Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-02
WILLARD PULLING BLUFF
CHAMPION Is STRETCHING
TRUTH ABOUT KNOCKOUT
Would Have Put Moran Down II lie
H"d Necessary runch-I'0uSht
Ills Level Hest.

NEW YORK. April 1.-The statement
creui'ed 10 Jess willard when he got
back To Chicago that II could have
won by knockout II had wanted to- Z"
doesn't ring true. n Willard could
have knocked on, Moran he certainly
would hay" done Il. lie tried his
miShticst I'm that sensational seventh
round--and he tiivvcrcd
willard beat Moran in that light on
points. but in no round other than the
seventh did he seem TO have 4 chance
TO scor" knockout When he saw
that he had Moran srogey in the carly
part bf that session he gave tne Pitts
OurHhcr everything he had in bha
hands. II" beat him unmerciruily on
the head and body. He smashed Moran
around the ring. driving with fury
No man that saw the fight can say that
Willard didn't try then To send Moran
down and out
And what happened? DID Willard
quit his attack because of pity? Nay.
nay. An amazing rally by Moran
caused Willard TO stop his lombard
n"nt and forced him to rct"ea. to the
ropes. Moran. seemingly OH IN" point
OF being beaten into inscnsibllity. came
10 new life. shot Il terrific blow to
Wizards lody and followed Il with Il
flashing right to Wizards Jaw. When
tn. round ended il found Moran bca,-
ing Wizards head and body with n
fusillad" Of blows, while willard stood
backed against the ropes.
II willard could have Knocked out
Moran in that limited period. there
are several reasons why he would have
done so. in the opinion of the sport
ing fraternity hereahouts. Onc reason
was that Tom Jones. his manager. hal
plunged hcar.iy on Willard's chances To
score Knockout. Jones bet $1,000 even
with Ike Dorgan. manager OF Moran.
that Willard would knock out tho chal-
longer. Later on. II is said. Jones bet
$4,000 TO s5.4O0 that willard would
triumph with Knockout.
Jones. therefore, had $1,000 Of his
money bet against $4,000. total Of
$l0.ioo hinged or Willard's Knockout
power Don't you suppose that II
Willard could have knocked out Mo-
ran that he would have done II. thus
enabling Jones TO collect that $4,000
DO YOU think that Willard Intentional
extent Of $4,000? II YOU do. you'v"
got the wrong idea OF less Willard. lie
plays squarcly with his friends.
In = longer hSht-twenty or twenty
five rounds-W Willard might have
knocked out Moran. In that short bat
tie OF Saturday night he demonstrated
hts superiority over Moran. He out
hit him. He showed amazing power
TO aSsimilnte punishment. He held of
many OF the Moran swings with his
long. left iabbcr Hut he didn't knock
ont Moran And the reason was plain
10 most OF those who saw the fight:
Willard wasn't able to wear down
Moran sufficiently In those ten
rounds TO hammer him into uncon-
seriousness.
Ever since tho fight the question has
been asked
If Moran had possessed Wizards
physical advantages what would have
been tho outcome OF the hCht?"
In tho opinion Of the majority OF
those at the ringsido. Moran would
have scored a knockout under such
conditions had he fought with the ag-
Grcssivcncss he displayed Saturday
night.
IT willard had weighed only pol and
spiraled SIX feet against go and six
to seven for Moran, tho chances are
that the bout would not have gone