Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-06
CAN MORAN LICK WILLARD
Wise Ones Say Pittsburgh Coal
Miner Hasn't a Chance Against
the Champion.
BUT UPsETs VERY OFTEN OCCUR


NEW YORK, Feb. 5.-Iu between the
careless holding Of wild-eyed promoters
and publicity seekers for the proposed
ten-round no-decision bout between Jess
Willard the worlds heavyweight cham
pion. and Frank Moran, the leading con-
tender for the title. one hears the dues-
tion, Would Moran have chance
against the Champion" freely discussed
on all sides. The answer invariably Ia the
same. Few believe that the sorrel-topped
Pittsburgh fighter would have ''iookin"
against the big Kansan.
In this connection a dip into the dusty
records OF past heavyweight encounters
is timely. and. while II may not shed
any great light as far as solving this
mystery" II concerned. II affords inter
esting. and divulges. facts probably not
generally known. or. perhaps. forgotten.
or course, this bout Is not to be a cham
pionship affair--that Is. not unless Moran
knocks Willard out inside the ten-round
limit and past performances indicate that
this IN improbable. for not once since
John l.. Sullivan was rocked to sleep by
James ]. Corbett az New Orleans Sep
teniber Z. 1892, has the heavyweight title
changed hands by a knockout scored in
/ less than ten rounds.
II took Corbett twenty-one rounds to
batter down the game Sullivan. who
finally suecumbed. not from any one
punch but from the continual battering
he had received. II took Bob F'itzsimmons
fourteen rounds to flatten Jim corbett
with his famous solar plexus punch at
Carson City on March II. 1897. II took
James ]. Jeffries eleven rounds to strip
at. - s..t
on June .. 1899. at Coney Island. Even
Jeffries. totterlng as he was when he
disputed the claim OF Jack Johnson to
the heavyweight championship. stood up
before the negro for fifteen rounds In
that memorable battle at Reno on July
4. 1910. And then it took twenty-six
rounds for youth and stamina 10 triumph
over age when jess willard ascended TO
the throne over the PROSTATE body OF
Jack Johnson at Havana on April 5, last
year.
Accepting these five fights as the out
standing examples. Il IL found that a total
Of Sa7 rounds OF fighting have been con-
sumed for the crown to change hands
five times. This makes an average OF a
fraction more than seventeen rounds per
fight. However. what Is OF more moment
than this Is the fact that what might be
termed an outsider has I'm each instance
plucked the coveted title. This Is OF more
Importance. for the belief seems to OBJ
tain that even were the bout to be u
twenty or more rounds Moran would not
have a chance against Willard.
Outsiders often Win.
When trim Jim corbett. the califor-
MIA bank clerk. was matched with John
l.. sullivan II was generally believed that
Sullivan was invinoible. and that ne
would decisively dispose OF corbett and
retain the championship honors. Odds OF
to l were literally quoted. and much
sullivan money went begging even al
these attractive figures. What was the
result? The outsider" won.
When Fitzsimmons essayed to grab the
prize from corbetts grasp Corbett was
rated 10 to 6 favorite In the betting.
Again the outsider" won.
And when Jeffries. with nothing but his
ability to asslmilate punishment and his
powerful punch TO support him, came
forth to do battle with Fitzsimmons there
we're comparatively few who conceded
Jeffries more than a fighting chance, and
the odds were to I. For the third time
the outsider" punched his way to the
top.
Even though he had worn the cloak Of
retirement for several years and none
knew whether he was the Jeffries OF old
or fattened replica OF his former self
Jenries stepped into the ring TO defend
the championship against Jack John
son literally supported as a 10 to 6 fav.
orite. Did the favorte win? There ar,
many whose purses still feel the raw
ages wrought by the ultimate outcome o.
that fight.
Finally. when Willard was matched [,
box Johnson for the crown. how many
were there who candidly believed tina
the cowboy had even the most rer,otl
chance OF lifting the championship from
It's place on the furrowed brow OF IN,
negro? They are mighty few. Every
where the match was regarded as prett,
much OF a Joke; that willard was jus
another lamb being offered as a sacri
flee 10 the champion. Willard had ac
complished nothing TO warrant his be-
Ing supported by "fandom." His few ap
pearances in the ring had shown him {,
be a big, powerful man with no scienc,
and apparently no generalship. For 4
willy craftsman OF the Johnson type. vii
lard seemed to be made to order"
Johnson at first was quoted as high a
4 20 l. But when reports Of lax traininl
methods and poor condition began TO linl
themselves with the name OF the cham
pion. those inclined 20 wager became
wary and odds OF 10 obtained at the
ringside. And the outsider" won.
Now Il is said Moran hssn't chance
Maybe he hasn't, Maybe Willard viii
remove mis- championship aspirations IN
short order Maybe Willard will parade
with the championship dangling from hii
scalp belt for some years to come. But
maybe Moran will prove the exception
IL they should meet in championship
| ho1t