The Washington times., 1921-10-30
BILL BRENNAN
WANTS BATTLE
WITH WILLARD
Industrious Sorapper Hopes to
Get WalIop at Jess Before ex-
Champion Meets Dempsey.
BY DAMON RUNYON.

tlon. Dill wants W sohe
crack at Jess Willard before Jess
hooks at Jack Dempsey for the
heavyweight championship. Further
more, Bill is willing to be reasonable
with Jess in the matter Of terms.
Bill has been poking around
through the tall sticks since his
memorable twelve-round bout with
Dempsey at Madison Square Gar
den, soaring out many queer looS-
ing opponent from Australian Brown
to Texas Tate.
One of the most industrious OF all
the fighters William has had in the
neighborhood of twenty bouts since
he was stopped by Dempsey, and has
probably made plenty of money.
Now he would like to get back on the
big time.
Leaning against the soft drink bar
in Charley Cooks. over on West
End avenue, the other evening. Leo
p. Flynn. Bill's manager. told us
all about II.
''Bin will fight Willard. winner take
ALL" said Leo grandly.
''Never mind that winner take all
business" we replied. How much
will Bill really want for such
bout?"
Shoot at Moon.
well, twenty-five per cent" said
Leo. coming down to earth. Leo
and Brennan are shooting at the
moon, as 1t is not likely that Jess
will consider fighting Bill or any
one else before meeting Dempsey.
The average fight fan you meet
says that Jess should be required to
prove his ability before being given
another chance at the title. but how
are you going to make him do 1t?
There is no law on the subject. and
as long as a promoter Is willing
to guarantee Willard fat purse. win
or lose. Jess can harlly be blamed
for taking a sure thing. Few be-
lieve that Willard has any chance
to beat Dempsey, yet the fight pro-
moter thinks the bout will draw close
to a million dollars. and we are not
so certain that he is far wrong. at
that.
The fistic public is responsible for
these things. The cold. ciammy
dope" failed to show Carpenter
to have a chance against Dempsey,
yet the public turned in something
like 81. 900, 900 to see the affair.
Brennan Entitled to it.
Ifpany man in the heavyweight di-
\ vision is entitled to try out Willard
it is Brennan. In his two fights with
Dempsey he made a much better
showing than Willard made at Toledo.
He gave Dempsey the longest battle
the champion has ever had, meeting
him before and after Jack won the
title, and showing little fear of the
man as a mauler.
An old angle of the present situation
is the fact that there is no demand
for another fight between Dempsey
and Brennan, yet there Is a potential
million dollar gate awaiting a Demp-
sey-Willard bout, though Willard did
not show as well as Bill.
This is because the fistic public
has been taught to believe that VIII
lard was not in good condition at
Toledo. that he held Dempsey cheaply,
and that he never got really started,
whereas 1t thinks Brennan was as
good as he will ever be.
The writer does not believe condition
cut much figure in that Dempsey-Wil-
lard bout. The first couple of minutes
settled the issue. The result would
hardly have been changed had Will
lard been in the best Of condition. He
got several good smashes at Dempsey
in the second round. and Jack kept
on going. Nearly every man that
Dempsey has ever fought has hit him
at least one real wallop, and Dempsey
has -weathered them all. Gunboat
Smith knocked him cock-eyed out in
San Francisco. Brennan hit him on
the chin so hard at Racine that the
recoil blew the crowd out of the
building.
Carpenter leaned against him with
all his power at Jersey City-Demp-
sey never stopped. John Lester
Johnson pummeled him furiously
too hra Qlx n n
two of Dempsey's ribs. Carl Nor
ris smacked him plenty. 1t takes a
great fighter to stand up under heavy
punishment. 1t is, in fact, part Of
his greatness.
"a Few Good Heavies.
The heavyweight division is, as
usual, at low ebb. There are never
more. than two or three good heavies
around at any one period In ring
history, and only one real good one.
They have been trying to build up
Tom Gibbons on ''set ups" and push
overs" and II he can get past Car
championship match. Getting past
Carpenter is a big Job, however.
Gibbons will not listen to offers Of
a match with Harry Greb, the Pitts
burgh windmill. Gibbons has seen
Greb before. He knows all about
Greb. The Pittsburgher is a hard
case for any fighter. They all dodge
him.
Tall Fred Fulton seems to have
faded from the picture. He IN some-
where out in the sticks. showing soft
ones over now. and then, but he has
ceased to figure as a real contender.
Frank Moran has gone away back
yonder. Harry Wills recently went
down to Cuba and blew Gunboat
Smith out of the ring with few
watts off his gloves, but It In doubt
full IL Harry every gets a crack at
the championship.
Bob Martin, the A. r. f. cham
pion, was mussed up by Fay Keiscr
not long ago. Fay Ia just tough
light heavyweight. He was beaten
by Billy Shade recently. Shade is
a good man, but not a heavyweight
championship possibility.