The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-17
WILLARD HACKERS FEAR
HE IS OVERCONFIDENT
SUCH FAILING HAS OFTEN
PROVED FATAL.
Sullivan Also Figured That
Corbett Couldn't
Hit-But.

Toledo, o., June 17.-Veteran rim
men assembled here, who are root
ing for a Jess Willard triumph OF
July 4, wag their CRAVING thatche
these days. They are fearful lest tn,
sublime confidence which the cham
pion has In himself takes the form O
extreme contempt Of Jack Dempse,
followed by fatal over confidence
It's fine for a fellow to deter.
mine that he is going to. win-but
It's ruinous for him to get the i'm
pression that he is unbeatable" is
their sentiment.
Right now the big fellow is in dan
ger OF becoming over-confident. Be-
cause no man ever has dropped him,
Willard probably figures that the 190-
pound Dempsey can't do 1t either.
II Jess goes into the ring feeling 1t
is cinch for him and that he can't
lose, he is likely to have fearfully
sad awakening.
Practically every champion of the
past has been whipped not so much
by age or previous inactivity, as by
over confidence that made him lax
In his training and which caused
him to make awful blunders in the
ring"
That's about true, too.
What California Did.
John L. considered Jim Corbett as
nothing more than a jumping jack
and sort of powder-puff puncher.
So why spend months in rigorous
training? A few weeks quite
enough. Then-John L. figured-alI
that was necessary was to climb into
the ring and beat Corbett.
How can the californian whip
me?" quizzed John L. HE hasn't a
real punch in his whole system. He
can hit me all night and he won't
hurt me. But when hit hira, it's
going to hurt Corgett--let me tell
You that Maybe he'll get away from
me for a while, but II get him sure"
But John L. didn't The phantom |
like Corbett hit Sullivan when and |
where he willed that night in New Or
leans. True the blows didn't have |
knockout force. but they had enough |
power to cut Sullivan to ribbons. And |
through nearly sixty three minutes of |
actual lighting the poorly trained and |
quickly winded John L. never landed
solid smash.
A different story of the n.ht might
have been written if John L. had
trained as he did for Kilrain-had gone
into that fight feeling that he was
meeting foeman worthy of his steel
rather than a man who hasn't got
snoSt OF cnance against me-"
Overconfdence later whipped Corbett.
The son of the golden west had Bob
Fitzsimmons beat to a standstill for
i've rounds in Carson City. In the sixth
1orbett dropped Fitz for the count OF
line. When the Cornishman got up
corbett probably could have rushed in
md finished him. But he didn't. Over
made him think that he
'ould get Fitz any time he wanted
him. He decided to prolong the bout
or few rounds more, so as to give
lis friends little longer entertain
nent
And then, in the fourteenth, Fitz
looked a blow to the body-and be-
anne heavyweight champion of the
Fltz overconfldent.
Fitz didn't take Jim Jeffries seri-
usly. He was told that Jeff had a
reat punch and was powerful, and a
elbow who could take plenty of pun
shment
The bigger they are the harder they
all, replied Fitzsimmons, who trained
ut little for the clumsy Jeffries, be-
ause he'll be easy for me-" Fitz was
verconfident, and Jeffries got him in
ne eleventh round.
The whole world rose up to tell Jim |