The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-25
Complete Records of Two
Heavyweights Who Con
tend for Fistic Title.

favor Jess willard, heavyweight
champion of the world, will meet
Frank Moran in a ten round no-decls-
ion bout here tonight for the largest
purse ever offered for a contest of this
scheduled duration The two pugihsts
! will receive ST., $50, posted by Tex
Rickard the promoter of the match;
OF this sum the title holder will draw
Siovfns SAT- so $and his opponent $23,-
$50 Notwithstanding the size Of the
purse. Richard will clear a handsome
profit on the venture since every seat
in Madison Square Garden has been
sold and the receipts are estimated at
$I70, 900.
q Although willard is a top-heavy IA
yorite, interest in the outcome OF the
bout is intense, and the greatest gath
ering of fight fans that ever thronged
into and about the Garden is expected
at that historic show hall this even
Ing when the principals enter the ring.
Few largA bets have been placed on
the contest owing to the difference In
the odds and Acknowledged physical
advantages possessed by Willard over
Moran. Hundreds of small wages on
the result and on various angles of the
tight have been made between friends
both in this city, and among the large
delegations of spectators from other
cities of the East, South and Middle
west.
Moran and his, camp followers as
sert that the Pittsburg heavyweight
will win from willard in decisive
fashion on points if not by a knockout
but the great majority OF the boxing
enthusiasts cannot be convinced that
the Kansas cowboy will fall a victim to
Moran's rushes and blows. 1t is point
! ed out that the conqueror OF Jack
johnson is physically superior in ev-s
cry respect to his opponent and that
in bout of but ten rounds it would
Z he snn of a
Moran to stretch the champion on the
floor for<the count.
InS boxing ability the two pugi1ists
are conceded to be about equal but
beyond that point Willard has mark
ed advantage over Moran in almost ev-
cry department of glove hghting as
well as in physical makeup. He will
outweigh Moran by close to fifty
pounds stand between five and six in
ches above the Pittsburg slugger and
have a longer reach, of more than six
inches, than Moran. Both are ex-1
tremeIy powerful hitters in proportion
TO their size but here again Wi1lard's
greater physique and strength give
him q wide margin over Norans
THE latter is the more aggressive
bdxer OF the two but the champions
towering height and ability to block
with his long arms initiate against the1
chances of the smaller pugilist land
ing q Knockout blow to the head. The
task of reaching Wizards body is |
not so difficult but in all his bouts
to date the Kansan has shown ability |
to take very hard blows in his mid |
section without slowing ups From a
defensive stan dpol1ft willard is con- I
sfaered to be enc OF the hest equipped |
boxers of his division in many years.
He is equally formidable extensively I
when aroused, but, as a rule, lacks
the aggressfvepess- necessary to win /
from an opponent of Moran's calibre |
in ten rounds or less. His best blows
are a, short left jab and a right hand |
uppercut. These blows he uses al |
most. continually and owing to his long |
carry terrific power when Willard puts.
full forcsGfT1tos themsss Under pressure |
ha can and does fight with other blows
and carries a knockout in either hand |
when mixing savage1y.
In his awkward and ponderous style
Willard Is almost as fast on his feet
as Moran although he seldom uses
footwork to avoid an opponent. At /
close quarters he should be able to
hold Moran safely, although the 1at-I
ter will be dangerous If he can tear
loose long enough to uncover his abi1- /
Sty and power as an indghter-
both pugiIists virtually completed /
their training on Thursday and each
Claims to be in perfect condition for
the battle. Moran has been on edge
for the bout for close to two weeks and
his trainers have had more difficulty
in holding him to phyEica1 form than
WiIIard's handlers.
The champion was slow to round
into condition since he had been out
of the ring for almost a year while
Moran, because of his recent bouts, re-
sponded quickly to the conditioning
routine. Willard, however once he
settled down to hard work droppedl
weight and increased his speed rapid
ly and while it is doubtful If he is in |.
the same magnificent shape that he /
was when he met Johnson at Havana,
he should be able to box the full ten
rounds at top speed If necessary.
Whatever the outcome of the bat
tie the two heavyweights Will be well
repaid for their training and strug-
gle in the ring. If the contest goes
the full distance the principals will
receive $7,125 per round, or at the
rate of $2,375 per minute. OF this
sum Wizards share will be $1,583.33
and Moran's $791. Sc per minute. The
purse OF $71, 250 issthe largest ever Of
fered for a ring battle of any distance
with the exception of the $4,000 Civ
en- to johnson and Jeffrfes by Rickard
The purse is larger than the gate re-
ceipts taken in at any fight ever held
In New z Ork State under the Horton
Law or the present FrawIey Regu1a-
tons. But two fights. the Johnson
Jenries and JoI1nson-Burns battle in
Australia, brought receipts in excess of
s71.250.
The dihdcu1t task of refereeing the
bout has been placed in the hands of
the veteran, Charley White, an exper-
Ieneed boxing arbiter, and he has
stated that he will insist upon the J
boxing in strict accordance :
WITH tine rules. Because of his past .
experience as third man in the ring at I
! number of championship battles, ]
White should be able to decide upon ]
LII technical points which may arise
Considerable responsibility will rest (
upon his shoulders as Willard might ]
lose his title in several ways, notwith-
Standing that the contest is billed as ]