The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-12
WILLARD IS WEARY
OF GOSSIP THAT He
WILL meet DEMPSEY
~ rRANn G. MENkE

Jess Wizards gonna get fearfully
peevish doggone soon If they don
stop trying to run him into another
fusillade of Dempsey punches.
Every time some promoter fails TO
gather in publicity by new or novel
means, he promptly grabs, newspaper
space for himself by declaring he's go
ing to sic Jack onto Jess.
But it won't be done-no stree, 1t
won't be, if Jess has anything to do
with it.
Willard has spoken his piece.
I'm not planning to fight Dempsey
or anyone else again. he said: i
wish that publicity seekers would for
get about me instead of annoying me
every month or two by forcing me to
deny I've signed to meet Dempsey.
I'm in business now and too busy
with my affairs to think about fights
or the fight game. I won't say pos
itively that l wouldn't fight Dempsey,
but l will say that any offer for such
a battle would have to be mighty big
to attract me. For, if l went back into
ring harnes it would mean abandon
ment of my work now and many weeks
and months of training"
Wanted Only Title.
Earlier, Willard confided to a
friend:
q never cared much about the fight
game. l went into it not because ]
was prompted by battle lust, as are so
many of the fellows. My purpose was
to bring back to the white race the
heavyweight championship of the
world And l accomplished it.
"At the outset, l had nothing but
size and strength to recommend me.
l knew nothing about the science OF
boxing. And l took no lessons largely
because, in my earliest years,
couldn't afford to pay for high priced
teaching. The ring knowledge l gain,
ed was, in large measure, picked W
, by battling more experienced ringmen
or with sparring partners who knew
something of the art.
81 depended mainly on two things
my great frame to withstand punches
and my hitting strength to drop the
other fellow when l landed
Il fought my fights for the single
purpose Of improving to point some
day where l could force Jack John.
son into a match-and then whip him
l got no fun out of the game as many
fighters do. Beating up other men
gave me no joy; no savage gladness
Rather, l hated to hurt them and al
ways wanted to win in the way that
would make defeat least harmful tc
them.
Even when I met Johnson it was
the same. had no eagerness to kill
him. l might have rushed and torn
into him and tried from the start tc
pulverize him. But what was the usei
Knew He Could Win
Il knew I'd win The fight was
scheduled for 45 rounds. l was If
perfect condition; Johnson wasn't
| could have gone 100 rounds that day
| knew Johnson couldn't knock me ou
and that sooner or later he'd weal
himself out. Then it would need only
few stiff punches to finish him.
When / whipped Johnson my fight
ing mission was completed. 1 hat
said if the chance ever came I'd bring
the title back to the white race
did. Afterward, of course, l wanted
to keep the championship = every
champion does-but with a certain
self imposed duty performed, my inter
est in the game waned.
tits true that I underestimate
Dempsey in Toledo. I didn't know
anyone could hit with such terrific
power as Jack used that day. Ny