The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-25

Tweleve rounds to a decision is en- ttrely too short route for a bout which involves the heavyweight cham pionship of the world. It is too bad for the sake of pugilism-that the clash between Jess Willard and Jack Demp- sey could not go 20 rounds or more.
 Only once since John l.. Sullivan's time has a championship changed hands in less than 12 rounds. It re- quired q sessions for me to win from the mighty Bostonian; Fitz took the championship from me in II rounds, and then lost it to Jeffries in the elev- enth. Marvin Hart won the technical championship from Jack Root only after 20 rounds and it took Tommy Burns that long to beat Hart. Then Jack Johnson whipped Burns in II rounds and took Is to send Jeffries down for the long count. Willard had to travel J5\ rounds before he could dethrone the black man.
 Willard, it would seem, has taken decidedly the worst of it in agreeing to risk his crown in a 12-rounder. He is notoriously a slow starter, while Demp- sey is an aggressive, furious fighter just the type that can go 10 to i: rounds at top speed and make spec tacular showing in each session. And because the decision of fight is de- termined largely by aggressiveness and the number of blows landed, a short fight seems to favor Dempsey to 8 great extent.
 In all of his important bouts the giant Kansan never has been under full speed until eight or 10 rounds had been fought. It was so in his fight with Mo Mahon, with Smith. Morris. Johnson and Moran. And certainly Willard, be- ing some years older now, will be even a little slower than he was in the years when he mingled in those bat tles
 Dempsey probably has known nc heavyweight equal In hurricane methods. He tears in with the bang of the first gong-and he never stops. He hurls himself, with both firsts flying and both well aimed. He has driven backward some of the biggest men in fistiana by the sheer fury of his at tack. He has swept upon them so fast and with such dynamic force that they haven't been able to put up an ade- quate defense or even back or side step from harm.
 Willard has stopped many rushes with his wonderful jabbing. But can he stop the "unstoppable" Dempsey? A score of others have tried it and failed. Dempsey appeals as an easy target as he tears in. But he isn't. He carries no real guard, he seems to leave hlmSel1 exposed. But his protection is his speed and his constant shifting. Dempsey is an elusive individual With head bab- ping from one side to the other up and down, and with body shifting all most every second of the time, Demp- sey is never still. And it is a rather hard thing for an opponent to hit a fighter who is twisting and turning ceaseleSsly.
 If Willard can't knock out Dempsey within 12 rounds, he must score points to gain the decision or, at worst. to get draw. To amass points he must hit Dempsey frequently in those 12 rounds hit him far oftener and harder than the lightning like and terrific punching Dempsey hits him. If Willard fights after his usual fashion-slow- moving and lacking in aggressiveness for eight rounds or so--the final four rounds may prove too short time for him to overcome Dempsey's early lead on points.
 Another thing that counts heavily against Willard in so short fight is his inactivity through the years. He has fought but once since 1915-one 30- minute battle in more than four years He has trained off in that time and must come back" That is possible But the big handicap of inactivity is that an idle fighter soon loses his judg ment of distance and the knack o1 timing his punches. Boxing with spar