Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-29
FIGHT SURROUNDED WITH
SCORE OF IFS AND butts
Championship Bout Between willard
and Dempsey without Parallel,
Corbctt Says.
sUPERMAN AGAINST FAST YOUTH
SIowncss, Awkwardncss and Lack of
Old-Timc Defense May OTs..
Champions Natural Advantages OF
Height, Weight nd Reach.
BY JAMES }. CounI:r.r.


By JAMES j. COuBt:i"r.
No championship clash ever has been
surrounded with more rs AID butts"
tnan the July affair between Jess
Willard and Jack Dempsey
IT is fight without parallel in ring
hisiory.a clash that introduces situa-
IONS without precedent. las IL super
man, ancient as fighters go. pittcd
youthful! .hEhier: It's a warrior viii
years or inactivity behind him againS:
one who has battled almost constantly
Tor more than Two years. giant who
never has been knocked off his feet
faces man who has dropped into un-
tyonsciousness practically his every
The situation is unique. If it were
the Jess Wi lard OF Havana days who
goes into the ring on independence
Day then The almost unanimous choice
wTonid be willard For on the day that
weight throne he was in condition so
superb that no living man could nave
Willard Far Different Now.
But the less Willard of today seems
70 be far different person. according
10 experts who watched him in 1915,
and who have been in daily attendants.
~ MS Io!edo camp. It's slower VIII
iarn. they say. more awkward one. a
man who hasn't The same superb de-
tense. who punches a Ii,tie slower
and who is somewha; fat and seems to
ire rather easily when the pac. be-
Despite what his critics say abou,
ne IN 10 loss h, Of speed and certain evldences
Willard claims iha, ne Will be in tip,
TOP shape by July {. Tha, Is possible.
condition he certainly viii size w az
som nos OF Gibrnltsr even when
opposed BY even SO splendid ring.
But Il Willard isn't in shape to stand
ing Rt ke he u Sc ea ,n take he The batter
me stra !n-ihcn those hantIcaps ofrsc,
MS naturai advantages in height. reach
ana poundaee, and Dempsey's task OF
beating him does not size UP as hope.
Victory Depends on stomach
victor for Willard, or defeat, de-
stomach can stand UP under the bat
,sanE. II is the stomach Of a fighter
,aek OF age Back in the old days avs the the
stomach OF Willard was truly a con.
crete AFFAIR 4 score OF men smashed
INN tnere. not once. but dozen times
They hoped TO cause u sag there. and
i INC resultant liant lowering OF Wizards
Bpt none ever brought more Than a
siEht vince from the champion.
tuI now t''1 IN ,br s,omaeh is as wonder-
was In 1915 then Dempseys dream OF
a chamPionship never may come true
body punching he can't reach his ia ~
because Wiilard's stance is such ;hat
ne Keeps his head far out OF reach
from overhaul punches.
t1ack Is gong 10 make the stomach
ms targe'Mihst's a cer,ainiy II l.e
can hIft Willard there he knows he
can cause the champion TO assume
something o! a crouch 10 ease the pain
IN the middle OF he body And when
WIZARD lovers his jaw IL comes With
IN range OF Dempsey's overland right
mat has dealt destruction 10 so many
rngmen near 20 Willard in size
Champion More Seize tinr
In scientific defensive work, Willard
rs DcHpScSS h..
ot the champion. his grea, heigh, and
s sas. whn-iiss lefi hand nave ,arned
70 reach him. Dcmpscy on the other
s sa. uses defense unlike any other
nfHhter Of any era II is no defense 4,
an. IN str!c, ring parlance Yet il is
defense that has bafied everv man
that mas tried conclusions with iiim
and which Jack kcsrns. his mauap"r
in the world e"se
niie,m,i ap goes in at his foe crouched
i!'t!c and with head botbiny from
side 10 side. and UP and down. so often
ana 80 fast that ii Is next 10 innns
s s,n, to hsure out the point where
has swuns, Tor bempseeSyIsS h "ta% T hae
CHANGED q hi. No one ever has been cen
would find It's mark because Tho no ~ ~
Is never still Cor Il fraction OF -
Dcmp'ey Dincren, Target.
re, mf fas :, wi, VII hnd in Dempsey a tar
N
AZ before Maybe he will lind II IN
easy easy one for his great lcf, lab. his
right cross or mis- terrific uppercu,M
and maybe he vii! not. /, is nnssii,Io
mat Dempsey. with his sneeG ne
tricky SHIFTS and ccaseless weavinp In
and out VIII cause Willard 10 miss ot
cner tnan he has I'm All the DAYS of
MS ring career.
me hrst round Of that fight NAV end
me nattte But IL II doesn't il ought
70 give the audience line on the ul:i-
mae winner for in that first three
minutes OF lighting there should be
answered the question as to whstber
Dempsey can pierce EFFECTIVELY t6e
great guard of Willard ana wh.,har
low. i''le lei
And that first round too. with tba
terrific pace that the rushing Hen,nsav
IS sure TO set, Will show whether Wi,
iafd Is III shape to go the full ro,,tn
III necessary. It Will show whethcr
age ihs made an indeIiblc innrnss
upon lizard and robbed him OF his
speed ana staying powers or whether
ne Is attempting a hopeless task nv
irving TO overcome the handcap ~
age. u
No result OF that contest would no
surprising. 1t may 90 the full ro,,, ne
with both men battling furiousIv q,
the end and with the referee in dom,
as TO the verdict. 1t may be- An &c.
whelm!ng victory on points for one Or
the other Or it may end in ,nv
round in knockout for either man
tor both carry crushing power in fhcir
huge hands And ii may end in n
toni.-- lcopyright. 1879