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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 1919
THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION
JULY 5, 191

THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION 1919

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.