The Washington herald., 1921-02-14
WILLARD EXPLAINS
DEMPSEY VICTORY;
WAS AIN ACCIDENT
Has Good Chance Against
Jack Next Time,
Says Edgren.
By ROBERT EDGREN.

jess "lllarur having lived Quleuy
on the farm out in Kansas with
plenty Of time to think, has at last
figured out just how Jack Dempsey
happened to beat him. According TO
Jess it was "an accident"
As Jess recalls it, Dempsey VT
him while Jess was trying TO break
clean" thereby knocking Jess 80
silly he remembers nothing that
followed.
don't doubt that Jess had dif-
fculty in gathering his scattered
thoughts after the fight. He jump
ed out OF the ring. pushed through
the crowd and ran all the way 20
his abandoned training quarters
across the park from the arena
where he was discovered hours ar
terward. And he told Tex Rickard
next morning that he didn't remem-
Der anything except that Dempsey
hit him one punch on the head.
Don't like 70 rob Jess Of any pct
delusions, but his recollection IS 4
| bit muddled IL he thinks Dempsey
| hit him coming out Of a cIlnch-
Jess may have intended TO clinch.
but the intention was as far as ne
got.
What really happened was this-
Willard went into the ring expect
ing to have Dempsey rush him
wildly. He thought Dempsey must
/ be a rushing sIuEEer. from his list
/ Of one-round knockoutS He hadn't
seen Dempsey fight His plan was
/ to let Dempsey rush, and then
neatly uppercut him and knock him
. Na- -
Jones, or someone else willard
didn't like
Dempsey probably knew what
willard would expect and his hFus
was planned 10 fool the giant In
stead Of rushing. Dempsey let Will
ard jab him lightly a couple Of
/ times and didn't retaIiate. He step
ped toward Willard. as Jess wait
ed. and then as II afraid TO minEls
with his huge opponent turned and
walked back two or three steps
About the third time he did this
/ Jess thought Dempsey wasn't sUch
a terror. after all, and stepped OUT
after him. That was his mistake.
Dempsey whirled under willard's
/ jabbinE left arm and hooked a ter
rife right over his heart SHIFTED
| and brought the left up with =
| tremendous swing sQuarely on WIN
ards right cheekbone. The blow
over the heart made willard's knees
sag. and the cIout on the cheek-
bone-which might have been a
. knockout II II had been two inches
. Iower-nearly knocked him over
Dempsey hit as fast as he could,
and in a moment Willard fell
WInard's Chances Better.
willard may not remember what
/ followed Knocked down seven
times he staggered up with as fine
a display OF dogEed courage and de-
termination as any beaten man ever
showed in a ring Dempsey nearly
wore himself out trying TO put
willard down for the full count and
at times il looked as II willard
might weather the bstterinE and
take command But he had been
too badly beaten at the start
There are several reasons why
Willard should have a better chance
in a return match.
First. he has been living on q
farm instead OF around moving pic
'ture companies and in the big cities
He may be harder.
Second. Dempsey has been having
his share or success. money and
luxury He may be softer.
Third Willard has no worry over
possibly losing the championship
and the great fortune he expected
to make in pictures after fighting
Dempsey.
Fourth. Dempsey has the chsr-
pionship and the fortune to lose
Willard Out for Glory.
Willard says he intends to win
back the championship and that he's
Indifferent about money. This is a
change Of heart for Jess. As cham
pion Willard was the toughest bird
a promoter ever talked to. He set
the fashion in big purses when he
demanded $4,000 for a lU-rouna
no-decision bout with Frank Mora n
and 100000 TO fCht either Fulton
or Dempsey. II Jess had been cham
'piOn during the recent price-rais-
ing jamboree he probably would
have wanted half a million.
Fame Comes Late.
7 was coming back from Havana
with Willard in 1918.
~ may never make another good
fight" said Jess. but 7 guess I'll
be remembered for a while as the
fellow who knocked out Jack
johnson"
I About ten years from now IN.
public will remember it, John l.
Sullivan. Sob Fitzsimmons, Tommy
Ryan. Joe Cans and many other
great champions reached the height
OF their fame years after they were
through in the ring
All torture holds" should be
barred from wrestling, II necessary
by law. This having been suggested,
a shrek goes up that barring thu
"headlock' would interfere with
Stranger Lewis success as a
champion.
Earring the body scissors" would
sadly handicap Stecher.
Numerous other wTestIers who
copy GotCh's old toe hold" would
have to go back to truck driving
or the butcher shop II the toe FbId
was cut out. Very. very sad all
around, But not half as sad as tho
case Of the public. which has a
natural hankerinE for clean sort
and fair play. and finds after pay
ing its money at the gate TO SEQ
lreputed champions wrestle that
wrestling is a lost art, succeeded bv
a smaIl-time imitation Of the Span
ish InoUisitiOn,
Copyright. 1921, BY Bell Syndicate. InoA
Yank Midgets Want Games.
The Congress Heights Yankee
Midgets want games with any 11t-
pound teams in the District. Man