Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-22
WILLARD IN FINE SHAPE
THOSE WHO KNOW STATE
Reports That Champion Weighs From
200 to $50 Pounds Now Stamped
ts9 as Untrue.
STOCK GETS
BOOST
Problem Now Facing Battler's Hand.
lers Is to Get Him Down TO About
200 Pounds and in Fighting Fcttlr
for Dempsey Bout.
BY JAMES J. CoRBETT.


.S Those who have seen Jess Willard
st during the past two weeks claim that
& the champion is in wonderful physical
condition for man who was supposed
81 to have avoided hard training for
s nearly three years.
II it is true mat willard notches
h only around 26b, as his !ntimates assert,
It means that the big fellow is almost
9 at his best fighting weight now.
Co. Willard made lhc ciatm soon after
being matched with Dempsey that he
6 Ge jumped into the ring with his maui
\ ing rival General scotnns followed
8 this remark. because tor year or 50
reports have had 1t that Willard
beamed anywhere from 100 TO $50
pounds snaa If true it means HAT Willard
frying TO whip himself back into bat
ting condition.
false; And, as a result. wtiiard's stock
has, been boosted tremendously vii,
lard always fought best when trained
and hal sard. Whenever he Vent into
The ring carrying more poundage than
was necessary. it hurt his chances.
Fat Not Always Disadvantage.
I Other heavyweigh,s have entered
rings from five 10 iifieen pounds over
W, engs and put up wonderd1i exhiGi,
them something 10 call upon during the
stress of battle when they were losing
a pound or go with every few rounds
Willard, was ,oyerweisht when Bear
Youngstown back in iaia. EXCESS
awkward. Mcmahon found little trou-
BILE in circling around the giant. hitting
him at VIII and then 5unptng away TO
for Jack Johnson The original igh,
Msrd A tranSd faith fSE for M nesTy
three M onths only TO have the fight
transferredi l., e. g., cuba and the date Sc,
Few weeks and then started all over
again. and for many weeks went
through a rig orouS program in Havana.
Had Not Trained TOO Close.
. It was claimed just before fight time
with Johnson that Willard was trained
entertaining. Blu, Willard hadn't. He
was In superb Gondition. The exact
From the rinGside The men Jumped on
the scales in the ring and the an
Willard scaled 2i7. y minute later he
Change tina, weight, boys, and make
weighs only 22o pounds"
After After winning tho Championship.
year. Failure to train added cor consid.
sserable weight to his frame. When the
match was made with Frank Moran
pounds. He knew. and so did his hand
aa hsyoI thst IT,, he was nearly thirty rounds
IN this ne failed, despite the most
Weighed $50 Against Moran.
willard carried 259 pounds into the
ETins against Frank Moran. nearly a
we!Aht; And the extra poundage hand,
ttcapped him. The Willard who fought
: Moran was not the same wonderfully
II fr41ned al y-k, ,,ra
sthe negro under Cuban skies The fat
slowed Willard considerably. Had he
been at the top OF, his form he might
Slower.
The lesson of the Moran fight is ono
h that willard has not forgotten. Tn
y doubtedly ne has figured through the
SyeaTs that some time or other he was
4 Eoing to defend his title, and that when
swarrior. SO lie kept IN good condition
3nstead Of dissipating in a riotous fash
s sor; Wii Gsra na,nra !iy is secrettve
ne has done undoubtedly has been un-
Sder cover.
e Issued No Announcements.
;l& He has never issued any definite
staten ents as 10 his program through
1915 1915. , 1s,7 and lslS Il; erv&is dur;
whether he was training, his feply usu-
Ives, ! gn keeping in shape. and
ear SO INTO the ring almost any time
This statement caused many persons
10 snlcker. But recent reports Of VIII
5togra,phs which show him sleek and #c
Slure looking. seem to bear him out in
mis- statements that he can make FIRST
class hgh'inE weight by July
At ne does, that tsuC clash in Toledo
VII VIII. be slambans affair that will be
W.. %aIGnihs -EopyriEht 1919. by