Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-02-12
Dempsey Will Not
Fight With Wills
Only Possible Opponent
VIII Not Prove
r-.,l Worth

NEW slOl rs
the tangled muadie into winch
the heavyweight division was tos-
sod by all the recent activities'
only one thing seems certain
Harry Wills viii not get a chance
nj the heavyweight title.
Wills may be the outstanding
figure among all the challenger
for Jack Dempsey's crown, ne
NAV be the logical opponent for
the champion and all that, but
he will never get into the ring
with Dempsey, because there Is
no place in which the ring can
be pitched. 80,
FeeIers were sent out to seven
states by parties interested IN
the proposed bout when it was
bainq aeitated in the middle OF
tbe summer. The feelers came
back cold. Seven governors said'
under no circumstances"
All of them gave the same
grounds that it was not a good
thing FOR boxing and not a good
thing for the public. It's after
effects would be too dangerous.
Promoters generally agreed
that il was 4 risk" to attempt
to stage the bout. Conscience and
scrup.es are not necessarily a
nurt Of every promoters, makeup.
Some of them would do anything
and take a chance for the money
that woulG, be in it. Others are
rot that way.
One very prominent promoter
had the following to say about II:
"Attempts Were made to hnd
place for Dempsey and wills
TO get together. Attempts should
have been made to show wis
That he was not being discrimi-
mated against by the promoters
Official sentiment found TO be SO
Overwhelmingly against the match
that plans were abandoned
"No one will say officially that
tho bout cannot be staged but II
never will be put on. For instance
co. Smith will not have to take
the political chances Of refusing
to grant permission for the bout
i, Nov, York. for the simple rea-
son that he has not been asked
and will not be asked for per
nit The word has been passed
ont to all interested to lay on
and instructions of that kind are
always obeyed.'
The difficulty in promoting a
heavyweight championship bout
between two white men is ire
mendous and with the color ques-
ton injected, it IS Impossible.
Gov. Miller refused to permit the
Dempsey-Carpentier fight IN New
York although Tex Rickards Oh
fered to turn over part of the re-
ceipts to a fund for disabled sol
diers. The governor took the
stand that it was prize night
and that he did not think it could
he classed as a boxing exhibit
ton within the meaning OF the
I law.
. Wills knows how futile it would
be for him to demand the bout
and 50 does his manager, Paddy
Mullins. That is one Of the rea-
sons why they have been taking
"back seat" when all the other
contenders were storming the
promoters and doing all kinds OF
loud talking. He is being proper
IL advised and he is Intelligent
enough and man enough to Know
that the breaks are against him
and that they will not break.
Without full knowledge of the
facts. a part of the public Will
ALWAYS think that Jack Dempsey
WIS afraid of Wills and that he
ran away from him, The fact of
the matter is that Dempsey has
always wanted to meet wits,
not only because he felt sure his
title would not be endangered,
but for the reason that wills
would be almost as big a draw
ing card as Carpenter was. III
these days they figure their abb
lity to get them into the arena
more than their power to sock.