Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-02
MORAN MUST X. @.
WILLARD TO WIN
in BIG CONTEST
Height and Reach Will
Prove Big Handicap
for Contender
BOUT WILL BE SLOW
By GRANTLAND RICE

Charles Francis Moran is game. in
telligent citizen. Moreover, he has at
tached unto his system wallop of unusual
potency
He is honest, earnest and lIlsable, or. as
f. P. A. might put it, "asifable,"
But considering his weight, power,
speed. reach and skill in comparison with
Jess Wizards only a vivid imagination
can depict Moran in n vlctors role for the
night of March 25.
About Willard
To move along the highway of logic,
you can find it out in this fashion:
Willard, with an almost impregnable
jaw that long, prodding left and stanch
defense--with greater reach, greater
speed and more skill-is almost sure to
outpoint Moran over the 10-round route.
In the first fight Jim Coffey had landed
three blows to one until Moran knocked
him out In the second fight Coffey was
leading by the same wide margin until
the old haymaker arrived IL the vicinity
of his jaw,
Moran can hardly outpoInt willard If
both last the 10 rounds. He isn't the out
pointing kind. With both men on their
feet at the finish it is to l that Willard
will have the lead in points.
The Knockout
To win, therefore, Moran must knock
willard out. He must knock out a man in
10 rounds that no one has ever been able
to knock down; man that Johnson
couldn't knock out in 25 rounds; "a man
greatly improved in boxing science and
defensive tactics
There is always the chance, of course /;
but no chance we'd care to back with any
kale For Willard, unlike Coffey, can take
a carload of furnishing blows without wilt
IJa mill ha hur tE In l..
nerable spot. but even IL reached it Is un-
likely the punch will be a wrecking affair
The New Willard
We saw Willard give battle in the hal
cyon white hope days of Carl Morris ct al
He was about as sad a sketch as the ring
has shown Then he had little but mere
bulk.
We saw Willard again in his first work.
outs for the Moran engagement. But II
wasn't the same Willard. The new Will
lard was nearly 25 pounds heavier But
he was also faster, with an so per cent.
improvement in his fighting style.
He isn't any Corbett FitzsimmOns or
Jeffries yet in ring speed or ring skill.
But he is far beyond the range Of the
old numbering giant of two years ago
How can Moran slip by that left of
Wizards? That S0-inch reach, tapping
pToddng, always in the way of an adj
vance? For the Willard left and the
Coffey left are not the same. The Kansan
has jolting power in these lefts beyond
any other boxer. now that Johnson has
passed on and out. A few of these planted
on Morans frontispiece are likely TO have
a blurring daZing effect, however game
the blonde might be.
As to the Fight
Ordinarily the chance for a good fight
between boxers of the Willard-Moran type
would be poor,
Moran is slow. Rugged, hard hitting
game-but slow.
Willard, no speed marvel at his best
is a slow starter. Each respects the
artillery carried by the other. There is
liable to be a strong drift toward de-
fensiye fghting-which is poor stuff for
10-round exhibition.
This alone can make the match a good
one-the realization on the part of both
that they are on trial that over $780, 900
has been paid in TO see what they have
70 Offer that they are to get $4,000 for
80 minutes work-oYer $4,000 a minute
Realizing this, it should be up TO both
men 10 start from the gong and go to
it-pack all the action possible in those
30 costly minutes in an attempt 10 win
as decisively as possible.
win they? We don't know. The ten
dency to play It safe with no referees
decision awaiting Is a strong one II Is
the system that Freddie Welsh has been
following for long time.