The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-11
Southern League Teams Start Training
CRITICS D!SAGREE ON CONDITION OF
 CHAMPION WILLARD
Followers Divided on Opin- iOn-Moran Is in Great Shape and Will Give
 Willard Hard Fight

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 With the date for the battle a bit less than three weeks distant, ring critics of New York city, where the two prin- cipals are now training are widely at variance as to how Champion Jess Willard and Frank Moran are going to stack up when they meet on the night of March 25. This difference of opinion is due mainly to the manner in which critics are sizing up the champion, in comparison with what he showed when he defeated Jack John son for the title last spring.
 If you are to believe what one critic has to say, big Jess is looking like a million dollars of real money from the mint. He is such an enormous great big proposition that he is little short of overlapping. Even Tex Rickard, who is promoting the match. and who has seen big men battle grimly before, was astounded when Tom Jones and his protege hoped off of the train in Gotham short time since. why. the fellow looks as big as a horse,' was his observation
 CRITICS CAN'T AGREE
 But no sooner do you finish listening to what Willard booster has to say than you turn to hear another equally as positive that the big cowboy is simply too big, and that his size will be in his way. Those who are inclined to belittle the titleholder point out that he is not in nearly so good physical condition as he was when he met Johnson. At that time he was a 1.-the, supple looking giant despite the fact that he gave an impression of some thing akin to awkwardness. But now he is much heavier, and the extra weight will add nothing to his skill in landing or avoiding a punch, and he had the power and strength and stamina to begin with to take all the punching any man is likely to give him, and still stand up there in con dition to deliver blows in return. Moran, on the other hand, is ad- mitted to be in the very prime of phys ical fitness. The Pittsburger has just returned to New York from a stay up state, where he spent practically all of the daylight hours out of doors, indulging in all kinds of exercise that would tend to build him up, and tough en his endurance. He landed back in the city a few days ago, and inn mediately put in at Dal Hawkins gym nasium where he has done the train ing for all of his matches here of con- sequence since he fought Jack John son in Paris. It was at Hawkins that he trained for the first battle With Coffey and back there he went to work out for his second battle with the Dub lin giant, barring some work that he did in the country.
 MORAN READY FOR FIGHT
 It is, therefore, a question of Will lards condition. Moran is fit; finely primed for the battle. Willard is con- siderably above weight now, but has nearly three weeks to train down. Whether he can reach his best light ing weight and find himself in con- dition to put up his best battle re- mains to be seen.
 This match of course, loses much of it's championship possibilities by virtue of the fact that it will go but 10 rounds. Furthermore, there will be no decision by the referee. Hence the only possible chance that confronts Moran of taking away the title lies in his chance to knock the champion out. And such a task as that is. Will lard is stronger physically and tall CT. Furthermore, he has a good ad- vantage in reach. 1s
 Evidently the only chance that Mo- ran will carry is to take the fight to Jess all the time. It will do him no good to put up good scrap, if he fails to do the champion any real damage. There will be no decision, and regard less of how the fight looks to some, there will be others who are sure to see things in favor of Willard.
 MORAN CONFIDENT
 Moran, however, is protesting all kinds of confidence. He admits freely that he cares nothing at all Tor Wll- lard's extra size. He doesn't pull Bob Fitzsimmons' famous comment, but he does say that the fact that Jess car ries a margin of some 35 to 40 pounds and extra height of about five inches mean nothing at all to him. Whether or not he hopes to win by Knockout over this short route, he is at least calmly confident that he will give the champion such 8 trimming that ne can demand nothing less than return match over a 20-round route for the crown.
 Meanwhile, the managers of the two scrappers are indulging in all kinds oi side bets and arguments. Tom Jones recently offered to bet Ike Dorgan, wno handles Moran, thousand bucks that Willard will put the challenger ooWii for the count before the 10 rounds nave passed Dorgan promptly took the pet Others are making similar wagers, ana there appears to be little troupie III getting bets that Willard Will s'op his bricktop opponent.