BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1919, Page 7

BOXING.

WILLARD KNOCKED DOWN. SIX TIMES IN FIRST ROUND. Harry B. Smith, sporting editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, describes the recent deplorably one-sided contest for the heavyweight championship of the world: "Ringside, Toledo (Ohio), July 4.—Jack Dempsey brought the world's championship back to the West this afternoon. Be heat Jess Wlllard, and he beat him right. Six knockdowns in the first round almost closed the deal for Wlllard, and even now Jack Kenrns is declaring tho champion was counted out. But the timekeeper declared the round had closed and that the goug had saved Wlllard for the time being. Dempsey, out of his corner and on his way up the aisle to the dressing-rooms, was called back. "Then, the Utah lad finished the job in masterly style. Ho was not too anxious, neither was he too careful. Working under Instructions, Dempsey evidently took his time, but just the samo landed telling lefts and vicious rights. Jess Wlllard was a sight to behold The gempsey lefts in that first round started his right eye, and by the second it was closed tighter than a drum. "In the third, big Jes3 took more punishment thun even in the first round, and as the whistle, Toledo's antiquated substitute for the gong, signalled the men to the centre of the ring, Jess, his own boss always, waved to his seconds that he had quite enough. "Two towels went hurtling into the ring, one from each side of the champion's chair Tho crowa shouted the news to Referee Olio Penord before the official bad caught the move and the battle by this time—no match but a one-sided punching, was brought to a close. "Kearns, for the second time this hot afternoon, embraced Dempsey and kissed him in the excess of his joy. "Others from the training camp, led by Jimmy De Forest, grabbed the new champion and fairly carried him to his training quarters. "Another champion had been crowned, and the crowd that was almost baked from the heat of Toledo's hottest day was more than satisfied.

"Jess Wlllard quit this afternoon, if ever a fighter quit. They said much the same thing of Jim Jeffries when ho wos slaughtered by Jack Johnson, nine years ago. If it was true then, it was doubly true tills afternoon.

"Wlllard quit once before to a chap named Joe Cox. His bulk didn't save him this afternoon, and once the tide of the battle had turned against him he quit once more. "Technically, Jack Dempsey is credited with knocking out Jess Wlllard In the third round. The two never faced each other for the fourth, and there was no fourth.

CROWD AND DATE BIGGEST EVER. "All that was spectacular in to-day's contest, the biggest by far from a financial and crowd' Standpoint the fight game has ever witnessed, was encompassed in that first round. After the first there was no doubt as to the outcome. Wlllard had even shot his bolt, for the biggest champion In the history of the game had no bolt to shoot. He was through just the same, and by that time it was just a cose of when the finish would come, whether by a clean-out knockout or by calling a halt. "That first, however, was all the fans could desire. Starting sixty seconds after the round was opened, Dempsey scored a cloan knockdown with a hard, sweeping left to the jaw—the same lef: that San Francisco fight fanß know so well. As Wlllard, looked bewildered and hardly aware just what had happened, stood on ills feet the Western lad assaulted hi? opponent viciously, raining in lefts and rights that tumbled Wlllard for tho second

count. SEVEN KNOCKDOWNS. "After that It kept the ringside critics on the job to count the knockdowns. There were seven of them all told, the last finding the world's heavyweight champion sitting fit in tho canvas in a neutral corner, wondering what It was all about, and quite evidently wishing It was over. "Then came the m!x-up that caused practically the entire house, to say nothing of Dempsey and his seconds, to believe the fight was over; that a new champion had been crowned. In tills monster nreno the powers that be decided to use a whistle instead of a gong. Nobody, not even the Tlngslde folk, could hear the whistle. Naturally they thought Wlllard had been counted out when Referee Olle Pccord waved. So did Kearns.

"He rushed to the corner, kissed and hugged Dempsey and then started his new titleholder from the ring. The fans added their cheers, and even Sandy Griswold, 70-year-old fight critics of Omata, In the seat next to me. started for the exit, satisfied the story was told. And then the man who has refereed 400 battles, but never one of any consequence gave out the word the round was ended. "Dempsey was half way up the aisle on his way out, and was called back to finish the job. He did so, and thoroughly, at lhat. One round might have left the lingering impression that Jl. was an accident. In the two rounds that Willard consented to remain and take more punishment, tho Salt Laker put on all the finishing touches. Not once during the fight did Willard show anything resembling championship form; there is not one excuse that can be made for him in his sorry showing. "It was demonstrated, as had been figured, that old age can't compete, against youth; that no athlete, professional or- amateur, .-mi remain inactive for four years as did .lest Willard and be able to stand up in the ring.

YOUTH WILL BE SERVED. ".lust as surely It was proved that Wlllard's training was not tho right sort; that no man can train himself and do it properly. He neoded the right sort or advice, just as he should have been' doing road work. But even so, I doubt very much whether Willard could have won, even with training conditions the best. One punch on the chin, and ho collapsed. That one punch tells tho story. The others were largely incidental. "Then there's that other element wc had not taken seriously into consideration—tho gamer ness of the man. It had been hinted before to-day, but never so thoroughly and satisfactorily proved. It was so much as to make it impossible to sec just how good .lack Dempsey really Is. Outside hnlf a dozen wavering lefthand punches, Wlllnrd did nothing at all. "He mussed .lack up not a bit, and the fans who have been paying their quarters to see the challenger have had more of a real run for their money than they secured this afternoon. There was nothing flashy to that first round, Dempsey was wary and apparently none too confident. Willard was unconcerned, but apparently not desirous of taking any chances. He was willing to let Dempsey bring the fight to him, and once Jack hod taken the measure of his man lie did so willingly enough. "Je33 fanned the air with a couple of lefts and landed lightly. He did nothing after the Dempsey left had found its mark. Ho dropped repeatedly as the blows to head and body landed, each time clinging to the ropes for support. "Take it from me. Willard would have been well satisfied lo have called It quits with that first. There was a half-hcark-d resistance from .less in the second: not at all as he went through the motions of holding on in the third.

NEW CHAMPION IMPRESSES. "There Is a difference between Jeffries and Willard. Jim took the knockout punch, tough as it was; Jess Willard didn't. Dempsey is bound to be a popular champion. People like him; like, ills stylo. What is more, he will defend his title where Willard did not. " 'Just tell the folks out home that Dempsey will be glad to see them," said Jack Keams; "that he will be a champion they can be proud of. He won It twice to-day. They robbed him of that knockout in the first, but he won it just the same.' "Incidentally, Billy Gibson says, to back up Kenrns, lhat it was a short, round. But all's well that ends well. The house must have been a disappointment if the promoters really figured Micro would be a million-dollar house. There wasn't half that amount, more likely 400,000 dollars.

"They simply overplayed their hand and the fans were figured they couldn't get seats simply stayed away. The lOdol. bleacher seats were not a fifth crowded. Before the fight everybody moved down into the high-priced sections

"The weather was insufferable, the thermometer showing as high as 110 degrees at the ringside. "What a wild time the Coffroth special party will have in New York. Sunshine Jim took down 3800d01., while Billy Kyne was winner TOOOdol, and everyone of the 37 members of the party bad some sort of a bet down on the winner.

"Willard says he has no alibis to offer; that the best man won, and that he offers his congratulations to Dempsey. It wasn't much of a fight to be sure, but we at least, have a champion who will be popular; a champion who will fight."

THE FIGHT BY ROUNDS. WHlard loomed up like a Oollath against his five-Inch shorter David, and opened up the engagement by pumping his long left twice Into Dempsey's face with enough force to make the latter blink. The challenger missed a swing and, slipping Into a clinch, landed three body blows with his left hand carrying but little force. Wlllard held him easily in a clinch, and partly turning him around used his rapier-like left again, once, to tile head and once to the body after the break.

Then Dempsey, as If he had got the range, opened his heavy artillery and swung a jarring left to the jaw, followed by a right and left to the body, 'i'he almost superhuman power of the punches was Immediately apparent. A partly silly, partly stupid expression overspread the champion's face, and as he rocked on his heels his whole body quivered. He pulled himself together, and as Dempsey crowded In again, shot a left to the mouth ana Tepeated to the eye. The blows did not even cause ilu youthful Nemesis io hesitate, »ud

dodging past the outatretchea left .is It snapped for the third time, he whipped over a right and left almost simultaneously, the blows landing flush on Wlllard's jaw, and for the first time In his championship career WlllaM was dropped to the floor. He was up again at the count of six only to be sent to the canvas with another right; as he rose slowly to his feet the blood began to pour from his mouth.

He turned away from his opponent, who struck him airaln twice with his right, Willard fulling on his hands and knees. When he rose Dempsey crowded him Into a corner, and with a right and left to the face sent him to the floor again. As he rose a fusillade of body blows dropped him In a comer, where he sat wljen the bell terminated the round and led Dempsey to believe that Willard had been counted out.

ROUND TWO. Dempsey startod where he left off, and Willard, with a big cut under his eye, appeared to be In a bad way. He managed to snap a left to Dempsey's face, and a puny right upporcut to the chin. Dempaey replied with several body drives and Willard fell partly through the ropes. When lie regained his feet he stumbled into a clinch, but Dempsey easily tore loose and proceeded to batter him almost at will, the champion retaliating with but thrco feeble stabs to the face during the melee. When Willard went to his corner he fell heavily into his chair and it was seen that his right eye was completely closed and that side of his face was swollen entirely out of shape; while Dempsey was unmarked. nOVND THREE. The final session was simply a series of rapid-fire swings, which fell on Wlllard's face and body with pile driver power, which left Willard completely helpless as he staggered about the ring and wobbled along the ropes utterly unable to defend hlmsef. Bloo'l gushed from his mouth with every gasp for breatk while the crowd about the ringside began »;.- yell to Referee Pecord to stop It. Just r,i> the bell rang and Willard collapsed in ;:!:■ chair, he spat out a tooth, and it was w,i that ha was In had condition. As he sat l6lu\: from side to aide his chief second, We: ■ Monahan, walked over and spoke to Peei"The referee threw up his hands and hurried :-. Dempsey's corner. He gesticulated In the uproar and finally pulled Dempsey toward the centre of the ring before the new champion realised that Wlllard's seconds had thrown up the sponge. As soon as he grasped the situation ho started for WlllaTd's corner, and the late title-holder arose and stepped weakly to meet him. They Bhook hands and Willard muttered something in reply to Dempsey's remark and the fight had passed into history.