THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1919

Corbett Declares Dempsey the Greatest Heavyweight Since Jeffries Was in His Prime

(By James J. Corbett, Written ex- pressly for Universal Service.) _ Arena, Bayview Park, Toledo, Ohio, July 4. - Jack Dempsey, the greatest heavyweight fighter since Jim Jef- fries was in his prime, is the world's champion today - and for the good of the game, I am glad. _ From the time that Willard stepped in the ring shortly after 4 o'clock this afternoon there never was any debate in my mind as to the outcome. There can be no debate when a man 38 years old, flabby, untrained, soft, and with- out any of the great fighting instincts, meets a husky youth, just 24 years old, trained to the minute, and a na- tural fighter, every inch of him. _ I said Willard has none of the fighting instincts. He has just one, and that is gameness. He took this afternoon more punishment than has been meted out to any heavyweight fighter in my days, and all the terif- fic pummeling and bombardment came within three rounds. Just nine minutes of fighting. _ The blows came so fast in the first round that it is almost impossible to tell which most responsibility for the champions downfall. As they squared off, Dempsey clearly was nervous, and it was a full minute before he estab- lished his bearings. Once he had start- ed, however, there was no lull. He played no favorites as far as punches go. There were right hooks, left hooks, full round swings, terrific jabs to the stomach, uppercuts, every blow known to pugilism. _ _ Pecord Had Counted Seven. _ Willard fell when the first full blow a right hook, caught him fairly on the jaw. He picked himself up, plain- ly in distress, and Dempsey was on top of him, tearing at him like a wild- cat. Willard dropped again, and fell against the ropes. He managed to get on his feet and just one more blow and again he dropped, this time tak- ing the count of four. _ Willard managed to work himself to the other end of the ring, and there was greeted with the hardest blow of the fight, a powerful hook on the jaw. He fell, and Pecord had counted seven when the gong rang, and saved him. His seconds worked over him while he lay helpless on the floor and he suc- ceeded in getting back to his corner just as the gong sounded for the sec- ond round. _ The second round was noted chiefly for the fact that Willard managed to stay through it. This was due to on- ly one fact. Dempsey had tired him- self out in the first round. Willard showed slight recuperative pow- ers, but it was only a flash. What lit- tle ability and strength he displayed in the second session was due not so much to himself, as to Dempsey's leg and arm weariness after the great pace he had set, and also to a natural caution against any chance blow which might rob him of the victory which was so clearly his if he bided his time. _ Willard's right eye was closed, his face was smeared with blood, and he was little more than a human punch- ing bag, and not much of one at that, when the second round came to an end. _ _ Willard Not a Fighter _ The third round was a repetition of the second, with Willard getting more helpless with each punch. Dempsey, although plainly tired, kept coming in, and the champion was utterly power- less to stop him. He reeled from one end of the ring to the other, unable to get out of the way of any swing, and helpless in close fighting. By the way, Dempsey cut loose with a num- ber of beautiful right uppercuts. Fu- ture aspirants for the title may as well know right now that when they beat Dempsey, they will have to lick a man who has more than one good punch. _ Willard could not find his corner at the end of the third. His seconds led the groping champion to his seat and he crumpled up in his chair. As the gong sounded for the fourth round, Willard announced he was through, following which his seconds tossed in the towel in a token of surrender. _ Summing it all up, Willard was too old, too flabby, too soft, both physi- cally and in mental attitude. He was a champion, but he was not a fighter. Dempsey, on the other hand, is the ideal age, the ideal weight, the ideal type. _ He may be a bit deficient in defense, but put this down as a cold, hard fact. He gave a man fifty pounds heavier the most terrific beating ever handed a heavyweight champion, and there is no fighter in the limelight today who would stand a chance against him. _ In other words, Jack Dempsey is a real champion. My hat's off to Jack, the great scrapper who measures up with the world's champions of other days.

THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION JULY 5, 191

DEMPSET WINS JACK DEMPSEY NEW KING WILLARD A PITIABLE SIGHT WILLARD'S STYLE OF LOSING

Corbett Declares Dempsey the Greatest
Heavyweight Since Jeffries Was in His Prime
THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, JULY 5, 1919
Historic boxing newspapers and articles.