South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-24
FATE Of BOXING
CAME IN BALANCE
John L. Sullivan Says Willard
and Moran Owe Public
a Square Battle.
BY John l.. Sullivan.
III NeWs Service :

DN oOtsh H. 'hhhfoas
International News Service:
NEW YORK, March 24.-Much
more than the individual fortunes
OF Jess willard and Frank Moran
will be at stake when these two big
men crawl through the ropes at
Madison Square Garden tomorrow
night They viii be up there fight
ing for the life or death Of the box
ing game and certainly the fate at
least Of the heavyweight class will
be in their hands alone during those
10 rounds.
Therefore, there ought to be a de-
cisive result There really should
be a knockout. Both willard and
Moran possess the punch 10 put an
opponent to sleep, and both men
ought to be trying hard TO land that
punch. If Moran can do 1t he Will
enjoy perhaps as great popularity
as any champion we have ever had
and if willard does it his victory
will do much toward rehabilitating
him in the eyes of the sporting pub
lie, which has grown rather weary
Of his hippodrome tactics since he
won the title
But if a knocOut is impossible,
one of these men should be so far
ahead of the other on points, eXecu-
ton. etc, that the verdict in his
favor will be unanimous. This will
be almost as satisfactory as an ac-
tual count Of 10.
If the fight goes 10 rounds without
such decisive result, if there is any
appearance of the stalling that has
done so much to hurt modern box
ing. then it will be good night for
the heavyweight class.
Who Will Win?
Who will win? I wish 1 knew.
A week ago 1 was inclined to favor
Moran, but today l have decided TO
let the other boys do the advance
picking, and for my part all 1 will
say now is MAY the best man bring
home the bacon"
Willard apparently is in tip top
shape and so is Moran, but 1 think
Jess is in better condition now than
he was a week ago, while Frank has
been at the top of his form for 10
days and with no room for further
imrovement, every day has seen a
possible chance for backsliding.
There is no more delicate piece of
machinery than a perfectly trained
athlete at the minute he gets in the
absolute pink. They tell me now
that Moran will be Outweighed by
40 or 90 pounds. Any man of
Moran's size and with Moran's head
and heart can give away that
amount of weight without any great
peril. 1 don't know how many of
the men who read this will remem-
Der back as far as Aug. s, 1888, but
those who do will remember that on
that date I met Herbert Slade at
Madison Square Garden and put him
out in three rounds. Slade weighed
little over 225 pounds as / re-
member it. and ] was just under
100. And vet his advantage of
more than 50 pounds didn't help
him any. ] would have won just as
easily if he had been 10 or 10
pounds heavier. ON Nov. 10. 1854,
at the garden / knocked out John
Latin, who at 210 pounds. outweigh
ed me by more than 20 pounds.
Must Keep Hand Higher.
Moran will have to keep his left
hand higher than usual if he is go
ing 10 avoid Wizards straight left,
and the deadly right uppercut which
Jess seems 10 have learned pretty
we'll from Jack Johnson But Will
lard will tower over Moran BY few
inches and I think this fact in itself
will make Frank keep his head high
er than usual.
Willard. of course, has it figured
out that so long as he can keep
Moran from landing that right he is
all safe, depending on straight jabs
with his long arms TO keep Moran
away. and declining TO take a chance
at close quarters in an effort to land
a decisie punch.
/ hope this won't be the case.
hope the men will get in there toe
10 toe, and give that great audience
its moneys worth The people are
entitled TO a good fight. 1t will be
the most wonderful house ever
drawn together by a 1O-round. no
decision boxing match, and if those
men don't fight their best they ought
10 be driven ont of the ring.
Debt TO Fighting Game.
willard and Moran both owe il to
the lighting game, as a game, 10 give
their best efforts. Look what boxing
has done for both OF them Four
years ago Jesse Willard was prac-
tically penniless, and he might still
be punching cows for forty a month
and his keep, if it had not been for
boxing. and Moran, who will get
the short" end OF the purse. He
will get enough 10 keep a reason
able man a life time-more money
than ever will be owned by probably
81 per cent of the people who will
add their bit 10 make this purse
possible.
1 don't think there is any doubt
about how Moran will acquit him