Arizona republican., 1919-04-15
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fRY CAPITT1

LEY CAPUT)
 Inch by inch, Jess Willard and Jack Dempsey are nearing the premier box ing event of the year. With the post ing of Willards s100e0 forfeit for ap- pearance last week and his settlement with Tom Jones and Jack Curley, it begins 10 look as if the present cham pion fully intends to meet Dempsey July 4. This seems q wicked thing to say of champion, but Willard's na- tional unpopularity is founded upon his stubborn independence and his de- termination to come as near retiring as he can without actually doing so, and it becomes the necessary, though disagreeable, thing to state.
 There have been seven heavyweight champions in the United States-and that means in the world-John L. Sul- livsn 1S90-1S92: James J. Corbett GS92 -1S97); Robert Fitzsimmons uS97-1sS9; James J. Jeffries CS9g- 19O6; Tommy Burns Gso6-19oS); Jack Johnson (1908-1915); Jess Willard G915-l91s). Of this imposing list. none has kept further away from the hearts of the fans than the man who now holds the title.
 There is a very healthy hope. faith cred by an ill feeling against Willard, that Jack Dempsey will carry the heavyweight title from 1919 for little while at least. But there is more than hope; there's healthy probability of the same thing. If there be any doubt about this assertion, scan Demp- seys 1918 record. In that year he boxed in 15 matches; he won ten of hem by knockouts in the-first round; three by knockouts in the third, fifth nd ssf-reh H-. h1- flo cision al the end of the sixth, and one by popular verdict in the sixth.
 During that eventful year, Dempsey's llnockouts included Homer Smith Jim Flynn, Bill Brennan, Jack Smith, Tom Riley, Arthur Pellly, Jack Mccarthy, Bob Devere, Dan Flynn, Fred Fulton, Terry Kellar, Jack Moran and Battling 4evinsky. His decisions were over Carl Morris and Billy Miske. Dempsey had not defeat or a draw registered against him in 1918; he never forfeited fight; he didn't fight more than six rounds in any engagement; he met all corners and stands forth as the right ful claimant to meet Jess Willard for the big title. In fact. the record that Dempsey has made, if there were no other considerations. would have forced Willard to meet him, purely as a sportsmanlike proposition. This was one hole out of which Willard found it impossible to crawl.
 On the other hand, Willard's 1918 record is silent Not a single match is recorded in which his name is men toned as a principal. The circus, the vaudeville stage, the movie studio and considerable galayanting all over the country filled up Willard's time. Cham pionship boxers are not kept in trim by neglect of training.
 Personally, l cannot see any world title characteristics in Willard I have little confidence in the tales that Jack Johnson has been circulating about the crookedness of 'the Havana match Not putting such a deal'p Johnson. l do believe thai Willard would not have been a conscious party to it. My ex- planaion of the passing of the honor rom the black to the white, is the lack of condition Of Johnson, rather than any superior ability on the part of Willard. I cannot escape the hunch hat Dempsey, with theA fighter s heart the clean record ol victories and scientific capabilities, has the edge on Willard at the present, whose