Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-25
FIGHTERS READY
To CO LIMIT At
THEIR TOP SPEED
Willard and Moran Both in
Pink Of Condition. Financial
Phase ofChampioosbip Bout
Is Big Feature,
>, ~oas.a ,oosp., s,se,., ,s.sso v'"s


New York. March a. surrounded
h., the most representative assembling
that ever witnessed pugilistic en-
counter IN this country. Jess willard
and Frnnk Moran will meet here to-
morrow night In q tcn-round encuun
ter OF extraordinary possibilities
While the heavyweight championship
the world now held by willard is vir-
tually 40 stake, this feature OF the con
test is forced into the background To
some extent by the large amount Of
money involved In the purse ana gate
receipts and The types OF spectators
who win attend
According to the predictions Of the
Moran contingent there II more than
an even chance that the heavyweight
title viii change hands before the
tenth round is completed but the pro-
moters OF the bout have not billed It
as hattie for the championship ana
Willard simply smiles when the pos
sibillty OF his losing the title IL mem
toned within his hearing. finder the
New York state boxing law no decis-
sion can be rendered by Referee
Charley White and the only way that
Moran could win the title would be
hy knocking out his opponent, win
ming on foul committed by Willard,
or to have the contest stopped by the
referee because the champion was
unable 60 continue for any reason
In many quarters the probability
of any one Of these contingencies
arising Is considered TO be remote. but
among the admirers Of Moran il rs
accepted as a forcgone conclusion that
the heavyweight viii put the con-
querer Of Johnson down for the full
count While confidence fairly rndi-
ates in the Moran camp and among
his close followers. It has had littlcI
effect on the wagering. willard was
quoted as a 20 | favorite immedi-
ntoly after the signing Of the fight
articles but these odds have shorten
ed to some extent during the past
week
There are no official quotations oil
odds on the forthcoming bout and
those resembling wagcrlngs by pro-
fessonal hettors Undoubtedly hun
dreds Of private wagers have been
made at various odds but as these are
not on record. II Is difficult to fix on
anything like official quotations.
Wagering Is three 20 one that VIII
lard viii not knock out Moran ana
five TO one that Moran cannot stop
willard
IN fact the betting ON tho various
angles Of the bout sinks into insig-
nifieance when compared with the
many other financial features of the
contest with gate receipts of close
To sfs0.000 assured and a purse of
S7t,2b0, IN addition to $4,000 Of NOV
Ing picture money 10 be divided be-
tween the pughsts and promoters
wagers OF ST. and $40 look like copper
cents scattered in u treasury reserve
vault. So far as willard Is concern
ed the bout from the very beginning
haH been a financial project in which
the rlsldng OF his title was only a
mere Incident Tex Richard. the pro-
moter of the bout WAS forced to raise
his bid several times before he SEE
cured wizards signature AT $4,000.
Moran was originally signed 10 box
for Richard al $4,000 The latter
voluntarily raised Moran's share every
time the willard price was hooHtcd
notch with the result that Moran *
share of the purse ~ just half of what
Willard received. Moran repeatedly
stated that he expected to mako his
big money after he had won from
Willard while the latter with every
d -. fsu LA
the ring, took care that he was paid
Handsomely for any risks that he took
In meeting Moran inside the squared
circle
This great initial cost ana the large
Incidental expenses have brought the
total up 10 nearly 500 600 or about
$40 900 a round II the fight goes the
full distance confronted with these
figures. Hickard realized that he
would have to harge prices, yet the
gale Of some .o0o tickets at figures
ranging from SO down TO 81 did not
prove difncuu Fully twice as many
could have been sold ana Spectators
were today receiving double tho face
value of such Tickets ara They had obs
talned
Among those who purchased their
hoNes and obtained ,hoiee positions
are boxing enthusiasts prominent n
professional business social and
theatrical life throughout the country
The list Includes former State Su-
pfeme Count Justice MORGAN J
uHuen state Supreme Court lustic,
keerh StuNNesan Fish Jr John
FaH-l Al
Shonu David Belasco. Anthony j
breNei Jr. Manor Curley of Boston
Charles A. NesRhman. owner of Tho
Chicaeo cubs. William Zeigler. Au'