The sun., 1919-07-04
Willard and Dempsey
Rest on Epe of Battle
Champion Is Slight Favorite Over Challenger-Con-
testants Pronounced in Perfect Physical Con-
dition-Betting Is Light
by DANIEL.


weeks and weeks Of the most vigorous
and meticulous preparation tho cham
Dion and his challenger are all set for
their baltic for the heavyweight cham
pionship of the world tomorrow after
noon in the huge octagonal arena on the
shores of Msumee Bay.
They look At. they say they are At,
and doctors who have examined the
men In the last few days declare with
vehemence that the boxers really are
fit. sound within and without. with
nary n physical blemish. We hope that
both Willard and Dempsey are every
thing they look and say they are. fot
each will need all the powers and
stamina and aggressiveness with which
mother nature endowed them at their
best to Withstand the attack of tho
other.
Physically Willard and Dempsey are
a great match. Rarely In the history OF
competition for the heavyweight title
have two men awaited the tocsin TO
battle in such uniformly splendid condi-
ton. When Jim Jeffries faced Jack
Johnson the white man was only a she'll
When John L. Sullivan optered the ring
with Jim Corbett. the old Boston strong
boy had only vestige Of his former
strength and endurance.
Parallel to 1900 Title Contest.
But here we have a parallel to the
Fitzsimmons- Jeffries situation, when
they faced each other ut Coney Island
on June Q, 1899. Jeffries. the compare
lively unknown boilermaker. was at the
height of his form and strength and so
was Fitzsimmons. and that time the
challenger won. II Is highly possible
that the parallel will be carried out TO
the bitter finish. for tho vast majority
OF those here for the battle on the NOR
row declare that Dempsey. like Jeffries.
will win before the eleventh round runs
the three minute course.
Tonight there was pronounced
trend toward Willard. the usual eleventh
hour veering toward the champion. who.
in every battle for tho heavyweight title
in this country. has been the favorite.
Willard still Is the favorite at to 8.
but the bets made in this city could be
recorded on a sheet OF paper the size of
one OF those minute steaks they are
serving In the leading hostelries tonight.
Some few wasers are being made at
even money. but there Is no evidence of
any real wads going abegging for action
on either man. This paucity Of wager
Ing Is regarded among the veterans as
something akin to scandal. and they
want to know what the ring IL coming
to anyway. They blame It all on pro-
hibition. which is blamed for a lot and
is not likely to mind the extra burden.
But. seriously. men who have followed
heavyweight championship battles for
decades do not even remember O situa-
ton approximating the scant betting on
this joust.
Reasons for Light betting.
The reason is twofold. In the first
place, there no longer Is the old inclina-
ton and incentive to bet on fight A
man with money can get more action In
Texas oil or at the races. In the second
place. rarely has there been a heavy
weight fight preceded by 30 much uncer-
tainty as to the probable winner.
New York experts tonight declined TO
give for publication their ANAL selections.
Divers critics and other men who are re-
garded as knowing fights and fighters
have been whizzing around like a lot of
whirling Dervishes on this proposition.
and they don't Know yet on whom to
stake their regulations as plckers OF
winners and judges OF boxers. It In
Wizards size and strength against
Dempsey's knockout punch and agrees
siveness. and there you are.
AS for myself. my stay here has served
only to strengthen my belief that Willard
will win. He looks far better than We
lima ined he looked and his ring actions
have impressed US strongly There Is no
question about Dempsey's having a
punch, but he could not land II on Billy
Miske In their two fights. and we be-
lieve that Willard will be clever enough
TO keep the challenger's haymaker in
leash at least as effectively as did Mlske
at st. Paul.
II Dempsey cannot land his knockout
punch he will not win. His admirers
need not look for him to score the deci-
sion on points. for II Dempsey finds that
his haymaker cannot And its mark he Is
going TO be too disappointed Jack to
pile up enough points TO take the title.
Dempsey Overrated. Says Daniel.
Dempsey is going into the battle a lit
tie ahead OF time and the doings IN the
arena tomorrow, we believe, Will bear
us out. Dempsey has been painted as
an invincible gladiator. Not 30 many
years ago he was knocked out In two
minutes by senile Jim Flynn. What
has been done once may be done again.
As for Willard we look for him to es-
tablish himself as one of the most eff
fective fighters who yet has held the
heavyweight title.
There Is no sense, at this late date, in
going over the same old debate as to the
relative merits and chances Of tho Tight
ers. You already are too familiar with
the stock worn arguments and the time
honored phrases. The betting says Will
lard will win: the public says that
Dempsey will win.
Which sign post do you choose TO fol-
low? The past may shed como light,
but again we warn that the old Jade is
not reliable. she will mislead you just
when you think she Is going TO run true
to form.
When Sullivan went into the ring with
Corbett at New Orleans John l. was
the tavorite. both with the general pub
lie and In the betting, the odds being
over Fitzsimmons: when Jim had Fitz
down In the sixth. bleeding from the
mouth. Jim went to TO 8. but In the
eleventh FitxsimmonA became the IA
vorite at ! to 20. Fitzsinmonc was 1 TO
3 over Jeffries, and even Tommy Burns
was 8 to over Jack johnson. John
son was 4 to 5 over Willard, with very
rttle betting.
While the hotel section of Toledo was
a seething mealstrom the fighters were
taking things easy. Dempsey spent the
day lolling about his training quarters.
Willard made a trip into town In his
automobile In the morning and he looked
a little worried. There were burrows on
his spacious brow and tho smile with
which he RECALLED tho crowds IN town on
past visits was not visible to the naked
eye. However, the burrows need not have
been indications that the champion was
not confident of success.
Champions usually wear those things
on the eve OF battle. They probably feel
Just as you or ! feel when you are on
the train going out for your vacation