Evening journal., 1919-06-17
WILLARD'S HITTING
IS NOT IMPRESSIVE
Champion Knockout Rec
ord Includes But One
Man of Class
THAT MILL WAS
WITH JACK JOHNSON

In summing up the chances Of jess
Willard In tho title nght with Demp-
sey ON July the adhercnts Of the
champion base their argument primar-
ny ON the expectation the giant VIII
get into the physical condition essen
tial 90 waging a hard ilght Win VII
lard's fitness assured his admirers cas-
nv progress TO the conclusion he VIII
win. FIRST, because his bulk ana rugged
ness VIII prove an insupcrahlc obstacle
10 even the hard hitting Dempsey; sec
ond, Dempsey having exhausted him-
self In futile rushcs at the champion
viii then be brought down by the
sledge hammer blows Of the title hold
er.
This presentation Of the case presup-
poses ability on the part OF Willard 10
hit hard blows elsewhere than ln tram
ing uuartcrs 4 glance az the brlef rins
record OF Willard furnishes an illumln-
atlng answer 10 the query as 10 wheth--
er the champion is or Is not a nara
hitter
According 10 the record Willard be
gan his ring career In 1871, and ne
stopped quite a number Of novices IKE
himself. The only reverse he suffered
In that year was a decision against MN
I'm favor Of Joe Cox.
The official decision was that Willard
quit i'm ihe,nfih round. Willard, now
ever claims that the sheriff warned
him 10 get out Of the ring or De ar
rested. and he obeyed the order. Cox
later ON when Willard became better
known. extracted considerable public
ity from his claim that he made lie
Kansan quit. However, Cox, who made
an Eastern tour few years ago, proved
90 be a rank counterfeit, thus indical-
ing that Wizards story OF the. affair
was true
I'm 1912 Willard began 90 show class.
UIc' scored five knockouts and won two
ten round decisions on points. Inc
victims Of the knockouis were medi-
ocre boxers TWO Of the settling blows
were landed on Bull Young, a notaed
punching bag. who was beaten by al
most every opponent, and who died IN
1913 as the result OF the fan occasioned
by his third knockout at the hands OF
Willard.
Frank Bowers. sailor White and
soldier Kearns were the other three
knockout victims Of 1912 and none Of
them possessed class.
Willard got the popular verdict over
Luther McCarty in That year and also
won a ten round decision over Arihur
pelkey McCarty was a good boxer and
hitter. but Pelkey was a third rater.
Willard began the year 1918 by Stop
ping Frank Bauer, an unknown ana
followed that mp two months later by
Knockout over Jack Leon better
known as Ivan Linow. the wrestler. As
a boxer Linow was fairly good
wrestler. Willard got the lest of ms
career May 20. 1919 when he met Gun
boat smith in 20-round bout Ia san
/ Francisco
smith weighed rs pounds TO 90
hv Willard. but the coming champion
let smith do an the forcing and lead.
ing and never landed a blow to hur'
] the gunner. The result was That Sln'u
got the referees decision on points ai
the close Of the 2Qlh round.
In the Judgment Of the experts inc
result Of this bout removed Willard
nom the championship competition. as
smith was not regarded as formidable
boxer. although having a fairly heavl
punch. Wllards defeat by Smith was
/ followed by a four round draw witt
a third rater on the coast named Char
lev Miller. 10 was tantamount 10 an
other defeat
Willard then got decision in eigh
| rounds over an unkonwn named A
! Williams and followed this up with
third knockout of Bull Young, thi
| time in II rounds This was the hou
which resulted in the fatality to Youns
Boer Rodel remained the limit Of
ten round bout with Willard. but lac
Reed, a novice was stopped IN Tvs
sessions
Carl Morris made himself very oi
noxious to Willard IN a ten round boz
In New York Morris not only dsmail
ed the ten rounds but treated the Kal