The Washington herald., 1921-04-03
~ ROBERT EDGREN.

Johnny Wilson may not be a
shovy champion. but he has q wick
ed left hook for the body. Also
he Is . novelty among ''southpaws,"
being able to make very good use
Of the extended right arm in de-
iivering straight jabs At either head
or body. He is well proportioned
for hghting. His arms are long
and strong, his hands thick and
his shoulders and neck powerful.
He IL extraordinarily deep chestsd,
having the lung capacity that gives
quick recuperation and endurance.
His waist 10 small and round. and
his legs strong and a little light
IN proportion to the rest OF his
build, which is a good fighting fea-
ture.
After his second fight with Mike
IO'Dowd. which he won easily, Will
son was criticised for not taking
the aggressive. But his plan OF
battle against O'Dovd was perfect.
o'Dowd was sure to rush. Wilson
waited for him, and met him with
terrific body punches that wore
opowd down round after round.
Wilson may have waited for
oDowd. but he was doing much
OF tho leading. for he started his
blows before o'Dowd could make
up his mind where to hit. Instead
OF countering. he simply beat Mike
to the punch.
Mike isn't boxer and he isn't
a determined accurate hitter. Fre-
quently he Jumped about and paved
the air with both hands, showing
plainly that he didn't know what
to do next. And when O'Dovd was
puzzled he was an easy mark for
Wilson'S accurate body punching or
for the stin little risht-hand jab,
wilson used in driving Mike back
and throwing him OF his baIsnc.
Wilson Is not q Tommy Ryan a,
Bob Fitzsimmons or a Kid Mer-oy q.
fighting cleverness, or :, St,n,.u
ketchel for sheer determinatio, Al nd
endless agsressiveness. But he h..
fighting style that is quit. o,i.ts
nal. and so effective that il Will to.
a nrst-ciass middle-weisht to beat
him.
Another thing about Wilson :.
this. He Is extremely modest. Som.
critics say this modesty Is lack Of
seh-conhdenee. After watching him
am convinced that he has plenty
OF self-conhdence and courage,
Dfsregarded Paiafsl Injury.
I saw him just after his recen.
fight with o'Dowd. His left hand
was already puffed UP badly, ana "A
x-ray taken the next day showed a
broken bone.
When did you break that- I,
asked him.
I'm the fourth round" wilson
answered. Il broke it hitting
O'Dowd on the head"
But saw you using that hand
all the time, and you seemed to on
hitting as hard as YOU could with Il
all through the fight"
Yes" said Wilson, cit hurt. of
course. but I mad to keep on hit.
ting
This was something like the spirit
Bob Fitzsimmons showed when he
fought Je1ries tho second time. In
an early round Fitxsimmons hit Jef.
fries en- the check bonesso hard that
he broke the frst two knuckles OF
his right hand. driving them back
about half an inch.
How did you manage to 60 on
hitting with that. handw asked
Fitz.
why" said Bob. II turned my
bloomin' hst so 1 kept on lifting
with the other two. knuckies."
The ss.soo 94e,ooe purse ana
42,soo bonus and expenses) that
Wilson cot from Tex Rickard for
the o'Dowd fight was the ,first big
money he ever saw. The first thing
he did wss to invest $4,000 In
home for his father and mother.
i used to be a sheet metal work
er before ! began hghting.r VIII.
son told me. MY first success was
when ] knocked out x. o. Sweeney
Rt ou1ser's Casino In Harlem. Nv
the way. Billy Mccarney was on IN
his hgures when he told you / rot
oply $1i.7o for that dght. I rot only
$3.50. and It was the hardest fieht
ever had In my life-twice AZ
hard q fight as Mike O,Down gave
me. The whole gate receipts vere
SIS. and ] was nghtins for 10 per
cent.
Il went to Boston after. that i
vas married and I found I could
make = living better at boxing
up there! boxed from that tims
= q ~e-@@S