The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-17
Sports
WILLARD WAS SCREAM
WHEN HE STARTED OUT
Jess Lost First Battle But Jumped From Green Boxer to Title
holder In Space of Five Years-Has Shown Marked
Improvement Since His Debut.

Sapulpa sports were mildly inter-
Gated Ave years ago today in q boxing
bout which had been arranged for
their amusement by a local promoter.
The Oklahoma town-which is four
teen miles southwest of Tulsa and In
tho oil and gas region where Sinclair
accumulated the kale which helped
10 Keep the Federal League alive
wasn't and isn't any great metropolis.
but 1t had more red-blooded hombres
among its 10000 people than most
cities of n hundred thousand. Boxing
was their favorite sport and although
the affair arranged for February 10.
1911, brought together couple OF
novices, big crowd turned out TO
witness the bout.
Louis Fink was one of the prfnci-
pals, ana the reception he got proved
that he was the favorite of the crowd.
His opponent was a great, towering
giant. who was introduced as Jess
Willard. II was Jesss first appear
ance in the ring, and II was evident
that he was afflicted with bad case
Of stage fright. 1t seemed to the
|young farmer that Sapulpa's mascu-
| line population had suddenly grown to
a million or SO, and that the whole
bunch was there to see him make
bally asa OF himself. Jess would
doubtless have given a lot to be back
on the old farm. He was so nervous
THAT ne could scarcely get his gloves
| on, and there was percepubie quak-
ling Of the giants knees when the bell
rang and Jess faced his opponent.
Made Sports Laugh.
Sapulpa sports nearly laughed them
selves 10 death during the bout. Jess.
was ~ green as the grass OF his ma
tive. Pottawatomie County and FINK
wasn't much better. At times they
|sesned to, be- determined to turn the
bout into a wrestling match. and the
perspiring referee WORKED ereiIne
|prying them apart. AS the affair pro-
dressed Willard gained In confidence
lie discovered that although FINK had
|tambasted him with blows that were
1.-THE best he had In the shop. he wash
lin the least hurt. willard had bad
|cold at the time. and often he stopped
I,o blow In nose. FINK was an obngih&
|chap and calmly waited until Jess hAd
Ifintshed the ceremony. Then wizard
would call out. Come on, LOU, and
|; hey would resume fighting. IL the
Icomh Atlantis hadn't been such novices'
In would have seemed like the most
hippodrome. $but the rams
knew they were In deadly earnest, ana
the native exhibition 10
II he fullest extent -,
II anybody had suggested that DIE
krecn Jess was the coming champion
"a tho world, he would have got the
hnerry ha-ha. He was disquaiheo ios
houling In the tenth round, so his hrst
haffta was recorded as a defeat. Jess
has always insisted that he was not
kui,ty of a foul. and that the referee
|haa IL In for him. As a matter OF
kact. Jess probably didn't know what
n foul was at that period of his Ca
keer. and the referee would have been
weii within his rights II he had dis
kualified both warriors in the hrst
kninuse of the first round
Excited Over Morris.
| At that time the fans of Sapulps,
kTuina, and other Eastern Oklahoma
kovns were wildly excited about Carl
kforris. The engineer had knocked
ieut the old veteran. Marvin Hart. in
kapulpa only couple Of months be-
Tore, and a month or so afterward
|3icrr.s put old Mike Schreck TO sleep
I'M thu same town. Sapulpans looked
Apon Carl as the coming champion,
end Jess was dismissed from their
minds nm just an amusing Ruoe who
|wpufd soon go back 10 the farm ana
|eive up his ambition to become
lighter
Jess landed only one solid blow In
his hrst bout That one swing knock
la Fink clear out of the ring. and.
IL 1t had landed In vulnerable spot.
would have ended the argument. The
result OF that blow. and the fact
khat Tink's many punches hadn't hurt
him in the least decided Jess TO keep
|pn in the game. The following month
he fought Fink again, in Oklahoma
city, and knocked him out in the
third.