Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-28
HEAVYWEIGHT SITUATION
 IS IMPROVING A LITTLE

The heavyweight situation is begin ming to improve a little. Jack Demp- sey still Is without match, but the list of contenders is increasing, and there is bound to be some action be- fore long. A few months ago Harry Wills was the only man whose name was worth connecting with that of Dempsey. Now there are no less than six big fellows more or less in the spot light.
 The men talked of at present are Harry Wills, Tom Gibbons, Jess Will lard, Luis Firpo, Floyd Johnson and Bill Brennan. Brennan gets in because he is matched with Johnson next month and if he wins it is possible that he will be allowed to fact Demp- sey again, especially if he should suc- ceed in beating Firpo also.
 At any rate, Brennan hopes to get Dempsey match in that way, but it is likely the veteran will not get as much credit as he expects. It will be said that he will be allowed to face Demp- will be hard on Brennan. He has l chance to lose prestige, but may find it difficult to- gain any.
 Test for Johnson
 The Brennan Johnson bout will be the acid test for Johnson. The fans l naturally will root for the youngster to make good, as that would furnish more action. Brennan has gone as far as he can go and there is no hope that he will get any better, but Johnson vic- tory would help things considerably. The winner will be matched with Fir DO when the latter arrives here
 From the present outlook there is go- ing to be a race between Gibbons and I IV1Na EPS.k .,aI- n Rival promoters are interested irl these matches and at the present time there Is no means of telling which will win out. It looks as though it would be a good idea for Willard and Gibbons to fight 1t out in the ring, but that is too much to expect in this highly com mercializeds age. Both fighters proba- ply feel irsulted if such a thing were 1 suggested to them
 ! That Willard is serious this time is i indicated by the fact that Ray Archer is with him out in California. Gene Doyle looks after Willards theatrical affairs. but Archer is his fight man ager. Willard and Archer are sched- 1 uled to arrive in New York on Jan uary 15 to talk fight and possibly sign articles.
 Willard says he weighs 265 pounds right now. He thinks he can get down l to 24O before he enters the ring, He says that he will be ready for battle any time between June and Septem- Der but he hopes the match will be put on around July 4.
 l Wills Nursing Bad Hands ] While all this talk Is going on Harry l ,Wllls remains as mute as a clam. He Is resting up and nursing two broken nanos injured in his affair with Glenn Johnson. Harry sees the match with
 Dempsey slipping away from him, but there is nothing he can do about it. He
 IS smart enough to know that it is dan serous to talk because the public might
 suddenly decide that he was becoming a pest. He has decided to remain quiet and trust that love of fair play will induce ring followers to demand that Dempsey meet him.
 How Dempsey Wills match would affect the welfare of boxing is a uues- ton that would take the Judgment of
 a solomon to decide. Many persons be- nsVe that another match for the cham plonshlp would be fatal. English states
 men recently reached the conclusion that It would not be wise to permit a
 bout between Battling Siki and Hoe Beckett because of the race issue.
 Yet fight followers and learned
 statesmen may be entirely wrong. II Is difficult to see any sane reason why a person as Harry Wills However tanyone should resent having a negro
 champion when he is as well behaved
 1t Is sure thing that Wills as cham.
 pion could not help boxing. There k grave danger that he might injure boxing. Men vitally interested in the
 sport see that there is nothing to bt
 gained and great deal to be risket
 as a result of the match Those who
 depend on the sport for a livelihood
 are to 3 man against taking a chance