Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-19
WILLARD WILL ATTEMPT
ALMOST HOPELESS TASK
After Many Years of IdIcncss and
nt Advanced Age To Try TO Re-
= tain Championship.
NEVER BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
Title Holder Has Not Battlcd for
Three Full Years. and Has Fought
Only Thirty Minutes Since Winning
Heavyweight IaurclS.
ny JAMES }. CoHnurr.

.r RN JAMES }. CoRBETr.
Jess Willard viii attempt task
which no heaVyweiCht champion ever
has accomplished in the long history
of puPilism. And that task IS nothing
moro nor less than the successful dc
fensc OF his crown after many years
of idloncss and rather carcfrcc living.
and at an age far beyond a pucilist's
prime
1t is definitely known fact that
the champion hasn't battlcd :or more
than three full years and that lie has
Tough, only one ,hirty-minu,e contest
with a second rate" since he became
king OF the boxing world. Md that's
IonS. long time TO be away from
active ring participation. so long that
many ring critics feel that Willard
has trusted" and cannot come back
with enough to oNcrw hcl:n Jack Demp-
Scy in their clash OF July l.
John l.. sullivan WAS a truly great
during all Tho years that he fought
1889 until 1889 he baIiied frequently
off. In 1892 after three years of
idlins, John l. took me on IN New Or,
considered himself still! young. 5ut
easy living had harmed him and aCc
had made Us impress on M once IN.
sin twcnty-onc rounds.
FIoorcd sullivan When Young.
was twcnty-siN when, ! whipped
Sullivan sullivan ;, Two years Later took on
Knocked him out. Two ;' Years after
that met Tom SharNcy in four
rounder. And III 1897 took on Bob
exhibition bout with Sharkcy, had
not not cnE@Ged IN a ste, stellar bout from
one years old. Like sullivan. dis
counted age and failure to keep in aC-
tive ring harness, and SO Sob Fitz-
simmons dcthroncd me in Carson city.
Fitzsimmons. after winning from me
in 1897. loafcd around for nearly two
Years without meeting amy one in de-
the youthful Jim Jcifrics The Cor
nishman WAS about thirty-siN then.
adhered TO strict training. lie felt
wouldn't coun, aeains, him. But Jcn
put Sob TO sleep in eleven rounds.
.lcfirics WAS a peerless tighter during
All the days that he remained active.
From 1899 TO 1905 he whipped every
man who cared TO try conclusions with
him. Failing TO find other men TO
ronqucr, Jcn went into retirement in
1908. As Is natural when athletes quit
tho spotlight they ease up as far as
training Is concerned. JEFF was no
exception.
Jcnrics Couldn't Como Back.
After uvc years absence from the
Tns JET was asked in 1910 to come
back and whip Jack johnson. Jcnries
finally Yielded to insistent plcadines
But Jcit. shrewd fellow that he is.
realized that the job might be too diff
iicult for him. lie WAS thrty-nvc
l NMd ~ and '9aj is ojd for nFh'9r
mado game and desperate effort.
But nothing but failure was his re-
ward.
,Oalwardly Jeff looked but little di.-
ferent in 1910 than he had appeared
IN the, years when he VAS sweeping
through the lightweight ranks like
a cyclone. Eut inactivity had taken
from Jenrics rs II had from others,
not visible "a the naked eve, but abso-
lutely vital for hghtcr And so many
were deceived into betting heavily on
hlm-tO their sorrow.
johnson suffered a Ike fate. After
winning from Jerres in 1910 he fought
out rs fairly important nghts-and
bc'h We're against Inferior foes The
negro never MAS really forced to en-
tend himself against either. Jim Flynn.
the pigmE heavyweight was Il knock
and the uc9sl had an easy time out
pointing Fraak Moran ia. theiI twenty
Il9 051!eTG d.t 80 +r93a starr to iiaish
and IL Was, to''lst 1. rac!u.: term. SIM
ply Il salloD .or the champion
Eas. Living Had >oitcncd Jack.
J52ihIplson.s only real hsht from 1910
ard ana me lost. johnson was thirty
seNeM thcu ~" easy !i'.nS and dis
strength, the speed and the punching
judgment ihai mad helped TO make him
great Ills cycsght as far as It's use
dimnej i'i%g ob r,nS concerned; had
iance was poor iis punches lacked
steam , And lac couldn't stand up un-
der wal!opiu- 50 Johnson joined tn,
Other c%-champ!oHs Of The hcavywci.ht
world.
Willard'> exact az. is ono 80 ina
best guess makes II tnirtv-cirht m.
a,he Itco, o. +!Ne Wi!!ard's birth date
make him ,hrty-oue at Tie present
time. i;ut a relative OF Inc chsnlplon
recently "tlarcd ,haj joss was nearly
forty. Nnd during The war. yrhil. III.
draft situation was one Of the yi,aI
TOPICS I, story appcarcd in the paper
Gon,aining statement from wiIinrd
IN "h!ch ne sa!d II am nearly forty"
less Oldest Man 10 Defend Tiuc.
Assuming that willard is ihir,y
eight II means that he Is Tie nidcs,
man mat ever fought iu dclcns, Of ,h..
h heayy "e!sHI '"amrionscnond rhaIth
itedI y W. l'l Cnhmplpuslip OF I'M,
world And, Furthermore, Wllard has
l ,, TOUT scars and sin weeks of
MES. lie spent pornaps xix WA m, ,,
Z a az ,, himself for mat fight Ana
Inc other r., 20s weeks willard has Been
Ye mas not dlsstpb'cd Ills iut!luairs hr,,r
8 Nm mn on :" ihlS i9t all hands ACRE,
anoSe sya "oeFS ln keeping himself
~ H. me nlshest point - physical illness.
has d dano 'r"lniGG on - 1" speak, and
his 1916 battle wIrn Fr,nE ur S'i.'
IS notice. "''Ns
81 Willard may proyc ,nc ,.
& the unbroken rule 90 pugiIisu tj,,
81 snu ac'Nil% oyer period OF ycar,
n means the dcthrouomcnt %, . L5ty,
Features syndicate IN N''N
NEW LEAGUE OPENS TODAY