THE WORLD’S HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4905, 26 June 1918, Page 6

THE WORLD’S HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

FULTON V. WILLARD CONTEST. SET DOWN FOR JULY 4.

CHAMPION REFUSES PURSE OF £25,000.

Even in* these days, when America is up to her very neck, so to speak, in preparing her soldiers for their, participation in- the good work of squelching- the Hun, someone has been foolish enough to offer 'that pair of duds, Willard and Fulton, a 125,000 dollars purse for their championship battle, set down for decision on July 4, .and, as Fulton prefers promoting the contest himself, it is a case of the meeting of two fools. Even in normal timei: such an offer would he unwise, even were the contestants of the first-class standard, but just now, with no available place in light whereat to bring off the contest, the offer was really a- mad one. It hardly likely that Willard will consent to Havana, where he won the title from Johnson, because instead of.winning a fortune over his victory, he was reall v in debt, hut had it been otherwise, Havana is not to be thought of in July to ,say nothing of the impossibility qt eliminating the; passport* problem, and for the same reason Mexico is also entirely out- of the question. . Nevada where the Johnson-Jettnes and the Corbett-Fitzsimmons battles were fought is likewise not available, which leaves only New Orleans where no decision contents alone are allowed to be staged, and surely the American boxing fans are not foolish enough to ,pay absurdly high prices to witness a world’s championship battle under such unfavorable conditVWillard, is no dotibt, basing the probable gate receipts, or the amount received at the ticket offices for his contest with Moran, which taking!, -amounted to £32,000. but times, etc.,, are very different. In the third place Willard and Moran were regarded as being the goods,® but Willard, fat and woefully out of condition. with many doubts concerning; pluck or stamina, and America war mad just at P^ es " put are a set of circumstances that do not point to the probability of an enormous crowd being pi’esent. However. should they meet under proper championship conditions, they .will have made one record. They will be the biggest men that eyer met id a boxing ring whether for the championship or otherwise, as the following ' physical statistics will show: — , Fulton. ft. in. ~ ft. in. Reach 83§ 83^ Height 6 6 6 5* Chest (normal) ... 45 42 Chest (expanded) 46 2 47 Neck I n JB, Calf - I? Ankle ••• ••• 14 H Biceps ••• I 6 f 8 i Weight •••' 17 4 16 1

COMPARE WITH PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS.

.Jack Johnson, , 6ft, Ijh; Weight, 16st 101 b. , Tommy Burns, sft 7m; weight, 12 Jaoif O’Brien, sft 10*in ;■ weight, Fitzsimmons. sft Him ) weight

].2st 21b.