Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-21
S P O r T S =
WEIGHT FAVORs CHAMPION
MORAN HAS SLIM CHANCE
TO COP WllLARD'S TITLE
3iR Jcst Combines Hare Physical Pow
or with Some skill md fffy
Pounds Advantage.

Rigging up the dope to prove that
Frank Moran has an excellent chance
to maui the heavyweight champion
ship from the dome of less willard NJ
New York next Saturday night seems
10 be the favoritc sport just at this
hour
The ten-round battle between thia
pair. which. when arranged. seemed
destined to result in financial failure
because OF the prevailing tendency ~
snccr a, the thought OF the heavy
weight championship being risIscd In
a ,cn-round. uo-dcCis sion contest. has
with the passing days. picked up IA
vor s" that now 'he financial success
is assured. and there are a consider
able number of people VINO likewise
anticipate an artistic success
Naturally tlIc artistic success de-
ponds solely upon the possibilities oi
j." vic,OIy for the challenger. Frank
Moran.
For the beuent o. the flock who
I have and Will waste considerable ora
,orical debate on the subject, few
| facts might be set forth:
Twcnty-four years ago James j.
corbett rolled into New Orleans TO
meet IN" mighty hero, John l.. Sulli-
van. Competent critics freely pre-
dictcd that Cnrbet. would be crushed
under tho blows OF the great John l..
sullivan John l.. was beaten TO 81
pulp ana finished in the tw.nty-Nrst
round
Nineteen years ago the spindle leg
scd Bob Fitzsimmous met the marvel
Of boxers and ring generals. James
J. Corbett. in Carson City, New Cor
bet. the champion and the favorite
Knocked out In the fourteenth
round.
sixteen years ago the huge, awk-
,""rd unsa!nly James !. Ienries
landed AT couev Island ostensibly 10
u" the victim Of the terrible hitting
idol of the hs;ic universe, Bob Fitz
simmons. Sir Roher, was carried from,
til. ring IN the eleventh round
Just trrc less than two years
,ag" the mammoth Jess willard. -.
couth In his nstic development. uu.
educated apparently in tho inner point,
Of the game. with little less than his
huge bulk 20 commend him. went Il
Havana TO get lesson In the aSt o.
boxing. according 10 rnany OF our Vest.
Informed ring masters. The unedu
Gated ono dropped the wonderful Jack
Johnson in the twenty sixth round
RANK OUTSIDERS DO
SPRING THE UNEXPECTED
Tnerc on have a record for q few
"ns"s wherein The rank outsider In
hc"F weight championship contests
sprung The unexpected, Therein Is the
Foundation upon which the hopes OF
Mo'an's supporters are partly based.
Gaze nj a few more facts Willard
"tll outweigh Moran Saturday nigh,
by close to nfty pounds He will have
an advantage OF approximately six
inches IN height and a correspondine
advantage in reach.
Vow dig into history again Suiii-
van, with - tremendous ADVANTAGE ir
weight. fell before the youthful, agile
Y or t,ttt
cessire poundage triumphcd in the cas-,
of Jenrics vs.. Fitzsimmons. Jeffrles We
Sharke!, Jcnries vs.. Corbctt, Johnhor
" Tommy Burns. Johnson va jim
/ Flynn. etc.
! From thos. contests you may sun
I port an Argument that a great adj
vantage IN weight does play an i'm
poriant part in the outcome
Now, what's the answer VIII Mo
ran knock Willard OUT Possibly.
Probably not
| Sure Moran has a chance An or
Gi"ary Individual might dive OFF tn,
! fFooKl|n Bridge and have a chanc,
To escape with his life. but who woult
| want To wager on his chance for bein.
hauled out alive"
IN the prescn; case few facts stant
OUT most prominently. Willard ha.
ocve'oped much since defeating John
son. AZ that time he was crude
Prominent experts insist that he Is fun,
." per cent more proficient IN IN,
incr parts OF the sport now Few q
any, other heavyweight had shown i'm,
provement between the time when In.
'i'ie was gained and when IL was lost
Willard is the exception In that re-
spcct. His system has not been TORI
| down by ar" or by indiscretions. ut
is physical wonder. There's nc
doubt about that
Moran has done much TO recon-.
mend him. In knocking out lin COZ.
! fcE twice he demonstrated that he
combined hulldogGed courage with rare
punching power His courage wa,
questioned prior TO the Coftey bouts.
But In Coffey Moran met man OF
! MS own size. In willard he will
meet proficient boxer. man who
mas shown the ability to take an ex.
traordinary punch on the Jaw without
"incing. and a man who has ffty
pounds advantage In weight
or course the dope has been upse,
III the past Rank outsiders have
come through with victory Occasion
ally giants have fallen before compare
tive pigmiea. but the weight Of ar.
Gument is preponderously In favor o,
q victory for the giant
Finally It might be mentioned that
/ no champion since titles have beer
decided under the Marquis Of Queens.
! bury rules ever has had his title taken
away from him inside Of ten rounds
! and only on rare occasions has the
champion succeeded in disposing OF the
challenger In less than ten rounds
Which leads to the conclusion tina,
! prospects are strongest for the vii.
| lard-Moran bout going the full limit
! of ten rounds, with Moran striving
| with hendish energy to take advan.
tage OF his opportunity to win the
! title by a knockout, and Willard re.
! sorting to stallinG game to stay the