Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-09
WILLARD WILL STAGE
 HIS OWN BOUTS
Champion Hates to Pay Out Money
 For Manager.

When Jess Willard gets ready to face Fred Fulton or Jack Dempsey in the right is more than probable that the champion will stage the fight himself Willard recently sent a friend Of his outyto Nevada to look the ground over, which indicates that the big fellow will not be .averze to real championship figt., for there would be no sense i selecting Nevada for the battle ground unless 20round mill r one of greater length was ul.rer consideration.
 Tex Ric,l.ard had an idea at one time Lat Fulton Willard battle at ga -% Lake City could be made to pay almost as well as the Jeffries John son affair at Reno. Rickard made a trip out to Chicago to talk the mat
 ter over with the champion Then Fulton made a poor showing with Carf Morris, and Rickard promptly lost interest, but it evidently set Wal lard thinking.
 WMlards enissary has reported that Nevada does not want the bat tie, so the champion will have to look around for some other place, but there seems small chance of any other promoter getting the mtch Having made more or less of a success run 1 ming circus, Willard thinks pretty twell of himself as a promoter, and he can see no reason why he should i allow an outsider to skim off the cream.
 I If Willard means to stage the fight himself it would explain the otherwise I cryptic remalS he made when in formed of the result of the recent Fulton Moran bout at New Orleans Willard thu asserted that Fulton i could have the match provided that
 he was willing to accept reasonable
 terms.
 Just how the public will view g championship match that is promoted hy one of the contestants is cues i tion. The idea is something new ir ring finance, no champion ever hay ing. acted in double role before although frequently the manager O. the challenger has promoted the con test. Willard owes his title to tho fact that the men behind him promot.
 cd the fight with Jack Johnson liespite ali the difficulties in the wa, they pulled of the fight, knowing tha
 they would lose money on the venture
 but willing to accept the initial los
 in order to reap their profits later b.
 exploiting the new white champion | During the two years following tn,
 llSHt With JoHnSOn. ana While h
 was associated with his syndicate 0
 managers Willard learned man,
 things about the art of ring finance He also saw Tex Rickard, who pro noted the ten-round affair. with Franl Moran at the Garden, take down profit of s4o0o0 without incurrin much risk. Rickard and his partner
 Sam McCracken, made. almost a much out of the bout as Willard diG
 and the champion there and the , made a resolution that in the futur he would not be exploited for tn . benefit of others.
 If Willard decides upon a ten { round no decision affair he probabl ; will get ny without much troubl ( but if he stages a real battle to { decision. there is likely to be a grea
 row over the referee question. Shoul Willard decide to finance the bo, himself he naturally would hay
 plenty of helpers to look after th
 details, but it might prove acostl
 venture in the long run for ring his
 tory shows that fighter cannot q < his best work when his attention
 distracted by financial matters.