San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-05
Ring History Proves the
Truth Of Adage "Youth
Will Be Served"
WILLARD AN EXAMPLE
Wilde, Kilbane, Britton and
Others Slow Up as Age
Creeps On.
By ROBERT EDGREN.

No, they never come back when
they're TOO old to come back. Jess
willard thought he wasn't too old.
But Jess had slipped few years. He
had all the heart and confidence he
needed in his fight with Firpo. For
the first time in his life Willard
fought in s style that gave him the
full advantage Of his strength and
beef.
IL he had fought in the same way
q few years ago no man LIVING coulo
have stood up against him. He went
after Firpo and stuck 10 him. When
Firpo landed terrific blows, as ne did
every now aud then, Willard came
right back fighting and taking the
aggressive again before Firpo had any
chance to follow up his momentary
advantage. g,
He had Firpo more or less buffaloed
and at times he had Firpo arm weary
and discouraged for 8 moment. II
Willard had possessed youth, the one
greatest asset OF a fighting man, he
would have whipped Firpo.
The advantage Of youth in q fight
never was shown better than in one OF
the preliminaries 10 the Firpo-W Il
lard battle, the eight-round fight be
tween Tiny Herman Of Omaha and
Cliff Kramer Of Cilfornia.
Youth On the Job.
Herman is fast and a terrific
mncher. He hammered Kramer with
yerything early in the fight, and
Sept it up until the battle was half
yer. Everyone wondered what was
holding Kramer up. He seemed to be
tsdone for.
rsSyber suddenly Kramer got the TIM
ing of Herman's right hand punch.
made him miss by inches and stepped
in with the shortest bent right arm
punch that ever knocked man down.
Herman struck the floor on his stom-
ach and rolled around until the ref
cree, ratified, caught him by the arm
and dragged him to his feet.
That was funny one for referee
to pull and let fight go on
Again Herman rushed and swung
at Kramer, and again Kramer made
him miss and countered with short
arm right for another knockdown.
From that time on Kramer freshened,
while Herman lost some of his speed
and punch. Youth was on the job.
Wilde, Kilbane, Britton Ditto.
Jimmy Wilde, at his best, which
was severa, years ago, should have
had at least an even chance to whip
Pancho Villa. Jimmy, in the first
two rounds. was unable to get going
l. do rnnah
while Villa landed many of them.
Villa knocked Wilde cold with a
foul blow delivered after the bell at
the end of the second round, and Ref
cree Patsy Haley must have been
looking the crowd over after the bell
rang, for he didn't disqualify Villa.
But even without the aid of that
foul blow and many backhand blows
that Haley allowed Villa TO use Villa
could have beaten Wilde handily. Age
had "grabbed" Jimmy! He was too
slow to fight man of Villas speed.
The same thing ended Johnny Kill
bane's career. Criqui might have
whipped Kilbane at his best, but whip
ming old Kilbane was a cinch for the
fighting Frenchman.
Kilbane was glued to the floor. He
didn't dare move for fear of leaving
an opening, and he krew he was toe
slow to block or counter.
But Kilbane was judicious. He
didn't take any more OF a beating
than he had to. &C.
Jack Britton, losing the welter-
weight title to Mickey Walker, fought
as far as his skill ard strength would
let him, stalled and struggled along
to near the finish, and gathered what
he had left for final effort TO knock
Walker out, keeping up his attack
until his legs gave way under him and
fIoundering into a clineh TO stall
through the last minute when he could
no longer lift his hands. Britton was
as game as any man living. But age
finally got him.
Age Can't Stand Training.
Bob Fitzsimmors was fighting until
he was 81 years old, when he fought
his last real ring battle in Australia
against Bill Lanee. Fitz was knock.
ed out. "When a man like LANCE can
beat me I'm through" said Fitz. 81
guess Tn getting old 4"
An old time fighter can't stand the
amount of training tina, fits a young
ster for fight. Jeffries, who trained
a long time 70 fight johnson after be
sing out of the ring six years, was in
much better shape six weeks before the
fight than a week before it.
Jack johnson, a wise old fellow
lin all that. has TO do with the ring
didn't train very hard for his fight
with Willard at Havana. ] asked
johnson why lie didn't do more box
1ing in his training quarters.
"I'm' getting DID," said Jack, "ant
Il can't stand the training I used t.
do. II would use M too much vital
Wv. I'll never be ms good again n
. 4 was at Reno. All | can do is Il
get int the pest shape | can anc
teep as much vitality as | can be
uuse III need il in the ring"
Willard used the same system train
ing for tirpo. But Firpo worked lik'