JOHNSON KNOCKED OUT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2429, 7 April 1915, Page 6

JOHNSON KNOCKED OUT

BLACK HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION BEATEN BY JESS WILLARD

TWENTY-SIX TERRIFIC

ROUNDS

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Vancouver, April 5. Jess Willard knocked out Jack Johnson in the twenty-sixth round, for the heavy-weight championship of the world. DETAILS OF THE FICHT. WITNESSED BY 15,000 SPECTATORS. Havana, April 5. There was' a crowd of 15,000' to see the fight. Tho d;\y broke dull, but the sun was shining brightly when the fight commenced. Both fighters received prolonged applause on entering tho ring. Tho fight was postponed for half an hour owing to the management forgetting to have a gonp;. Rou.id 1. —Johnson feinted and landed a left on Willard's jaw, and gavo repeated upper-cuts with right on Willard's jaw. Willard drovo two lefts to the negro's body, and Johnson drove a right to Willard's body. Round 2.—.Johnson neatly blocked Willard's leads, (.coring with right and left to the jaw, and then hooked a left to the stomach. AVillard laughed. Johnson drove Willard to the ropes with a tattoo of lefts to' the face.

Round 3.—Johnson rushed, and scored a left' to the body and a right to the jaw. Willard's ,ip was bleeding. Willard scored 'a left to Johnson's nose.

Round 4. —Tho negro smashed hard on Willard's ribs aud drove three hard blows to the stomach. The champion rushed Willard to the ropes, scoring on head and body. Willard was badly distressed and rattled; ho looked like an amateur.

Round 6.—The negro beat Willard to *ho ropej with a fusillade of lefts, and rubbed Willard's cut lip at every op-_ portunity. He landed three blows on" Willard's nnprotected body. At tho boll Johnson was hammering hard at tho body. Willard's left cheek was cut.

A Glean Fight so Far. Round 7. —Johnson was -using every artifice to force the fighting. He rushed Willard to the ropes, plugging with both hands repeatedly. Willard's long left temporarily blinded the negro's left eye. Johnson camc back with a series of swings to the body. It was a clean fight so far. Round 8. —Willard, gaining confidence, tried forcing the pace, and Johnson accepted the challenge. Both battered each othor across the ring, neither getting the better. Willajd landed on Johnson's mouth, and Johnson uppercut Willard over tho heart. Willard bounced from the ropes, and landed his left on tho ja.v, and the round ended as 'the negro swung some blows to Willard's head. Round 9.—Willard assumed the agand though the champion landed hits frequently his blows appeared to lack their old-time force. Johnson then started to rally, driving three hard blows to the stomach; but a left started the negro's mouth bleeding. Later he drove the white man to the ropes. Round 10. —Johnson was slow in coming from his corner, and Willard scored two with the left to the face. The'negro swung his left to Willard's ribs, and half a dozen blows to the body and jaw, including a hard right, which staggered Willard.

Round 11. —The crowd derided Johnson( who, while fighting, answered the sallies at the same time. Willard! drove his left to Johnson's mouth, and took a right hook on the body in return. Johnson tried to annoy Willard by talking loudly. Round 12 consisted chiefly of clinches, in which Johnson drove heavy smashes to his opponent's body, with-apparently little result. Willard's ear and cheek were bleeding. Round 13.—Johnson played continuously on Willard's stomach, but Willard drove Johnson to a corner, and landed repeatedly on his face! Negro Begins to Fall. Round 14. —Johnson was beginning to miss his leads, but made good exchanges. Willard was laughing at Johnson's efforts. Round 15.—Johnson rushed Willard to the ropes with heavy bedy blows. Round 16. —Johnson again scored, beating Willard to the ropes. Round 17.—Willard led, getting home heavily on Johnson's body. Round 18. —Hie negro smashed his opponent heavily on the jaw and head. Round 19. —Both showing the effects of the fighting, making slower rallies and light interchanges. Round 20.—Tho crowd frantically cheered Willard when he landed several blows to the body, obviously distressing Johnson. Rounds 22, 23, and 24. —These round's into a slow punching fight, wherein littlo apparent effect was achieved. Round 25. —Both men were going well, but were weak in tho clinches. Slaniß with right and loft by Willard effectively stopped Johnson's aggressiveness.

Finally, AVillard, in tho twenty-sixth round, smashed Johnson a terrific right swing on tho jaw and knocked the negro out.

• Tho crowd rushed the ring, threatening Johnson. , Soldiers were needed to clear the mob and protect the fighters.

[Willard, t-lie white "hope" who has materialised, was born in Pattowatomio County, Kansas, ' in December, 1887. His height is 6ft. Tin. According to tho "Boxing World" the fight as originally arranged was to have been one of fortyr-five rounds, or practically a "bout to a finish." This, it was considered, was in Willard's favour if the champion was -unable to score a knockout inside twenty or twenty-five rounds, for no matter how fit Johnson might have been he is thirty-seven, and a strong young fellow like Willard must always stand a chance. "It will he a test of physical endurance. If it were one of generalship Johnson could he written down a winner now." Willard has several victories to his credit —seven in 1911, seven in 1912, eight in 1913; and six in 1914. Ho lost to Gunboat Smith in 1913.]

Johnson, who fell sadly from grace by his vicious habits of life after he came into the limelight, has held tho title since 1908, when he defeated Tommy Burns in Sydney. The negro's principal contests, judged by the magnitude of tho gate receipts, were his victories over Stanley Ketchel at San Francisco in 1909, Tommy Burns in Sydney, 1908, and the historic fight with Jeffries at Reno in 1910. Previous holders of tho heavy-weight title were:— ' John L. Sullivan 1890 —1892 James J. Corbett 1892 —1897 Robert Fitzsiinmons ... 1897—1899 James J. Jeffries 1899-1906 Tommy Burns 190G —1908 Jack Johnson 1908 —1914