HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 140, 13 June 1919, Page 5

HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

WILLABD IN GOOD FORM. BOTH MEN TRAINING HARD. (Received 8.30 a.m.) TOLEDO (Ohio), June 12. Both Jess Willard and Jack Dcmpsey are occupying training quarters here, undergoing intensive training work. \\ illard, who arrived from the Pacific Coast, where he received a preliminary month's training, is said by experts to be in splendid condition. Dempscy's weight is now said to be 13st 31b. lie boxes daily with Bill Tate, who closely approximates \\ illard's height, weight, and form. It is estimated that the promoter, Tex Uickard, has already sold 400,000d0l worth of tickets for the championship fight. He expects the total to reach 700,000d0l before July 4.—(A. and N.Z.)

Tho cable to the effect that Jess Willard, world's champion heavyweight, had agreed to meet Jack Dempsey in a 12-round bout is interesting reading, wrote R. L. ("Snowy") Baker in the Sydney "Evening News'' recently. The generally recognised and accepted rule in all parts, of the world where box- | ing contests are held is that 20 rounds is the championship distance, so this match will not have the title at stake. The cable further tells us that Willard is to receive 4*20,000, and Dempsey U.'i.OUO respectively for their efforts in this proposed battle. 1 fail to see where the money will come from. I During my recent visit to America I saw botli Willard and Dempsey. The latter I saw in glove action, and think him a line lighter, just the type that we like in Australia. In fact, he reminds one of our late champion Les Darcy. and is built on the • same lines, though much taller. I Tn the ring he stands well up to his work, is a clean puncher, and can take' j a punch and come back smiling. „ I don't doubt that the 12-round con- : test between Willard and Dempsey now I arranged for decision on American Indc--1 pendence Day. July 4. at Toledo, Ohio, ' has been planned at the express wish of I the present champion. ) ' He knows from experience what travelling the Marathon ring journey means to a boxer, who has taken on much surplus weight, and who has been away from active ring battles; because that is precisely the condition Jack Johnson was in when he lost tho world's championship to Jess Willard, in a temporary erected ring at the Oriental Racecourse, Havana, Cuba, on Sunday morning, April 4, 1915. -If Johnson on that morning was the fighter we saw opposed to Burns in Sydney. Willard surely would not have won. 1 If Willard when he steps into the ring I with .lack Dempsev is not stones lighter | than when I saw him last, lie will most ! likely be beaten, even though the battle i is the twelve-round limit only. Willard versus Dempsey in comparative stature is a Johnson-Burns match over again. Dempsey. of course, is taller than ' Tommy "Burns; but on the other hand, Willard is much taller and bigger in j '. every respect to Johnson.