The Washington times., 1923-02-08
To START
TRAINING FOR
JOHNSON
Boxing Behemoth Still Con-
WINGED He Knows a Lot About
Conditioning Himself.
By DAVIS ]. WALSH.

NEW YORK, Feb. 8.-Having
signed with all due ceremony to
meet Floyd Johnson at the new
Yankee park May IL, in a quasi
preliminary bout to a possible re-
turn match with Jack Dempsey for
the heavyweight championship
Jess Willard today announced his
intention of going into intensive
trainig Immediately. The great
open. spaces are calling, and within
a comparative few days, Jess in
tends to forsake the big, unfeelinG
city for rural peace and comfort
He has no inclination to repeat his
fauxpas of Toledo.
ST was foolishly er-confident OF
beating Dempsey, but this time
will take no chances" he told the
writer. when / meet Johnson,
intend to be in almost perfect con-
dition and / will fight as / never
did before. It is serious business
| with me this time"
Willard plans to seek some quiet
| spot, far enough from New York
to discourage chance visits from
the curious, and at the same time,
have Ray Archer, his man of bust,
ness, within call whenever neces.
sary. He has Lakewood, N. j., in
mind, not only because of its
geographic excellence but also in
weather, which will permit road
work.
II will do more running in the
country this time" he declared,
''but I'm not going to run my.
self silly. either, as some of my
critics claimed / should have done
at Toledo. You see, I know my.
self better than any other man
can hope to. It has been sug.
gested that I get a trainer and /
may do so, although think Il
know how to train myself. That
also was pointed out as one OF
my big mistakes but it was not.
my great mistake" he added
| earnestly, was in kidding myself
| into believing ! had a cinch. Sc
many critics had stated that l
couldn't be hurt. I really took
the matter for granted. know
better now"
The match with Johnson was
put over with excessive haste and
a diplomatic lack OF publicity. In
| fact. it was signed, sealed and de-
| livered only comparative few
hours after the writer had an
nounced Wizards change of atti
tude in agreeing to meet Harry
Wills, Johnson, Tom Gibbons OF
any acceptable heavyweight con
| tender.
The New York Milk Fund is tc
be the beneficiary and when this
fact was made known to William
Peculiar Muldoon, he promptly
waived the age limit under which
| Willard had been barred in this
| State.
That was the first and most i'm
portant victory. With Williams
prejudices alIayed, it was only mat
ter of conviction to obtain Col jacob
Ruppert's consent to use the Yankee
park, without charge, and to gel
Tex Richard to donate his services
as promoter. Only the principals
will be paid.
To the winner, perforce. will &c
the privilege of receiving what choice
socks Jack Dempsey may care t.
cast at his chin.
Johnsons scheduled bout witt
Tom Gibbons on March 10, will bt
postponed in order that nothing un
seemly may happen to Floyd in the
meantime. The Johnson Gibbons af
fair, originally signed for in aid OF
the milk fund, will be put on &
month or so after the Willard af
fair, provided Johnson makes a re
spectacle showing on that occasion
Gibbons, meanwhile, is to be ap
peased by having Jack McAuIiffe OF
some other heavyweight, tossed int
the arena with him for the March
/ 10 engagement