New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-08
NOW'S THE CHANCE
FOR BOXING WAGER
Tom Jones Sure Jess Will.
ard Will Win in Bout
with Jack johnson.
SURE UP TO $4,000,
AND PERHAPS MORE
Manager Also Defends His Pol
icy of Holding Willard for
Battle with Champion.

Tom Jones entertained a party Of
friends yesterday afternoon by deliver
ing a lecture on just how and why Jess
Willard should defeat Jack Johnson
when the men meet at Juarez on March
Cor will it be Havana, Cuba, on
March II.
No matter where they are to meet,
Jones says that Willard will win. He
is confident, and in that easy, breezy
Western style. of his he assures the
world at large that he will bet $4,000,
$4,000 or any other sum on the
chances of his man. And in case a
sportive person would rather bet
pifiiks on the result-why, Jones in
vented the piifik. But what is a pifIik
Well, a piifik is a lump of gold worth
$4,000. They may be had in Hylo
land, reached on a cloud of smoke from
a Chinatown cigarette.
Jones aired his opinion of certain
local newspaper men for bounding Will
lard because he refused 10 fight any
body before he took on Jack Johnson.
He waxed eloquent as he went on, and
his address soon became one pictur-
esque simile after another.
He pointed out how in the past Will
lard implored all the heavyweights TO
fight him, but received only a patroniz-
ing smile in reply to his challenges.
According to Jones, the only reply Will
lard ever got from Smith and the
others was: Whom are you, and whom
have you fought with, with whom"
Now, however, Willard is the most
talked Of white heavyweight in the
world, and they are all falling over
themselves TO take a chance at him for
a slice of money which they know will
be realized. Jones went on:
What fool I'd be to let Willard
meet any of these dub heavyweights!
Yes. dubs-D-U-B-S-dubs. We want
ed to fight them all offered to bet
Billy Gibson $4,000 in real money that
Willard could stop Jim Cotfey inside
of ten rounds. Did Billy Gibson take
me up? He did not. He was afraid
to send Coffey into the ring with this
fellow. Gunboat Smith would never
take another chance against Willard.
His manager, Jim Buckley, knows Will
lard could beat him. Now, however.
Willard is up where they only hoped
TO be, and they are sore.
1--WE are in for something like $1,000
right now, and were we TO make a
match which might result disastrously
not that Jess would be beaten, but
he might break his hand would be the
height OF folly. willard will go into
training shortly for his battle with
Johnson. and you may believe me he
will win"
1t is definitely decided now that
Willard will fight Johnson at either
Juarez or Havana. Billy Gibson, who
recently returned from the Cuban cap
ital. is enthusiastic over the outlook
for holding the bout there. He said
that the Cubans are willing to pay
fancy prices for the privilege of see
ing first class men in action.
Gibson pointed out that Havana IS
only fifty hours from New York, and
that the Fasteners were certainly en-
titled to a heavyweight championship
match. Juarez, Gibson said. would not
be as attractive to people of this coun-
try. what with the unsettled condl-
tions in Mexico and the intense anti
American feeling.
Johnson will sail from Buenos Ayres
next Monday for the scene OF action.
II is said that many South Americans
later will make the trip northward