Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-25
GOLDEN HARVEST
A LURE TO JESS
Heavyweight Champ Will Stay
in Ring as Long as the
Lucre Rolls In.
MIDDlES START A RUMPUS
Knockout of Al Mccoy Only
Starts Fresh Complications
in Tangled Situation.
cBy ]. A .ERMATINGER)

MILWAUKEE,. Wis. Nov. "a
Within the past few days reports have
been current that Jess Willard cham.
pion of all the ring behemoths, is on
the verge of formally renouncing his
championship and retiring permanent
ly to the more quiet pursuit Of enter
tanning the public thru the medium OF
his wild west show.
According to the stories in circula
tion, Willard has reached the conclu-
sion that he cannot successfully cond.-
ton himself for a hard contest and
that rather than risk the chance Of
being toppled from his throne he hes
decided to step aside and let the other
white huskies wrangle for the crowl
among themselves.
Little credence, however Is placed
In these rumors. 1t is a known fact
that Willard has an insatia BILE lust for
golden coin and as long as he sees op-
portunity of fattening his bank roll
thru one or two big matches it is al
most "A certainty that he will engage
In them.
Matchmakers who have been dick
ering with Willard lately are Of the
opinion that the champion is merely
playing a waiting game. He is thot
TO be trying to force up the bidding
for his services and when the figures
i'o'h tlt alllount W illttlu u ttlitNtS lie
is entitled to then he will come out
openly and sign for battle.
Three Offers~Arc Made.
Up to the present time three def
mite offers have been put up to the
champion. Mike Collins, manager OF
Fulton, started the bidding game
about a week ago when he wired an
offer of 100000 guarantee for VIII
lard to box Fulton at Minneapolis. be-
g.. Z, L. II. L.
bought an interest. This proposition
Immediately was answered by Tom
Andrews, matchmaker of the Cream
City a. G. of Milwaukee. Andrews sent
notice to Willard that the club would
give a purse of $4,000 for this match
Following this came an offer of a
$45,0 purse. submitted by the Cap
itol A. c. of st. Paul, MINI.
Up to the present time, however,
willard has made no indication that
the offers so far submitted appeal to
him, Perhaps the champion has taken
lessons from the tactics that Tom
Jones employed when he was man
ager of Willard.
1t Will be recalled that Jones kept
the various promoters in a fever heat
of bidding for the Willard Moran con-
test. When interest appeared to die
down, Jack Curley stepped to the
front with an offer that was higher
than any made before that. Curey
was merely bluffing it has since been
learned, but Tex Rickard, the man
who eventually landed the match, did
not know this at that time. Rickard
thot Curley was bidding in earnest
and as result Tex raised his guar
antee from $4,000 to s47,5OO, at
which figure Jones signed up for the
champion. Since that date, Jones has
often chuckled over the way he whip
sawed an additional $4,000 out OF
Rickard.
Pyhaps Willard is attempting sim
liar tactics on the promoters now, but
If that is his purpose. then he is
likely to be disappointed. So far as
can be learned the clubs now biddin.;
for Willard-Fulton match are deter
mined to stand pat on their original
proposition. Willard can take IL or
, leave it, That is the situation in the
heavyweight title match so far as I.
has progressed.
Look at the Middics.
When the referee tolled the fatal
ten over the PROSTATE body of Al
Mccoy, claimant of the. worlds mid
dleweight championship, the bitter
controversy over the rightful hold er
or that title famed out anew.
Win one accord the sporting writ
ers Of New York city acclaimed Mike
ODowd, victor over Mccoy, as the le-
gitimate champion. But the right OF
the fighting Harp to the crown has
since been vigorously attacked from
many sides.
BY what process of reasoning is the
championship conceded TO O'Dowd?
True he has scored a Knockout over
the man who was accepted as the
tl'e-holder by no less an authority
than the New York boxing commits
sion. But the fact that the Empire
state board, now extinct. proclaimed
Mccoy the champion. did not neces-
sarily settle the matter.
Many sporting authorities have