The Washington herald., 1916-03-21
JESS IS AS GOOD
ASOLD JEFFR|ES
Present-Day Champion Looks
Better to j. Corbett Than
Famous Jeff Ever Did.
MORAN MUST BE GREAT
By JAMES j. CoRBETT.

CFormer Heavyweight Champion OF the
World and the First Man to Win the
Championship Under Marquis of Queens
berry Rules.)
New York, March %. Il saw Jess Will
lard for the first time this afternoon and
1 had the biggest surprise of my life.
went down to the Pioneer Sporting Club,
on West Forty-fourth street. where the
champion is training. expecting to see a
massive chap who possibly might show
some signs of knowing the game. What
a surprise: Why, that big fellow looked
every bit as good to me as Jefries did
when Jim was champion.
don't want to come right out and
pick Willard as a sure winner until l
have seen Moran work. I will visit ihe
challengers camp Wednesday afternoon.
I will tell you what l saw up there, and
then on Friday will pick the winner In
my opinion, and give my reasons for the
selection.
But Moran will have to be awfully
good to convince me that he can win
from Willard. Why. that ginnt has
everything in the world that champion
needs. He can box. he can hit, and with
both hands too; 4 wonderful defensive
man, and apparently has a good head.
was impressed most with Wizards
left hand. I heard that he had no stinG
behind it; that he paved with 1t in
stead of swapping it as it landed. l had
! heard wrong. That left hand has plenty
| OF speed and power behind 1t, and he
can hook it equally as well as he can
shoot 1t straight.
Has Good Left.
The best thing of all about that left
hand is that Willard can really u2petcu'
! with it, 1t is sort of a half uppercut and
as he used it today. I am sure that thi:
| punch will worry Moran whole lot. YOU
! can count the men who can uppercu
successfully with the left hand on YOU
| fingers. It is one of the hardest blows ir
the game to master. Willard has It dow
to perfection.
Moran's best punch. undoubtedly, is hi:
right hand to the body or jaw. Well,
believe that Willard can hit faster with
his right than Moran can with his. AnC
Willard knows how to hit with that rtgh
hand. too He uses 1t seldom. but wher
he does start 1t, it never fails to land
/ 1t Is a true sign of champion wher
a man lets his right loose only wher
he is sure it will land solidly.
Wizards size is going to help him 1
lot in this battle. All this talk abou
size not counting goes only when thu
heavier man does not know how to maxi
the best of his height and weight.
Willard probably isn't in as fine con
dition as Moran. But I do not thinl
he needs to be. II he is in trouble an!
} time during the fight he is so stroni
that he will be able to keep Moran ava,
with that long massive left arm. VII
lard is not lightning fast on his feet
either. And again he doesn't have to b
because of his strength.
Can Take Body Punches.
Moran may land many a hard pune
, on Wizards jaw. But I noticed partic
D ularly that Jess has the happy facult
} of letting his head ride with thes
D punches. And he surely can take ther
in the body. I saw Jack Hemple, VIII
, is a pretty hard hitter. smash him tim
and again in the stomach today and tn
blows didn't bother Willard in the leas
3 He has developed the muscles over HI
stomach to such an extent that he ca
; stand almost any amount OF punishment
, there.
, to perfection. Against the clever Waite
3 time and again and with speed tn;
: would do credit to lightweight
When 1 started this story I said tn,
figured Willard the equal of the gre,
Jefrries. AS far as rights go, I am forct
to give Willard a shade the best of
, Both of them are about on evens
. far as the rest of the game goes. &c
but what a fight JEFF and Jess wou
e have put up II they both had been
i their best at the same time.
Q Read my story Thursday morning al
I'll tell what I saw up at Moran's trail
II ing camp.