Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1923-01-29
Farrell Presents
Ringside Views
of Heavyweights
BY HENRY L. FARRELL.
Omitted Press Sports Editor.l

| former world s heavyweight cham
pions and one who wants to be
| the next one were clustered in the
glare of the ringside light in Madi-
son Square Garden the night Floyd
Johnson fought Bill Brennan.
1t was fight advertised rs one
! to give line on how near the
Youthful Johnson was to a chance
for the title and all the experts
and celebrities were there.
} With Tex Richard in the front
row were James J. Corbett, the
champion of the bloomsbury rules;
Jess willard, the biggest of all
title holders, and Tommy Gibbons,
in line for the title. ~
In the manner befitting blasc
champion, Jack Dempsey was ab-
sent.
Back several rows where the
glare of the lights over the ring
| began to melt into Il black eur
tain sat Jack Johnson, the Gill
! Arthur of days gone by, gold
teeth and the whites of his eye
balls sticking through the dark
| ness.
Across the ring on the other side
visible only because he was taller
than the rest, sat Harry Wills, the
| brown nther of New Orleans
who will never be Il world = cham
| pion, because he will never get the
| chance.
In that scattered group was
represented all the stages of pug
| ilism; in them were exhibited all
| the degrees of enthusiasm, ambi-
ton, hope and realization.
Corbett. suave and dignified like
the "Gentleman Jim that he was
always called, sat there unemo-
tional watching Il young hopeful
and an old, veteran battle for the
chance to get title and the million
| that goes with il.
Corbett is gray at the temples
and sparse locked on top. His
forehead is deeply wrinklcd and the
telltalc crow s feet crop out around
his eyes when he laughs. His eyes
are behind big horned trimmed
glasses. He looks like bank
| president aDOut 10 retire.
Corbett sat there with his arms
crossed over his breast and The eX
pressionless mask of poker face
on his countenance. COrbett s en-
thusia SIN dimmed. He had been
through ii all and the thrill was not
there.
Next to him sat, jess willard, the
huge Kansas cowboy, ranchtr, oil
man, sheep herdcr and Spectator
also the man who took the worst
beating that Il championi ever got in
a ring.
Willard looked good. His face
tanned by wind and sun made his
eyes look white ard clear. His mas
sivc chest hcaved under a blue silk
shirt With collar TO match md 4
neat gray suit. He twirled a big
sombraro in his hands and squirmed
, around trying to get comfortable on
Il chair many sizes too small for
him.
When the fight started, Big Jess
moved his three hundred pounds to
the edge of the seat and the muscles
in his face started. viii every
blow struck in the ring, his eyes
sguinted, his jaw muscles throhbed,
his mouth opened and his tongue
would moisten his lips. He was not
cut of the game long enough to keep
from having q little sub.cOnsciuos
part in it himself.
Next to him sat Tommy Gibbons,
the st. Paul boy, the classiest boxer
among all the hcavyweights. Glib.
bons was on the edge of his chair,
When the gong sounded for 4 round,
all his muscles frightened and his
fists clenched. He blocked with his
elbows, his shoulders moved like one
with a serious nervous trouble. lie
ducked his head and swayod il
around on his shoulders and his feet
were constantly shifting. lie almost
hreathcd laboriously with the men
III the ring when they began to tire.
His demeanor, represented ambi-
ton, hope enthusiasm and all their
'elatives.
Back of them, through the haze of
darkness and smoke bcamed the
golden smile of Jack Johnson. He
was perfectly at ease. His bulk
was so squeezed in between custom
ers that he eouldn't move if he
wanted to and he only smiled, rs he
always did.
Over on the other side, his head
on q stretched high neck to see Ill,
was the face of Harry Wills. He
was putting II hunk of chewing gun.
To the greatest of torture. Other
wise he was just watching.