Evening star., 1923-01-07

What is Immediately before Us
however IS the Brennan Johnson
bout. Brennan has the experience
ana experience counts LOT when the
possessor thereof has not gone tp
seed. And Brennan certainly has no,
according to the opinion of tn.
writer, who has watched both men III
training. He may not be as able 4.
ne was two years ago, but those Vhn
figure that he will be a ghost or III.
former self are likely to be fooled
As for Johnson. he has that Won
derful asset. youth He is jus.
twenty-five years old, a hard hitter
and possessed of a. quick stabbing
left. Some of the critics say that hi
footWork is all that could be desired
of big man and that Brennan viii
throw away his gloves trying to land
his best punches upon a person 8"
shifty. This may prove to he the
case, but the writer is not so certain
that Floyd is as fast as all that He
may prove to be when under the spur
of real action. We shall see.
But there can be no divergine
opinion as to the personality Of this
smiling young blonde giant. As was
the case with Brennan. he was Al
iron worker before he abandoned tn.
mill for milling. He WAS born III
Des Moines. Iowa. and his father was
born there before him. His mother
is Of old Missouri stock
He stands six feet in his stocking
and fights at 195 pounds. it was ..
an amateur that he broke into the
game-not three years ago. Sine
turning professional he has won al
his bouts. forty-three in all Thirty
six were decided by knockouts. His
opponents for the most part haye
been third-raters. but the ease witt
which he has bowled them over he
speaks real ability as a battler-
Seen as Conner by Dempsey.
His best fights were against Will
Meehan. who once beat DempseH
frankie Farmer and Bob Martin u
the A. L. F. The latter fight estab
lished Johnson III New York and pu
him in line AS heavyweight cor
tender. Jack Dempsey has shown IN
terest in the IoWan and went SO far
as 10 give him points when he wa
preparing for Martin. Jack think
the youngster is a real conner.
Whether it will be found that h
has been hurried TOO fast into thla
Brennan battle is debatable point.
There are some who maintain that
Johnson was tricked into the match
Well, Friday night we shall learn jus &.
who was fooled.
Confidential reports concerning Wi
lard's real status have been comm.
in to certain persons in this city who
are very much interested in knowing
seems to be established that puDlR
exhibitions which Willard has giyei
in Los Angeles and in Portland, ore
have not been at all impressive. EX
perts found him to be slower on hl%
feet than he was in his prime-ne
was none too fast then-while 1t =
stated that when he sets himself TO
a wallop and lets it go the man aimee
at would have to be anchored before
il would land
Id I In la- h2 I1a
if his right did and it would senu
into dream1and any fighter. Dempsey
included willard was man who
always feared to hit with all his
might And he always asked loi
of questions before battle as to the
condition Of the man he was to meet
and as to his ability to take punish
ment There isn't the slightest ques-
tion that willard could hit a terrifi,
blow when he was a champion, ami
deliver a mule kick. albeit 1T travels
by a slower train than in the olu
days.
Can Take Punishment.
Part of his public exhibition stunts
out west has related TO his ability =
stand punishment. He has droppea
his hands or held them over his heaa
while his partners have whaled away
at his stomach and solar pleNus and
jaw And he has taken everything
with a smile. Some critics haNs
laughed at this, saying that ii is cir
Gus stuff. but others have heen i
deeply impressed as Willard could
Rave wished them to be. The Crdi
nary fan. however. will be inclined u
accept Willard's demonstration as in
dicating that he has got himself into
very fair physical condition.
lust at present Jess weighs about
260 pounds, and he says that he car
work down to 240 pounds when ne
starts seriously to train. If he can
he would make a pretty formidable
picture of a fighter SO far as outward
are concerned What he
would be inside is another matter