The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-07-05
Both Fighters
in Pink of Form
Willard and Dempsey on Edge
For Championship Bout

| Toledo, Ohio, July 1.-The first
tents were pitched in Toledo tonight
with the arrival of the vanguard Of
the great crowd for the Willard
| Dempsey heavyweight championship
contest Friday. They were brought by
autoists among steady stream of
machines which began pouring into
! Toledo at daylight. With months OF
training at their backs the champion
aid the challenger are virtually on
{ tonight. Nothing remains but
! to hold this form. DR.. Joseph J..
Sweeney, official physician for the
Toledo Boxing Commission, examined
! Willard and said he found him in
such remarkable condition that he
should be able to go the full twelve
rounds at whatever speed Dempsey
sets. He said Wizards stomach
muscles are three and one-half inches
thick
Willard took light workout to-
/ day, boxing six rounds and will re
peat this tomorrow. Dempsey took
only some limbering up exercises. Will
| lards weight was announced as 245
POoiiuo anu hSAApoCS L SI'AfNA
| Jimmy Deforrest said the challenger
probably would enter the ring at 1875
pounds.
During the final twenty-four hours
every effort will be made to keep
the boxers away from the curious
eyes and questioning OF thousands OF
fight fans whose sole object appears
TO center in asking the pugilists
about their chances of winning.
Thursday Willard is likely TO take
a. long motor trip into the country
and thus avoid the signteers who
are sure TO flock to his training quar-
ters and even 10 living quarters, which
are several miles apart.
Dempsey is so fine, however, that
he will not do the same amount Of
work the champion has laid out. He
will do light road work, walking
briskly with just enough exercise to
hold his perfect edge. He, TOO, is
quite likely TO disappear from the
gaze of the curious Thursday and
probably will sleep in strange quar-
1ers the night before the bout.
There are a number Of formalities
scheduled for the next few days IL
connection with the contest. There
will be meeting Of the judges and
the referee to discuss plans for reach
ing a decision under varying condi-
tions that may arise at the conclusion
of the bout. This conference will be
held shortly after the arrival of Major
Anthony j. Drexel Biddle, Of Phila-
delphia, and other members Of the
board of boxing control.
The principals in the coming cham
pionship battle will also be examined
by the official physician Of the local
boxing commission. In the case of
Willard, however, the examination
will be superficial, if held at all, for
the same authorities put the title
holder through his physical PAGES
recently and pronounced him in per-
feet condition TO engage in boxing
contest, as is required by the local
regulations.
The gloves that the big boxers will
wear have also been subjected to Of
fetal inspection and declared satis-
factory by those who will wear
and be hit by them. Dempsey's are
said 10 weigh exactly five ounces,
but those that will encase the cham
pion's fists are understood TO weigh
an ounce more 1t was explained that
this difference was due to the fact
that more skin vas required TO manu-
facture the title holders set and not
the presence Of additional padding.