Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-29
JONES THINKS
WILLARD WILL
RETAIN CROWN
Former Champs Manager Tells
How Jess Should Pull
Through Fight.
TOM SAYS ~HE'S TOO BIG"
Although Title Holder Is 10 Years
Old, 1t Makes No Difference
Jack is Young.

the only manager who ever took
three tyros and led them into
worlds championships. alighted
here with a loud splash for few
hours, transacted some importan.
business and unburdened the first
bit of enthusiastic talk over Jess
Wizards chances July 4 which
has been heard in these parts
since Jack Dempsey invaded To
Iedo almost two weeks ago.
Jones, who is through with VII
lard in a business way, was with
him for years. and knows all about
Jess. Despite their split-up. Tom
is betting on willard and loudly
predicting the fight with Dempsey
will be a sort of cakewaIk for the
champion. Some think Jones is
doing this because he hopes to
manage Willard again before the
coming match, but Tom has airing
of sincerity in his voice and con-
WINGED numerous hearers that
there are two men in the big battle
and not one, as has been the fond
belief in Toledo heretofore.
The champs exploit already
has risked $1,4O0 on Willard. and
wants to post $4,000 more at the
proper odds. He is one manager
who always has been ready to lay
out the coin on his fighters, and
evidently he still retains all the
old admiration for Wizards PROV
ess that ne possessed when he was
travelling with Jess.
~He's Too Big for EN-"
Listen to this from Tom: mo
body can lick that big fellow when
he wants to fight, and, believe me-,
he is going to do his prettiest July
4. He's mad about all the criti-
cfsm that has been heaped upon
him and will fight like bulldog.
That means he will win surely.
He's too big and strong for any
thing that wears boxing gloves to
make money.
will he beg4n condition? You
can bet your last dollar that he
will be. I saw him five weeks ago
in Chicago and know that he could
have been ready for Dempsey 10
days from then. You can realize
what that means. With all the
time he has in front of him he'll
be a whale on the battle day.
withstanding, willard never has
been far out of shape. Few people
know that he had a private gym
nasium in his home when he lived
in Rogers Park and worked out
there often in secret. He has an
other gym at Lawrence, Kan.
where he worked many weeks ago
for this fight. Jess is no chump
and he will be in the finest fettle
possible when the gong rings.
II am not taking any credit away
from Dempsey. Jack and his
manager, Jack Kearns, are good
friends of mine and l wish them
luck. But the other fellow is just
too big. With his tremendous
size. his great hitting power. a
knowledge of boxing that will sur
prise his enemies and the ability
to take punishment if compelled to,
he presents a fighting front that
no man can penetrate"
How old is Willard?" we ask
ed.
Jess was 40 years old the 29th
day of last December. But that
makes no difference. He did not
start fighting until he was over 80,
is a giant who has developed late
in years athleticaIly, and in my
judgment should be at his best
next July"
us it true that Johnson broke
his jaw and two ribs in the Ha-
vana fight ?" was the next query.
"Not all of that yarn is true.
There was no injury to his jaw at
all. But in the 14th round, not in
the eighth. as the story has it,
Johnson cracked him on one of
his ribs and hurt him. Three weeks
later we found that two ribs had
been knocked loose from their
mornings. They were not frac-
tured, but were simply floating
around. 1t took him six months to
get over that. Jess never batted
an eye when he took that smash,
and you may gather from that that
he is game He'll never quit until
somebody knocks him cold, and
1 don't think Dempsey carries
enough guns to turn that trick"
Don't you think that if the bout
goes the 12-round limit Dempsey,
because he is lighter and faster.
will land more blows and win on
points Was the uGAL Ouc SuOL d.
Thomas.
sK. 0. Dempsey's Only Hope"
Not at all The only chance
Dempsey has to win is by a knock
out. willard can outlook and will
outscore him easily. And as far as
Jack spilling for a count is con-
oerned, it won't be done"
That stopped us and everybody
else. According to Jones the fight
is already ''in" for the champion,
and what is more, Tom will go in
his corner and make it Il "cinch, -
provided he is-slipped kale enough
by the. Kansan he still respects so
highly.
Jones talked with Tex Rickard
and was awarded the Columbus
seat sale, much to his delight.
Tom and Joe Tinker will run the
Columbus fight special to the bat
tie ground.
Tom had a bright idea on his
own behalf that he suggested to
Richard and Ad ThacheF. 1t is
that they permit Bryan Downey,
Jones' welterweight, who beat Will
lie Loughlin in Canton Monday
night, and Jack Britton to fight
II mt after the hie haftJa for the