dis
appointing bouts in December OF
that year he began TO como back
again however, and was given a
newspaper decision over Carl Nor
rts at New York.
Since the battle with Morris VIII
lard has not fought an important
battle. In 1913 he beat George Ro-
del and George Davis. In 1914 he
had but three fights and these
against ti1ird-raters. Tom Nc3Ia
hon. George Rodel and Tom Daily
were the trio and against McAfahon
he went twelve rounds without .
decision. One of the reasons why
Willard was not more highly
thought OF IN the battle with John
SON was that he had done no fight
ing recently. his last battle having
been fought in May Of last year