San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-27

jess had "a wild look in his eye"
and that he was afraid of him. They
always tried TO keep Jess in good
humor. because they didn't know what
he'd do if he got mad"
The Dempsey fight didn't show that
Willard was all in as a fighter. Demp-
sey is terrific hitter. When he wants
TO, he usually wins in a round. His
plan in fighting Willard was TO shoot
the works in the first round, and, il
he couldn't drop Willard then, to
stand off and box few rounds be.
fore trying again.
He caught Willard with the first
two well-plannei punches, one d
smashing right under the heart and
the other a left hook on the side of
the head. Either might have knocked
out any other man Dempsey ever
fought, for he put all his hopes OF
winning the championship into those
punches. and they landed perfectly.
Willard never remembered what
happened aeterward, but his strength
was shown by the way he got up
after each of seven knockdowns and
tried TO force the fighting although
all speed and judgment had been ham,
mered out of him. In the second round
he shook Dempsey badly with slow,
clumsy uppercut.
Dempsey slid afterward he was glad
Willard didn't land that punch before
he was half Knocked out!
johnson No Punch.
johnson is a strong fellow and a
good punchcr, but he has no punch 10
compare with Dempsey's. 1t isn't like
ly that he can hit Willard anywhere
hard enough TO drop him, il Willard
is in any kind of condition.
If Willard tires rapidly Floyd
johnson will have a chance. When he
fought Jack johnson at Havana, Will
lard could have fought all day with
cut firing. Everything depends upon
how much of his old stamina will be
brought bac,s by two months of steady
training. If he shows well in the
last week of work he'll enter the ring
Il heavy favorite. The public. is al
ready beginning TO think pretty we'll
of his chances.
johnson has been transforming
around, meeting secord-raters. and
hasn't made n brilliant showing. Per-
haps he is cautious, having the big
fight in prospect. Perhaps be is stall
ing a bit 10 make Willard careless.
But you don't hear that Willard is
spending his afternoons loafing in
hotel Hobbies, rs he did day after
day in Toledo when he thought Demp-
sey would be an easy mark. y few
dcys before the Toledo fight Willard
said to me in the Secor loby:
Il never saw. Dempsey fight. but
l don't need 10. He Knocks these fell
lows out in round or two. he has
only one style of fighting. He must
rush in to finish it in hurry. He
won't be afraid of me. He'll rush at
me and I'll uppercut him. If i see
Tom Jones or Dick Curley sitting
at the ringside I'll knock Dempsey
over the ropes into their laps. They
say Dempsey is a nice kid, and /
hate to do it. but I've been bounded
into this match and I'm going to make
it Short
Was Too Over Confident.
Willard never dreamed that his bulk
wasn't invinciblc. or that DEMPSEY
Lad chance in the world TO drop
him. He'd never been knocked down.
He didn't think he could be. He
thought of Dempsey. tolerantly.. as q
little fellow" Other little fellows
-Boer Rodel, Gunboat Smith, Frank
Moran, Soldier kearns, Luther Nc
Carthy-had walloped him on the chin
without shaking him. He even held
his chin out for Moran, merely pull
ing his head away with the punch as
it landed, and thought it was a jike.
Willard knows now that he can be
dropped by punch. like anyone else,
if the punch is hard enough. So he $
probably planning 10 fight johnson
with the idea that if he doesn't drop
johnson, johnson may drop him. No
foolish over-confidence. The only time
| ever saw Willard entirely serious in
the ring was at Havana, and there he
made a great fight. Usually he likvs
to play the clown, smile at the crowd,
look for applause Cor his clcverness,
stall. push the other fellow around.
waste time. He'll cut all that out with
johnson. And it may make him dan.
gerous.
A Fighter and His Company.
Mr.. Muldoon occasionally has a
good idea. One of these is the no
ton of making both Willard and
Johnson train publicly in New York
during the last three weeks before the
event. 1t ought to give people a bet
ter line on both fighters than anyone
could have through reports of con-
ditions, often exaggerated to boost
the show. If Willard hasn't come back
the last week of his workout will show
K.
If Willard really feels confident
he'll get the toughest and best heavy
weights he can hire TO wind up his
training. Dempsey always gets the
best sluggers he can get into his camp
and he never cares how hard they try
to put one over. You can tell n fight
or by the company he keeps in train
ing camp.
Fighting is the best training for A
fight. Willard needs it. more than any
one else, because he has had very lit.
tie ring experience in the past eight
years. which is long time.
Willard ought TO have Sam Lang
ford for a trial horse. II he can
handle Sam. old and fat as Sam is. he
ought to give Floyd johnson lot of
trouble.
Copyright, 1923. BY The Bell Syn
dictate. Inc.)