El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-01
Willard Demonstrated Real Ability
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Nine Rounds Were Against Moran
BY t. :. ANDREWS.

N aprr e0a'N very 49' powerful a T heavy [S
weight to relieve Jess Willard Of
his crown. This was demonstrated
when Willard met Frank Moran, the
Pittsburg heavyweight in a 10 round
no-decislon contest at Madison Square
Garden last Saturday evening before a
crowd numbering 1900 which packed
the building from floor 10 rafters. The
contest itself was a remarkably good
one between big men; usually contests
between heavyweights, especially of a
limited number Of rounds, are not so
pleasing to the fans as between light
weights or featherweights, but IN this
instance the two gladiators 81 the
heavyweight division put up a battle
that was interesting from the time the
gou5 sounded for the first round until
the finish came in the tenth round.
Despite the fact that there was
difference Of practically SO pounds I'm
weight between the men. still thew
sized up better than might be expected
under such conditions. Willard, who
is a giant in stature, at times lowered
above his opponent. but this was due
to the fact that Moran had a habit OF
using the crouch while Willard usually
stood erect with his left hand forward
There is no doubt in my mind that
Big Jess would have scored a COM
plete knockout before the end OF the
tenth round had it not been for the
fact that he broke his right hand in
the third round. Had the big fellow
taken chance with his left hand I'm
delivering more solid blows, he would
no doubt have stopped Moran just the
same. but the champion seemed to pre-
fer TO play safe, the same as he did
when he won the title from Jack John
son at Havana, nearly year ago. Il
is history now, but IL remains a fact
that had Willard desired he could have
finished Johnson almost any time after
the eighth round, for it was in this
session that he delivered a perfect right
hand blow to the negro's body
that really took the steam out OF him
Willard may not have known it, but
from statements made by Johnson him
self afterwards, he was nearly all in
at that time, but recovered and went
through till the Goth round. However,
Willard was playing safe and took no
chances whatever. He did the same
with Frank Moran.
Hesltated 10 Cut Loose.
There were times when the cham
pion had the challenger staggering
about the ring and II he had simply
cut loose and taken little chance him
self, he could have finished the con-
test then and there without a doubt
Probably it is just as well that the
champion played safe, but with the size
and physical condition Willard pos
sesses ii seems that he should have
opened up a bit and taken more of the
aggressive than what he did. There
were many people who were Of the
opinion that Willard possessed nothing
but his brute strength and stamina.
They were fooled, however. for the
big fellow displayed a whole lot OF
science and his blocking was almost
perfect. Dozens of times Moran would
fvno mil chi F-aA
In only two rounds was he able to put /
over any OF these swings 70 the vital /
spot. Willard had a habit Of throwing /
up his right arm in such a way as to /
block the swings perfectly, but as I
stated before, Moran became desperate /
In the fourth round toward the end |
and again in the seventh and succeeded I
In putting over several right hand 4
swings to Wizards jaw. They had alb 4
no effect on the big fellow, /
but seemed to make him more angry,
and the result was that he came back
all the harder and punished Moran /
more severely.
Long Left Bothered Moran.
While Moran was more the aggressoT
Ind was given credit for carrying the /
light TO the champion. still 1t must be
admitted that Jess kept meeting him !
With his long straight left to the face
Ind they certainly bothered the cbal-
enger a lot It was Moran's only
chance TO work on the aggressive, but
le found that Wizards cOuntering was
always dangerous and It was only oc-
,asionally that he took the chance OF !
swinging with both hands. Willard I
llso used an occasional right to the
)ody and each time he landed he
eemed to shake up. the Pittsburger
Dadly. His right uppercuts were not
learly 50 perfect as those he used in
lis right with Johnson, although he
lsed them oftener. II seems that AZ
er the third round Jess was. using hts
light and bluffing with it a great deal,
nut not putting the real strength back
# them, as he could not take the