The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-31

that manner of life which champions
generally lead.
Many people believe that if Willard
beats Johnson at Havana Monday it
will not be because Willard is a great
| fighting man, but because he is lucky
enough to get the opportunity of meet
ing Johnson-with some credit or dis
credit, in whatever light you may view
those things, to his handlers for work
ing up the opportunity. In short, they
believe that If Jess Willard beats
Johnson it will not be because he is
Jess Willard, but because johnson has
| finished out the span allotted to cham
pions.
This is being a bit forehanded with
the knock that will inevitably follow
Willard victory, to be sure, but &
| nevertheless reflects some of the pub
lie opinion on the coming match.
Fight followers who have seen Will
lard in the ring cannot, by any stretch
of the imagination, think OF him as a
great fighter, but they concede him
chance Monday. They would concede
any one OF half dozen strong young
fellows now classed as white hopes
chance, because the law of the old
game is against Johnson.
Willard Is ten years younger than
the champion, and yet Willard is no
youngster, as youngsters go in the
prize ring. He is crowding 20. There
is a wide difference in the fighting
game between 80 and 81. but it would
be all the wider in the present case
had Willard begun his fighting earlier.
He started at an age when many a
fighter has finished his career in the
ring, and it may be that he began
too late.
His size and his presumed strength
have often been cited in his favor.
AS matter of fact, some good judges
of fighting men believe that he is too
big for fighting purposes. His strength
can always come in handy, but his
strength Is really an unknown guam
tity. Willard has bowled over q few
Of the genus sucker" in the ring, and
1t is believed that he can punch, but
no one knows whether he can punch
good man because he never punched
at a good man. He never had the
opportunity.
will handcuff Johnson's murderous
right uppercut. the pointers evidently
overlooking the fact that Johnson has
a pretty good left hand It has been
said that both Johnson and Willard
are strictly walters; that they hang
back waiting for the other fellow to
come in. which, IL true. would argue
q tedious time at Havana next week,
but as matter OF fact the big bla$S
has often stepped out after his man,
shutting along the canvas until he
gets in striking range.
The chances are he will go after
Willard. and the chances are that
Willard will not be able to keep him
from catching up. Jess has never dis
played any light and airy foot facul-
ties hcreabouts. He has merely shown
a painful hesitancy about slamming a
man, lowering mildly out of reach OF
the gloves until he happens to get
stung. and then suddenly waking up
and rushing in with a fierce failing
of his long arms.
He has been able to hit the men he
has fought In the past, but there is
some doubt as to his ability to hit
Johnson. and there is no doubt as to
Johnson's ability to hit Jess. It all
SINNERS down, so far as Wizards
chances are concerned, to a question
OF Jess's ability to assimilate all OF
Johnson's hitting until such time as
Jack is foot sore and wearied of his
task. In other words, it seems to
simmer down to a question of condi-
ton and endurance.
And then. again, Willard may knock
johnson kicking in the early rounds;
or Johnson may dispose of Willard so
rapidly as to make the Muroe-Jeffries
fiasco seem like a marvellous event.
all OF which will be additional proof OF
what fools us prophets be.
We make plumbing our sepcialty.