The sun., 1919-06-29
HAS WILLARD SHOWN
HIS REAL ABILITY?
Admirers Of Champion Declare
He Has Pulled His Punches
in Past Bouts.
FEARED TO INJURE RIVAL
Dempsey's Boasts May Cause
Opponent to Hit With Full
Force in Toledo Contest.
BY CROSS COUNTER.
Copyright. 1913: oil riohts reserved

Copyright. 1919: all riohts reserved.
When the question as to the winner or
the championship battle at Toledo JUN
4. which now is the leading problem
In the sporting world, comes up for dis
cussion, there invariably arises the query
as to whether the champion In his ring
bouts has disclosed his real fighting
fern. Has the tall Kansan struck with
all his force. and has he exerted his
herculean strength and used his tremen-
dous weight to the limitf Or has ne
tempered his blows to his opponents tor
fear he might infiict serious injury on
them?
Is the apparent lack Of aggressive
ness on his part due solely to good ma
ture. or has he failed to put forth his
Samsonian strength because Of fear an
to the effect on his ring rivals?
Is there truth In the frequent asser-
tion by Willard that he has never struck
a man with all his force. and that ne
could not bring himself to do so fer
fear of fatal results?
Did the champion dawdle Tor Ten
rounds in Madison Square Garden win
the comparatively small Moran Tor ree5
Of doing the Pittsburger serious in1uryI
Did Willard permit Gunboat Smitn
and Tom Mcmahon to get referees oe-
clsions over him in limited bouts because
he disliked to disable those boxers with
terrific blows?
Champion Is Merciful.
In fact, has Willard been an smiabls
giant. who, knowing his powers. has
out Of pity for his smaller adversaries:
not only refused TO smile them hip anu
thigh, but has practically turned the
other cheek?
The belief Is current among the cham.
pion's adherents that he has preterreo
lo,l 1T
ness rather than maltreat the unfortu-
mates who sought fame in the ring at
the apparent cost of ACKNOWLEDGMENT by
Willard.
II these are the facts. then there n
reason for Dempsey to tremble In nh
hghting shoes, for II the pugllistic levia-
than can hit harder than his ring record
indicates, then the challenger Is men
aced by quick and thorough demolition.
Circumstantial evidence as to the cor
rectness Of the claim of Wizards merci-
full disposition is furnished by reports
OF his training work at Toledo. II 10
solemnly declared that the champion
out of a humane feeling for his sparring
| partners is pulling his punches.
willard ConceaIs Hitting Powers.
This. in the language Of the roped
! square, means that he Is not hitting h's
helpers with all the force at his COM
| mand, and thus continues to conceal
his real powers from the public
II this be true. then It would appear
| that the champion has all these years
been saving up his hardest punches for
| young Mr.. Dempsey. There may be
reason for this. So far as Moran. Smith,
Mcmahon. Luther McCarty and others
| are concerned. they were unable to make
any decided impression on Willard,
| paI xx,tfh hat
\ Dempsey on the contrary has demon
streted that his blows are solid enough
| to hurt any boxer. large or small. and
| Dempsey and his friends have declared
| that the challenger will hit Willard SO
hard on July 1 that the championship
crown will topple of the title holders
head.
! As a behttin& rebuke OF this attitude
OF boastfulness. the champion is believed
to have decided to cut loose with one
blow at Dempsey AMI deliver 1t with
| all the strength OF his huge bulk.
| The iron is said to have entered the
| champions soul, and he will have no
mercy on his presumptuous challenger.
1t is beyond denial that IL Willard
| can hit with the terrific force attributed
| to him by his admirers Dempsey will
! be In the greatest danger. for one punch
| from the giant would tumble the chal-
lenGer and assure the retention of the
title to Willard.
Kearns Felt wiIInrd's blow.
For example. If Willard were to deal
Dempsey the jolting right hand upper
cut that he handed to Soldier Kearns,
Dempsey's title hopes would go Slim-
mering. The blow that crumpled Kearns
on the ring floor was delivered after the
Soldier had landed a smart blow on the
big mans Jaw, and 1t cannot be denied
that willard. In sending over the bump
TO Kearns. displayed more agility than
ever before in his career.
II, on the other hand, Wizards bat
ties In the ring have reflected his real
fern, both as TO aggressiveness and hit
ting. Dempsey. with his speed. combat
iveness and hitting should have little
difficulty in taking the title away from
| the Kansan.
Only when the champion gets into tho
ring with Dempsey on Independence Day
| will II be definitely known whether
| Willard really has pulled his punches"
| In Dast cOnteSts