Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-04
BOXERS AWAIT BELL
WITH CONFIDENCE
=.
Willard and Dempsey Each
Sure He Will Win Title
Bout This Afternoon.
TOLEDO IS SMOKING HOT
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.


+, TOLEDO, Ohio, July 4-Today's the
dap After months of ever-increasing
publicity and weeks of active train
ling the hour is at hand for Jess Will
lard and Jack Dempsey to do battle
with their fists, and by o'clock
- CIV ashington time) all speculation re-
<..garding the outcome of the contest
for the heavyweight championship of
the world will have ended. Whether
.-old Father Time. represented by the
..champion. will prove master of Kid
=. Y outh, of whom the challenger is the
Disqualification. will be known by the
time the suns shadows are being
thrown across the ring in the Bay
view Park arena erected on the banks
90 of the Maumee by Tex Richard. pre-
-'mier of all sportdom's promoters.
=. Toledo. filling rapidly to the point
-.of congestion within the past few
''days, this morning fairly was damned
with the last-hour arrivals. Tens OF
thousands were poured into the city
by the steam roads. interurban lines
and automobiles last night and today.
and by noon. when the apex OF the
incoming horde of humanity was
preached the sidewalks literally were
damned with pedestrians. many being
forced to take to the streets at the
risk of life and limb from the vehicles
..of all descriptions that changed and
'shonked their way at snaifS pace
,along the cluttered thoroughfares.
:. For all there was but one goal. the
.;mammoth amphitheater that bulks
the skyline in the public park donated
--hy the city. In seating capacity this
structure dwarfs the ancient Coliseum
at Rome and the modern Yale bowl,
sand of the 100000 persons that it is
s:estimated Toledo will entertain this
Independence day, some 10000 are eX-
..pected to provide the million-dollar
gate anticipated for the most colos-
...sal sporting spectacle ever staged in
..this country. Holders of ten-dollar
='tickets for the unreserved sections
.sssbegan to assemble at the approaches
s.last night, many forming makeshift
,rbeds of coats and newspapers for the
..long vigil At dawn scores of the
.,early birds could be seen winding
s.their way toward the arena, and by
moon there was a steady stream of
.clammy,. perspiring humanity afoot. in
automobiles and street cars damned
Ito suffocation travelling the four miles
between the heart of town and the
!. ,scene of battle.
=. The oppressive heat of the last
three days shows no sign of diminu-
.-tion and before midday the thermom-
i.eter had passed the ninety-degree
mark. What the temperature in the
/. uncovered stadium, with the sun beat
Ting down on the denSely packed mass
-.of swe1tering humans, will be at
..o'clock, when the main event is sched
,uled to start, can only be conjectured.
..The pine boards of which the arena
Exclusively is constructed were thor
--oughly soaked with water from eight
..pieces of hose for hours last night, to
z.ninimiZe danger of fire from careless
sly discarded matches or cigars. and
.-t6R steam that will be generated in
the Enclosure probably will be great
-senough in volume to run a power plant.
:. OF breeze. there Is an almost total
.lack, and with sunshades and bum ber-
shoots to be raised only at the risk
-:of being beaned with pop bottle,
Lagoon of perspiration large enough
ITO float battieship will seep down
.sunder the grandstand.
The day before the battle was a
squiet one for both Willard and Demp
..sey. The champion INDUCED in long
automobile ride with a party of
,:friends. to take his mind off the af-
s.fair. The challenger remained Sc
f'cluded in his training quarters, ad
.jnittance to which was denied to all
isave members of his party and closest
Friends.
.. There has been no great last-minute
rchange in betting sentiment. If any
.thing. there is a little more Willard
money in sight. but the hackers of the
.it seemed assured the champion would
ENTER the ring favorite by a small
.lnargin. What wagering there is this
-morning is being done at evens or on
willard at s to s.
What the rivals think of their
: chances in the test today is here sum-
med up in their own words, voiced on
the eve of the fight.
Statement by Jess Willard: Il think
this will be the easiest fight | ever
had. because l can stop any man who
comes to me, and Dempsey will come
= The faster he comes, the better it
will suit me.
Uganda boys behind Dempsey, and this
lis where they lose their meal ticket.
=. Il hear Dempsey is a nice fellow
aim sorry for him, that's all. I have
trained myself to be in my best form.
and I'm there right on the minute |
don't think there's a chance for me
- TO lose. If / should lose. I'll take my
hat off to Dempsey and say he's the
better man. If he can beat me he'll
be entitled to everything that comes
to him"
,..." Statement by Jack Dempsey:
-, Il know Willard is a good fighter
III he wasn't he wouldn't be champion.
."Any man can be knocked out and a
man who hits as hard as Willard does
80 ght knock out anybody.
ia. I'm going to be careful that he
:" Doesn't land the right on me, and
don't think I'll need twelve rounds to
show that 1 can beat him.
49,. 49,. I've seen other big men fall. When
>, you knock them right they all go
down. worked my way to this fight
by taking them all they came
..''''"I expected to win every time I
went into the ring, and l feel the
same way about it now When I got
FULTON ! knew it was Willard next
I'll beat him il it's in me. l sure
:, expect to win"