The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-03-25
PUGILISTS SPAR
WITH MOUTHS
AS FIGHT NEARS
Willard Declares He is Positive That He
VIII Be the Winner, While Moran
Predicts He Will Knock
Willard Out
Tonight.

New York, March 25--Thirteen thous
and spectators, of whom probably 2,OOC
will be women, will crowd the Madison
Square Garden tonight to see Frank Nor
an of Pittsburg try TO wrest the worlds
heavyweight championship from jess
Willard of Kansas. Although the bout
is not announced as title contest and
no referee decision is permissible under
the state boxing laws, Moran might win
the championship either by knockout,
foul by Willard or Wizards failure TO
go the full ten rounds.
Both men are confident of victory to-
day. Willard said this morning: ut is
hard for me to say how will win. That
will be the victor is the most positive
statement l can make. If Moran starts
a rush battle | am satisfied | will knock
him out"
Moran said: ''Do not be surprised to
see the finish come in the seventh or
eighth round. Then you will see VIII
lard drop"
In boxing ability the two pugilists are
conceded to be about equal, but beyond
that point Willard has a marked advan-
tage over Moran in almost every depart
ment of glove fighting as well as in
physical makeup. He will outweigh
Moran by close to fifty pounds, stand be-
tween five and six inches above the Pitts
burg slugger and have longer reach,
of more than six inches, than Moran.
Both are extremely powerful hitters IN
proportion to their size but here again
Wizards greater physique and strength
give him wide margin over Moran The
latter is the more aggressive boxer of the
two but the champions towering height
and ability to block with his long arms
initiate against the chances of the small |
er pugilist landing knockout blow to
the head. The task of reaching Wizards !
body is not so difficult, but in all his I
bouts to date the Kansan has shown
ability to take very hard blows in his I
midseetion without slowing up From a
defensive standpoint Willard is consid- I
cred to be one of the best equipped box
ers of his division in many years.
He is equally formidable extensively
when aroused, but, as a rule, lacks the
lggressiveness necessary to win from an
opponent of Moran's calibre in ten rounds
Or less His best blows are a short left
ab and a right hand uppercut. These
blows he uses almost continually and ow-
ng to his long reach and great strength
he punches carry terrific power when
Willard puts full force into them Under
PRESSURE he can and does fight with other
,lows and carries Knockout in either
and when mixing sayagely. In his awk- Il
vard and ponderous style Willard is al
most as fast on his feet as Moran, al
hough he seldom uses footwork to avoid
n opponent. At close quarters he should I
e able to hold Moran safely, although |
he latter will be dangerous ii he can '
ear loose long enough to uncover his I
bility and power as an infghter. u
Both pugilists virtually completed r
heir training on Thursday and each /
laims to be in perfect condition for the
attic. Moran has been on edge for the S
out for close to two weeks and his d
rainers have had more difficulty in hold
lg him to physical form than Willards A
andlers. The champion was slow to "
ound into condition since he had been h
ut of the ring almost a year while Nor p
n, because of his recent bouts, respond 5
quickly to the conditioning routine. q
yillard, however, once he settled down 81
} hard work dropped weight and in Il
eased his speed rapidly and while it ii
doubtful if he is in the same msgni- fl
,ent shape that he was when he met
,hnson at Havana, he should be able
box the full ten rounds at top speed W
necessary. IL