San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-11
Taking Dempsey's Challeng-
ers One at a Time,
Willard Tops Them.
WORKING UP A DEFENSE
Behemoth Will Not Be
Caught Defenseless as
He Was at Toledo.
BY SPARROW MGANN.

Copyright, 1928. by the San Antonio Light
New York. Feb. 1O.-Jess Willard
celebrated his being matched with
Floyd Johnson this week by indulging
in daily workouts with eight-ounce
gloves against such heavywcights as
happened to be lettering about the
Madison Suuarc Garden gymnasium
The writer has watched the big cow
boy carefully upon every appearance
and feels free TO say that such weight
for age as Jess carries does not seem
to affect his footwork.
Whether he retains much real ability
as a fighter may. of course. be deter
mined only when he steps into the ring
against real opponent. To date, nc
has made no effort to mess up ms
Sparring partners. content evidently TO
defend himself from the spirited on
slaughts OF his opponents. There is
probably a deep method in this. For
upon that historic occasion in Toledo
jess had no defense at all. He pre-
pared for the battle with no idea that
anything so negative as defense would
be necessary. whereas Dempsey, quickly
convinced him that it was the one
thing he needed most.
Not In Shape Now.
II is clear that jess is not now in
condition, or anywhere near 1t. At
the same time his appearance does not
lead TO the belief that training Of the
proper sort would fail to put him IN
fighting trim.
When YOU consider Jess and then
look over the other contendcrs you be-
gin to realize why Tex Richard has
been 50 insiStent upon bringing Demp-
scy and him together. OF all the rest
Tommy Gibbons stands ont as the best
Of the lot in point Of actual perform
ance, but. try rs one may, the impress
sion he created in his miserable ex-
hibtions against BARLEY Madden and
Harry Grcb persists.
It is generally agreed by critics that
Gibbons could have beaten Harry
Greb had he been willing 10 come to
the Pittsburg windmill, but he didn't
do this. And if he hesitatcd about
mingling with the comparatively light
hitting Greb. what reason have We to
believe he would be any more warlike
against the destructive Dempsey?
We will know moro about Floyd
Johnson after the Willard battle. but
at the present time his record is not
really impressive. Then Luis Firpo.
There has been n lot of talk about the
size and strength of this Latin gent,
but we have to take a lot for granted,
His record gets him nothing. Sailor
Maxtcd. Joe Mccain. Jack Herman
and Jim Tracy comprise his list of
victims. Apple sauce. that's all.
Maybe MCAuliffe Is Good.
As for this Jack McAuliffC they are
tOuting 50 heavily in the middlc-wCSt,
We will learn whether he is a darb or
bloOmer when he meets Tommy Glib
bons at the Garden, March 10.
When you come to Harry Wills you
may well ask who has he beaten"
No one who amounts to anything at
all. So after all. affairs in the heavy
weight class boil down to Willard, old
though he be.
Announcement by Joe Beckett in
London that he had signed to meet
Dempsey in New York may be chnrac-
tcriZed as among those things unim-
portant if true. There are as many ifs
in the proposed arrangement as in a
golfers alibi.
Beckett must lick Dick Smith and
Carpenter, Dempsey must sign. some
body has to put up real dough and tine
New York state boxing authorities
must change their collective minds.