The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-01
PICKS JESS WILLARD IN TOLEDO C0
Barney Satisfied Champion Will Successfully Defend
 Title.
By BATTLING LEVESkY. Light Heayyyeight Champion.

"OLEDO, O., July 1.-I have met
 A less Willard and Jack Demp-
 sey. I have seen them both in action
 at their respective camps and l still
 cling to my opinion that the champion
 will successfully defend his title here
 on next Friday afternoon.
 For weeks I had been reading the
 reports that emanated from this city
 each of which told graphically how careless the champion has been. When
 II started for Tolodo I expected to find the champion in a somewhat
 crippled condition. so gloomy were the
 reports that I had read. But instead,
 I found Jess Willard, a champion who
 looked the part of a champion and
 who was down to fine form.
 True, Willard perhaps has not been
 as liberal as he might have been in
 his performances, but the fact re-
 mains that he has left no stone un-
 turned and today he is in good con
 dition to meet Jack Dempsey or any other man, so far as that goes. I am
 satisfied that the Kansas cowboy will defeat Dempsey. am satisfied that he
 has taken the proper care of himself.
 Also I am convinced more than ever
 before that he will defeat the cha1-
 ienger.
 Dempsey, so far as I have been able to observe, is also in good physical
 condition, but I can't see any com parison between the two men. There is Willard, tall and strong and with real punch; on the other hand, we
 have Dempsey full of ambition and the reputation of having beaten some men who were supposedly world beat CTS.
 Willard told me Sunday that he will fight on the defensive He will make no effort to carry the fight to his opponent. This, of course, is some- thing the public expected him to do. But don't forget that Jack Dempsey is not the greatest offensive fight CT. sHe will be up against a real job when he attempts to break Jess iron defense. Willard is by no means big dub, as Jack Dempsey believes he is. The champion has had his breaks and undergone many a double cross but he has paid the price and he is wiser as a consequence. Perhaps through sheer luck or some break and breaks are many in the ring Jack will win, but if he does it will be by a miracle, for Dempsey is, in my opinion, not in Willards class. I have talked with a lot of men who have watched the two carefully for the past three weeks. Some of them still believe that Dempsey will win, but a majority of those that know boxing and boxing history main tain that Willard will win. Discovery of the fact that Willard has been doing considerable work at night, when many believed that he was lay | ing off that sort of exercise, prompted scores of fans who sided with the | challenger to return to the cham pion. As a result today one hears very | little al1S about betting. Indeed, there are few bets being placed on the outcome of this bout
 I had been expecting that there would l be considerable money floating about here, but if there is I haven't seen any of it. Toledians are rabidly pro- Dempsey The challenger has made | thousands of friends in this city and | everyone will be at the ringAde ! roofing for him. New Workers seem 1 to like Willard's chances. but few of them seem anxious to back their com tentions with money.
 I have met Joe Mulviht11 and some l busy body he is. He Is here, there
 and everywhere. He makes his head quarters at the fight offices on Sup | erior street. He expects to be back l in Connecticut some time early next | week.
 I A record of 2:04 or better is pre- dicted for the 4-year-old trotting mare 1 Hilda Fletcher, 2:10, by Peter the 1 Great, 2:04 1-4- She Is named in prac- l tically all of the big stakes on the