Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-03-08
Wizards Boxing in Gymnasium
Gives Little Line on His Form
Moran Will Find Champion Harder to Hit Than Do Hempe and
Monahan and Will Be Kept Busy Defending Himself;
Challenger Must Do the Forcing Jeff Can Hit.

whether his defense has improved.
He certainly did not indicate that he
was impregnable in his two-round
bouts with Jack Hemple, Bob Will
liams and Walter Monahan. Hemple,
in particular, could feint him forward
and reach his jaw when Willard was
bending toward his opponent, and
could also reach him by feinting and
leading straight over 'Willard's guard,
although Hemple is a foot shorter
than the champion.
Williams did little but tussle around
with Willard, as he had not the skill
to break through the giants defense.
Monahan, fancy, fast and clever
boxer when not actually fighting, put
Willard through two live rounds and
was able to reach his head with his
left. Both Hemple and Monahan
could switch the attack and get to the
| body.
Gym Observations Worth Little.
So much for a summary of Viii.
lard's boxing, as exhibited yesterday
before a crowd that filled the Amster.
dam opera house, where the Pioneer
S. c. holds forth.
But. gymnasium boxing with part.
ners is one of the most deceptive of
all the indoor sports. 1t has caused
many thousand dollars to be lost,
and many a critic to look foolish. In
the first place, Hemple, ligh: heavy
weight, or not much over, and Mona.
han, 2 200-pound heavyweight who
never could really fight, but can spar
briskly, have boxed with Willard hun
dreds of times. Both men trained
with Willard at Havana, and Mona
han has worked with Jess twice day
in the circus.
They know their part by heart.
They know they are not expected to
hurt Willard, even if they could, and
they know that only through accident
would Willard hurt them. They are
professional fighting men in the best
of condition, and can we'll AFFORD to
run the risk of an accidental knock
down such as Monahan suffered at
Wizards hands one day last week.
The consequence is, first, that they
can take liberties with Willard that
real opponent would not dare take;
second, Willard will let them do
things to him that he would not allow
a rival to do, and third, the partners,
knowing Willard will not unduly pun
ish them, pay little or no attention to
their own defense, and are free to at
tack without fear of return. 1t is as
the late Juvenal so sadly remarked
about his experience with a burly
roisterer when returning home late
one night: Fight, If fight it might be
called, when he did all the fighting
and l was only beaten" or words to
that effect. Certainly, yesterday Will
lard was mostly beaten. and only on
rare occasions did he cut loose and
make a real charge upon the make.
believe enemy.
He Can Still Hit.
1t is comparatively easy to tell in
gym practice whether a man who has
proved he can fight can hit. Hitting
scientifically is an acquired art, and
the art shows in the method of de-
liyering the blows. Willard has the
method. 1t is claimed that Bob Fit.
zimmons taught him to hit quickly
and accurately. Whether or not it
was Fitz we don't know, but some
body has taught that big fellow to
shoot out straight and also to hook,
with either hand. In his early days
around New York he used to stick
out a pole-like left as defense, and
rely upon more or less straight
RICH. to demolish the foe. Now he
can hook with that left, and hook saw
agely. He has learned to shorter
the right and put force and snap into
a punch when his rival is close to
him, whereas formerly he had to have
he rival at some distance in order t.
bring into play the full length of his
abnormaHy long arm, enhanced by
his great height r.
These points which Willard has
picked up since he was first exhibited
in Greater Gotham bespeak a hare
night for Frank Moran, if Frank ex
poets to get inside and batter hin
down at close quarters as he did jim
Coffey, or as Joe Walcott did to 10,
Choynski. Moran will find that viii
lard will be able to meet him at shor
! range better than might have bee1