The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-20
JOHN |. ON MORAN
Sullivan Thinks Pittsburger
Has Chance to Win.
He Has the Punch That Jack
johnson Lacked.
(BY JOHN L. SULLIVAN.)
For IL Years Heavyweight Champion
and Most Popular Pugilist the Ring
Has Ever Known.

Boston, Mass, March 20.-Moran
has the greatest opportunity of his
life and 1 figure that he has great
chance to win this fight and bring
home the bacon.
They tell me about what a big fell
low this man Willard is, but L tell you
it is mighty seldom those boosters are
all wool and yard wide. When
fighters are too big you'll find lot of
soft spots in them.
Moran will weigh about 205 when
he climbs into the ring. A man
weighing 205 pounds is plenty big
enough to lick anybody. Moran is do
ing the better and harder training.
His trainer, Willie Lewis, is a marvel
and you can bet that he will see to
it that the big blonde fellow from
Pittsburg gets into that ring in Madi-
son Square Garden fit to fight for his
life, not to speak of the chance to go
out and gather all the kale in sight.
This man Moran has been coming
right along and doing better every time
he shows. All in all, his showing with
Johnson in Paris is a better perform
ance than was Wizards with johnson
in Havana And I will talk about that
a little later.
Has Good Right.
None of the heavies in recent years
have been great punchers with the
right hand. Moran surely has the
best IISil lI1dI we nave SCCh III q
number of years. And he is plenty
tall enough to reach Willard with that
right if he gets a fair opening.
Don't bank too much on Wizards
height. There's an old saying that
you can make those tall fellows grow
short as the battling goes along.
1 don't say that Moran can handle
Willard as he did Coffey. Not at all.
l figure there's so much at stake that
these big fellows are likely to be eau
tiouS and not take many chances of
going into the fight like they used to
DO in the old days.
The boxing game is now at its
height. Sometimes 1 wish I were a
young fellow again. 1 picked up
some money in the game, but l never
got the chances these boys of the
later days are getting
For the good of the game, 1 hope
that Moran and Willard will do their
level best and show all they have to
show. If the people of the big city
get a farce, or even slow fight, it
will give the glove game a fierce
black eye all over the country. To-
day the boxing game and baseball are
the sports of the American people.
Baseball is going to have a great fu-
ture, now that that row is over. It's
up to the boxers themselves to guard
their own game.
Now, don't think an too cocksure
about Moran. Fighting is a mighty
uncertain game There are mighty
few who can pick the winners all the
time, but I have picked my share.
Just remember l was right when
Johnson and Jeffries battled at Reno.
For two weeks or whereabouts l saw
what was ing on in their camps,
and 1 figured Johnson to win. Every
body knows where / stand when a
colored boxer is performing against
a white man.
Mind you, I am not playing friend
ship in this bout. I'm taking things
as 1 see them. What have these men
done? Moran has just put away Jim
Coffey, a pretty good performer, on
two different occasions Has Willard
ever knocked out a first class man?
Now you'll come back at me and
say Willard KIN cked out Johnson.
Did he? The Johnson who showed
against Willard in Havana was an
other johnson compared with the
man who beat Jim Jeffries
Johnson made the mistake a lot OF
better men make. He got a lump OF
coin into his hand and lost interest in
his business. Four years of merry
life, a world crowded into a few short
years and he was an affair of the
past. But just notice that all the way
through until almost the end Johnson
had it all over Willard in every way
shape and manner.
He Lacked Punch.
He hit him with that left of his just
as he pleased. Wizards great biz
reach didn't seem to count for much
while Johnson was going. johnson
hit with his right full on the highway
of the merry life. The colored mar
hooked, swung, uppercut and jabbed
at every vulnerable point on Willard's
body and head, and he landed. But
! the punch wasn't there.
Now Willard is a pretty sensible
fellow, but they tell me he hasn't done
anything since his Havana victory be
yond a little work with a circus. Thi!
exhibit boxing doesn't get a regular
| fighter anywhere In my day a cham
pion had to give exhibitions on the
stage to get some money, because he
never got the purses the fighters ge
| in these good times. But 1 knew an(
so did every other fighter, that mere
| exhibition boxing doesn't help much