IN THE RING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2468, 22 May 1915, Page 14

IN THE RING

the willaro-johnson match. The promoters of the Willard-Johnson match for the heavy-weight boxing championship of the world, announced that the battlo drew into tho box office 110 000 dols., and that the attendanco was 32,000. Jack Johnson had several conferences with promoters, who wanted to buy his 50 per cent, interest in the moving pictures of the contest. The negro said lie had been offered 200,000 dole., but insisted that he would not sell. Johnson offered no excuses for his defeat. ""Willard is too big," ho declared, "for the average sized heavyweight ever to defeat." Photographers who took pictures at the ringside did a "land-office business" at Havana. Enlarged snapshots of the knock-out sold for o dols. apiece, while sidewalk venders got rid of thousands of postcard sizes for 10 cents. Tlie men most interested in the battle took little part in the general celebration of it at night. Wfllard spent the early evening sight-seeing with friends from Kansas, after which he had dinner and went early to bed. The promoters were at the race track until long after midnight, counting the gate receipts. The silver coins of all denominations taken in at the race track wero piled up in barrels, a-nd alongside of them wore stacks of bills, many old and dirty, and almost falling apart. "The blow that brought the light to a conclusion," said AVillard, "was a right-hand smash to Johnson's body, early in the last round. I felt Johnson grow limp in the nest clinch, and knew I had the championship within reach. A left to the body and a right smash to the jaw put Johnson down lor the count. Only once, ill the twentieth, did Johnson hurt me, and that was a pttncli over the heart." During the early pajrt of the battle Johnson carried all his old-time confidence and self-assertiveness. He constantly bandied words with the spectators about the ring, and talked steadily at Willard, who heeded the negro's chatter about as little as he did his blows. Willard's seconds were after Johnson all the time, warning him to keep away from Willard's terrific right. It was in tho sixteenth round that one of Willard 5 s seconds shouted: "Jack, you run into Jess's right; we will pick you up over here." "Be sure you take good care of me, said Johnson. It happened that when Johnson went down for the count it was in Willard's corner.

When a spectator called out: "Johnson, you will get yours to-day, Johnson replied: "Well, there is good money m it, isn't there?" , Jess Willard's career in tabloid, as manufactured by an American writer: — Born December 29, 1887, Pottawatomie County, Kansas. Father a ranchman and a native of Ohio. Mother a native of Kentucky. Never fought a preliminary. First fight at Sapulpa, Olka, 1911. Broke bronchos until he became too heavy. Iluns 100 yards in Usee. flat. Crack rifle and pistol shot. Never was knocked down. Never had a bloody nose. Never was groggy from a punch. Never used tobacco, liquor, or drugs in any form. Willard has 'fought thirtysix fights, of which he lias won twentynine on clean knock-outs.—.Sydney "Referee." A Sensational Victory. I Just when he had piled up points enough to make him certain of victory, barring a knock-out, Bombardier Wells catae to grief in the tenth round of his match at the London Opera House on March 29 with tho American, Frank Moron (says the London "Sportsman"). Wells had'jabbed, prodded, and crossed the man from Pittsburg almost at will. He had stabbed him and easily evaded swinging hits heavy and hara enough to have knocked off the head of tho Bombardier had thoy landed on the desired spot. Moran fought the wind for a while, almost as much 'as he fought the Bombardier, aud one wondered when he kept missing his terrific slams liow his strength and power lield out. But Moran, though obviously a bit above himself, proved a far stronger man than the champion. His stamina, indeed, was remarkable, for to the uninitiated he seemed almost spent when in the tenth round he launched out a shower of blows and forced Wells to fight his hardest. Up to this point the game had gone all one way, for though the Bombardier was not dealing out deadly blows he was boxing well within himself, and running up a score of points that seemed like laying the foundation for certain victory.

Moran looked almost a beaten man more than once, but the way he fought out and finished the battle went far to prove ho all along had something up his sleeve. Again Wells flattered only to deceive. He fought with indifferent judgment towards the close, for instead of adhering to the lines on which lie commenced he went in and mixed it, and, as others have frequently done, paid the penalty. When the two stood up for what proved to be the last round Wells, as we have said, was as regards points very many lengths ahead. For tho previous three rounds Moran had been playing possum, taking his opponent's jabs, getting close, and husbanding his strength all lie. could. Then came his unexpected effort, a shower of blows of almost every description. For a while Wells held his own in the punching. Then he gave way, and two awful shanks on the body and as many on the jaw sent the Bombardier down twice. He was then saved from further trouble by Maloney taking the ring and giving in for him. So far as Wells was concerned it was a fairly skilful bout. All the cleverness was on the side of the loser, and the way in which he smashed right-handers on the body before Moran could recover from his wild and' erratic swings was good to see. But though doing most of the leading, the blows of tlie Bombardier never caused much damage. He seemed to have nothing to do but to stand up to win, but when it came to fighting there was only one in it. It looked as though Wells should never have been cornered and forced to mix it as was die case, lliis proved to be his undoing, and showed the stout material and the dogged pluck of Moran, who, after being quite outclassed as a boxer, proved his resource and strength. in a manner that gave him quite a sensational victory. A Chance for Ellis. In reply to Frank Ellis's letter charging Jimmy Hill with refusing to give the New Zealander a battle for tho feather-weight title (says the Sydney writer, "Solar Plexus"), Mr. Ted Sullivan writes in the following strain, which will clear the way of any obstacles that it was thought existed and prevented a meeting between this really fine young feather-weigh t: — "In reference to a paragraph which appeared in last Wednesday's 'Referee,' of Frankie Ellis's complaint re Jimmy Hill not giving him a chance to win the feather-weight championship, I wish to state that when Mr. Keesing (manager of the Brisbane Stadium) asked Hill if be would box Ellis on the 15th, the champion replied that ho would not box Ellis for the title until lie put up that £100 side-wager the New Zealander's friends have so often spoken of. "I notice in the Melbourne boxing r.otos of 'The .Referee' that a gentleman named Mr. Bob Roberts, of Victoria, is anxious to back Frank Ellis against any feather-weight. "Well. I can assure Mr. Roberts that, lie will have no trouble in getting set. for any amount up to £501), provided the contest takes place in Sydney or

Brisbane, and you yourself bold tho sidestake. , "I sincerely hope and trust that Frank Ellis and the boxing public will soo cloarly from tho contents of this letter that the feather-weight champion will he only too pleased to accommodate Ellis, should that long-talked-of £100 side 'wager conio to light, and tho Stadium peoplo arrango a (late for the contest." Tho fact that suoh good sports as Messrs. Rohorts nnd Sullivan are interesting themselves in tho matter is sufficient guarantee that tho lads will bo brought togotlier. It now rests with the Stadium people to arrange the dato and place. . The match is for the championship, with every prospect of a splendid contest being witnessed. Ellis, with the exception of a few short unimportant contests, never lias been given a chance in a 20-ronnd contest at headquarters. He should ho granted that opportunity by Mr. Baker arranging for the match to he decided in this city.