Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-19
IS ANXIOUS
To MEET DEMPSEY
NO RESERVATIONS
Negro Says His Only Desire Is
to Go Against Jack for
Championship.

New York. Sept. 1S.-Harry Wills,
the Brown Panther" of New Orleans,
has once more put the issue squarely
TO Jack Dempsey, the world heavy
weight champion. The negro chal-
lenger Immediately after knocking out
Tut Jackson at Ebbets Field. declared
himself ready to fight Dempsey today,
tomorrow or any subsequent day IN the
week selected by the champion. Wits
makes no conditions, asks no favors:
but just pines TO get the conqueror or
Jess Willard inside the ropes with the
gloves strapped on his hands. Then
let the gong ring and the question OF
supremacy be settled.
Wills asserted that he could whip
Dempsey or any other man in the ring.
He casts no aspersicns on the cham
pion. does not accuse him of runnlNg
out of a match, nor does he blame
Jack for trying to get another crack
at Bill Brennan. But he does declare
that the champion should be forced to
accept his challenge and not make the
impossible demands which prohibit the
match being made.
Paddy Mullins, manager of Wits,
said that Wills would accept any rea-
sonable offer. Mullins made it clear
that he meant a reasonable offer" and
not anything like the 5000 0 purses
of which Dempsey speaks so nonchal-
antly. All Mullins wants is a crack
at the title and he will gamble on the
financial remuneration.
Fight Wills OaIy Desire
"Will | fight Dempsey said Wills.
IF Mullins tells me we are going TO
fight Dempsey for 10 cents. I'll fight
him. Just so we fight him.
"What conditions do you demand OF
govern a battle with the champion! 2
he was asked.
Conditions? ?" said Wills with a laugh,
II don't make any conditions out of the
ordinary. Just get the champion into
the ring. Have his gloves tied on his
hands, with a good referee TO see that
the rules are observed, and they can
start the music. / don't want S5OO,O0 O
for the match. ] do want to fight that
man.
Il am in condition to meet Dempsey
and. therefore, ! don't want the public
to think I'm growing because he may
not be in as good shape as | am. But
he was training for good old Bill Bren-
nan and should be in good shape. |
didn't work my head off for the battle
with Jackson. But | can get into the
best possible condition within two
months. So should Dempsey. That
would make the bout good for Colum-
bus day or whereabouts. But I'm not
particular about the day. Any day
will do
Later Manager Mullins said: I'VE
will welcome Dempsey in the ring any
time he wants our game. Wills will
fight my man in the world, but his chief
objective is the champion. We have
made our position clear. We have
shown our willingness to fight by ac-
cepting the several offers made to us.
We don't ask half a million dollars for
the match. but we do want a crack,
Says Wills Best Man
wills. in my opinion. is the greatest
fighter in the country today. He is a
worthy successor to Peter Jackson. the
great Australian. Wills is a clear
fighter; he has proved that and is 0
credit to his race. and to the game
| Outside of the ropes he is a modest
retiring gentleman, but one inside the
ropes he is oil fighter.
"You cannot make it too strong tina
we are waiting for Jack Dempsey. i
he is not afraid of Wills he will com,
to the front and sign the articles fol
a match. If he is afraid the publi'
ought to know"