Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-01
BY TEX RICHARD.


thing to say of the Willard-Moran
tight in New York. This was in
II Madison Square Garden, and 1t
went 10 rounds without a decision.
! knew that some of the fans wanted
to see Moran fight Willard and so, al
though the law in New York at that
time did not permit a finish fight or a
decision by . referee, I staged the
battle.
There is no doubt willard had all
the better Of the fight. Moran was
game and willing, but he was too small
and inexperienced to get an even break
with a giant like Jess.
What forgot to say and what want
to say, Is this: There never was gamer
man in the world than Frank Moran.
Gameuess Is not the most common
quality: I should like to emphasize
credit where credit Is due. -
While . lot Of fans that night criti-
cized Franks judgment, they were open
in the praise for his courage. At the
sound of the gong Frank waded right
in. He didn't even try to feint out the
champion to see how the land lay.
He simply walked In and let go his old
Mary Ann, as he called his famous
punch. Moran had way Of telegraph
ing his blows so an adversary, could
see what was coming. Willard had no
trouble In keeping him on. But nobody
could keep Moran from trying.
willard showed Courage.
In one round Willard, trying for the
famous uppercut that won him most Of
his battles. landed on the point Of
Moran,s elbow. The collision broke
the knuckle of his index finger. He
had to fight the rest Of the way with
one good hand. Even so, he won with
comparative ease.
Always there has been q tendency to
say willard wasn't game. That Is un-
Just, unfair and untrue. Any man who
can fight through with broken hand
and win must have courage. ITthink,
Willard unusually courageous from the
fact that he. got to be champion With-i
out having any particular liking for the
boxing game. He never wanted to hurt
anybody.
After that fight Moran told me:
81 realized that my chance was to
rush Willard and give him a knock
out. knew could take punishment,
and that, figured, would help me out.
wish the fight had gone longer. I feel
sure my powers Of resistance finally
would have overcome the champions
superior reach"
That statement Is another evidence
Of Moran's ganeneSs, his confidence In
himself. Very few agreed With his
that another meeting between them was
out of the question.
But for the big war the chances are
would have completed the eStabliSh-
ment Of the largest cattle ranch in the
worldly far the largest-and would
never have got into the fighting game
as q real business. My first efforts at
promotion, as have related, were to me
more like game or a sport than
means Of making money. ! wanted to
put q big Tight over Just as q man wants
to make his pet Thoroughbred win some
great stake race. ~
War Ended Ranching.
Some time after the Jeffries- johnson
fight went to South America as the
representative OF European capitalists
to buy up an immense tract of land for
a cattle ranch, the like Of which the
world had never SEEN Belgian, French,
English and other capital was inter-
ested.
actually did buy or take option on
100000 acres of land in the Grand
Chaco Of Paraguay. I lived there sew
eral years. had bought $4,000 head
of cattle and had the great project in
a working way when the war broke
out. That, of course, ended 1t. Many Of
the. capitalists, starting In as friendly
co-inyestors, had been made enemies
by the war. 49,
Those 100000 acres, incidentally,
would have cost approximately 81 an
acre. The opportunity Is still there If
somebody wants to take It up. There
is no doubt In my mind that 1t would
pay. The world always will need beef.
South America right now is the best
field I know of for constructive effort
in industry. incidentally, there is a
big interest in boxing there and as the
world now knows South America can
develop men with q punch.
In my next installnnent I-shali try to
answer question which many have
asked me often: who goes to fights?"
Probably few of my readers can guess
just who the greatest fight fans are.
Copyright, 1929, by North American News.
paper Aliiance)
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