The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-22

series of feints of a character that
made the other man think Johnson
was on the point of attack. Nearly
every time Johnson would succeed
in holding off his opponent, scoring
the double advantage OF giving his
head q chance to clear and his legs
to steady while concealing from the
other fighter the fact that his blow
or blows had done any damage at
all.
In no condition when he fought
willard, Johnson managed to con-
ceal from his bulky contender and
the sharp.eyed men in Wizards
corner for many rounds the fact
that he already was beaten man.
He really was all in by the tenth
round Of the Havana battle, but his
shillful feinting STAYED off for
many rounds thereafter Willard's
final crushing attack.
OF course, the time came when
his endurance broke completely and
he could no longer hide the real
state of affairs or control his wabbly
legs. Equally, Of course, If Johnson
had trained properly for the fight
turned a champion.
But after coming up the rough
est road that any heavyweight had
to travel for the title, denied Op-
portunities to show his class and
worth as fighter again and again,
chance and won the throne his
surrender to folly was complete
and pitiable. For Il Is a pity to
see q man wilfully destroy SO
wonderful q creation of body,
Drawn and agility MS that which
johnson once possessed.
In this regard Jack Dempsey has
shown himself wiser and better
man than JOhnson4 Despite the
stories that always run around about
q champion indulging in secret dis
sipations, any gossip of that charac-
ter told Of Dempsey since he at
tanned the championship can be set
down by the public as idle or mali
cious trash.
Dempsey is an alert and intelIi-.
gent fellow, and in the intimate re-
lations that naturally come to exist
between fighter and trainer, was
able to sound Jacks mind pretty
thoroughly. He is as determined to
hold the heavyweight championship
as he was to win It.
And found that he fully appre-
oiated the restraints he must place
on himself IL he meant to do So His
ambition is to hold the championship
and retire undefeated only when ad.
vancing years dictate retirement to
be the reasonable thing to do-at
such time OF life an honorable re-
ffraNnonf could ho
My judgment ranks Bob FitZsim-
mons as third of the great cham
pions. If John L. Sullivan had been
born ten or fifteen years later than
he was the story might be differ.
ent. But he was the last Of the old
school. Footwork as a part OF the
oped. Sullivan had none. He was
a rusher and slugger and he could
hit crushingly and accurately, too.
But he had to set for his best
punches and It is ring history how
defenseless the big fellow was against
the dancing, jabbing, ducking, be.
wilderingly speedy Corbett.
Yet, even with the best of modern
training in all it's branches OF foot.
work and defense as we'll as
aggression, do not think Sullivan
would have ever reached the form
to beat Dempsey or Johnson. But
do think he could have turned in
a winning card against Corbett, for
he would have been able to land
some of his shattering punches. and
Corbett, while a courageous fighter.
did not have the endurance to
lraw on any of the other heavy
weight chamni0OS