The Alaska daily empire., 1919-02-03
SPORTS

of pugilistic affairs says: If you ask Jess Williard's friends why he does not come out in the open and defend his title, you will find them ready with ali sorts of excuses. Al the same time they will tell you that Jess is not only the greatest pug Hist, but that in all his fights except one he has not put all his strength behind his blows.
 ''This one exception was on the occasion of his meeting with Bull Young of Los Angeles on August %, 1913, on which occasion Willard had dealt his opponent the death blow. Willard's friends claim that fear of killing an opponent has ever since the Young affair made the cham pion timid and very cautious and fearful of repetition of the Young incident
 That's why Jess is chary of meet ing any but the ruggedest and strong est of the fighters.
 Dempsey Looks So Small
 "He never seemed to like the idea of meeting Fulton. The latter looked too frail to suit his ideas of fight CT. Neither does he care much about meeting Jack Dempsey. who looks so much smaller and lighter than he does"
 Those who remember the exper- fences that Willard encountered be fore and after his bout with Young scarcely blame him for fighting shy of anything of the same sort Followers of news publistic do not take seriously the reports coming from New Orleans that Jack Demp- sey and Billy Miske will meet there in twenty-round contest to decide the heavyweight championship of. the world and that Jess. Willard, the present holder of the title, by virtue of his ring activities in Havana, April 5, 1915, is not to be taken into consideration when the "titular" bout is promoted.
 A twenty-round bout between Jack Dempsey, the leading contender for the heavyweight honors, and Billy Miske. the rugged St. Paul battler, would be welcomed by fistic fans throughout the country, but when it is decided to have these two men meet to decide the championship | they are going a bit too far. Jesse Willard is the champion, and nobody can wrest the title from him by em- ploying any tactics other than de. feating him in the ring. Dempsey has hurled challenge af. ter challenge at the champion, but ! the conqueror of Jack Johnson has ! turned deaf ear to them. As cham. pion that is his privilege. It is true l that majority of fight fans through, out the country are dissatisfied with l the actions of the champion since he refused to defend his title. Until he is defeated in the ring or an | nounce5 his retirement, he must be regarded as the title holder and to | promote a championship contest
 with his own crown at stake, and
 without him having something to say
 about it, is joke. m af 1 Miske has agreed to meet Demp sey in twenty-round bout, and il
 the contest is advertised as "cham | pionship" affair it is not at all un
 likely that it will not be looked upor
 seriously, as it would mean nothing
 but if it was run off as "a bout tt
 decide the supremacy of the two
 foremost contenders for the crowr
 it would attract widespread attention
 throughout the country. No date ha.
 been set for the battle. but 1t vii
 probably be held before the presen
 racing season in the Crescent Cit.
 comes to an end. M
 Did'n Knock Out These
 Miske is one of the two men whom
 Dempsey has not knocked for a goal
 the other heavy who was not put ou
 by Jack being Willie Meehan, th
 Frisco lad. Miske and Dempsey hay,
 met twice. Their last battle wa
 fought fin Philadelphia ThanksgivinI
 Day and Miske was on his fee
 when the sixth and last round ended |