Show SA PUNCH J- J ILLARD'S PRIZE i iJ UPPERCUT RIGHT HAND 1 j J IS Lr t WHICH HE HEFE FEARS ARS TO USE ii j Learned earned the e Blow ow Early in in His is Career Career Afraid of Its is Results In InI i Was as rat o J and anu I Fight With Johnson Jess Gai Gamed Gained ed Much Knowledge o of Game Gamell in ina In ll I a Gymnasium o of Chicago I AND RISE TO CHAMPION- CHAMPION BA BATTLES TILES urn WILLARDS WILLARD'S T ARD'S ARDS D RING Kino G I I sHip c FRIES ERES The Pre Press Pres s Pubs Publishing Co 1915 b by Copyright a C Cop P ROBERT EDGREN By u Jess Willard sell his hi freighting outfit and I a irit that made Tte sa same me sP 1 Jack Johnson kept him from feeling a t and whip co- co me a fighter b UK out to become t come fists 1 found that fighting wasn wasn-t wasn t Just swinging II when he a ment ement an training that a trade Is s a a. trade Now low that he heIt heb L 1 Wl Willard early earl of 01 v ii 14 It t grog s pA data he stuck grimly lm to the new one There was mighty Y b ad tr traded ailed P professions nf when he received ed 75 for tor a fight he thought time 1 it t for tor a mone money Y In t. t little mil fA-mil family L And he had a well el cn ti ID fairly s doing doloS' be W ns shortly before the fight tight for tor the worlds world's chamI cham- cham 1 Do Donn n in n Havana one day dare over some ragged starved star children looking and d I were Jea 5 hI Je r I ell hip r. r r fondness for children a always wa a After a long s' s sym sym- mt m- m I I Jm 1 hA has 5 a ft wonderful fo me mo and said Im I m sorry for or those poor kids c s. s turned turne-d to t t I c look he haven't t been much better off I T Imagine he heo haven e n n n own r o Two 0 o or Ot three ree times m o oj Oklahoma days For he was rasa as broke dead broke I. I t back he to must those thole have ha been sorely tempted to give J It all up and let letson f then Some Sometimes that at title to the end of ot time son rl right ht on n go r much of or a i fuss over o his earl early record I 1 never waN was wa r 1 l Jess S doesn't make down in my life n even en In a gymnasium bout he told t N 1 glen iten t n or w knocked him mm but a l lot of m my early ti fights didn't amount I t toe when I was Voas with knockouts and i didn't know a thing them to an I won that he knocked out Ed Burke In three rounds book shows s 's I Th The record AI landero In four rounds Bill Shiller In four rounds Ie fin Fink k In three his first ot of Cavanaugh Ca In eleven rounds aU all In year fighting I and Joe d down own In Oklahoma r I net fights were ere well satisfied with the way I tou fought when fought hen ht when I began to toa antto very to M ant wasn't 1 I If It Id I'd know to d Jes Jess and I 1 often wondered wonders ever enough l lum urn am ama a little says a know lot tat about then that fist a fellow had to a boxing I could see ace Johnson champion and It seemed to me that Johnson was a regular to to become ome e. e a among S filters while I was down in the A ABC B C class But professor that there must lust be some more I could whip so I might J 1 a a s thought b au right along trying to learn and Improve e myself by fighting u well 11 keep pined Pined UP Chance to Fight Tony Ross Ron off otC few second rate heavies Manager Brock m When n Jess had polished a r 1 hated to match him with Tony Ross and some of the others re regarded then and with clear under- under nr the white hopes Jess quite modest a 3 as l girding among of ot his own fallings tailings knew that he couldn't box well enough h yet et to S tad his o 7 with them In spite Pile of oC his is size and strength He told Brock I Stole t to be In too much of ot a hurr hurry He didn't want to tr try to reach the top too toot t- t There would be plenty of time to fight the clever ones later on I And tad to so Manager Brock called him H yellow 0 I wasn't ellow yellow declared Jes Jess I I Just Jus knew how green reen I was 1 r But about this time he finished his connection with Brock He was matched for lor a fight tight in Oklahoma City It was a n. private ate match made b by byE E rock Th The sheriff obligingly lr told Jess that hed he'd l lx he E arrested If It he hc took part la 13 it and Jets Jess told his manager that as far as 85 he was concerned it was all ott Gf The manager however howe begged Jess Jes to wait walt a little and then told him It to had bid fixed everything e up with the authorities and that it would be all bt The match went on and in spite of his managers manager's assurances Jess ns eu arrested The manager and the other fighter got out of trouble somei some- some ib hil but Jess was fined 10 As Je Jess 1 had hall received cd only 7 75 for tor fighting he su IU surely l up against It II Nobody offered to help him out He decided that that i tte game fame as played in Oklahoma City was too loo complicated for tor him So he her r teat hI hU his family back to the farm and went to Chicago f The only fighting In Chicago then was done in private Chicago boxers at home and went to other states slates to show In the ring as a rule F The chief re resort ort for fighters lighters was O'Connell's OConnell s 's gymnasium Jess w went nt straight lO lo 0 Connell s. s There he found a large huge bunch of professional glove wielders Iel t fa training I The They were a n. tough bunch He never ne knew there were so BO ma many y cars ears In the world Everybody E had a cauliflower ear ear or or a couple ti cf t Ih Item and and m-and and a bent nose and a few tew other ring reminders Each scrapper e r tak ock pride e in his decorations In the gymnasium the they tou fought ht as hard as v It r they did In the ring There was more battling at OCon O'Connell's ells ell's I In n an nn afternoon than In man many a championship bout Jw ins Afraid to Use His Hi Uppercut Mike Cantwell a hope was ns among those present when Willard made mader r ta first Jut appearance Mike was a big fellow He thought hed he'd get a little 1111 a CoIe credit dit by whipping hipping the big farmer from Kansas ansas in the gymnasium So he T to try Jess JeS out f f Here I Is where Mike drew a surprise Jess b by that time I had d developed o or a straight h left t that was a pippin With that h straight r left he slashed and ut f ah JP Ul SJ ef ai Mike I until Mike e had about enough g for one day Mike volunteered Ito r come back tomorrow alleging I I that t he wasn't feeling ng exactly l fit and d es that hed he'd show Jess something I next time But he never r came camo back Jac Willard fought around the gymnasium I with I h s some me other big fellows for tor fora a t while hilt and then had a private match with h. ft John h n Young whom TI he knocked out In six rounds round and on a later laler occasion in five fl fleT T This Thin John 0 m Young I oun was the sam Im same unfortunate known as Bull Y Young un r in I n Los Angeles who died after a aI bout with Willard in that city in 1913 I It was while In Chicago that Willard III d d developed e I e op his famous rl right hl uppercut upper- upper cut a blow as effectively red as Johnsons Johnson's J and one of the hardest punches lunches er e used by lighter nd any fighter Jess himself e Is s very careful about using that uppercut After the knocking out of Johnson 0 h In n Havana he told me that he hesitated for a moment about abou whether to finish the black champion with an uppercut or a straight right and decided upon the straight punch a Johnson 8 was 18 very fry weak and and Willard ar feared eared the uppercut would nur hh tear ear head nead off And h you OU know said Mid J Jess seriously rl I m might I tear a fellows fellow's head off ott with lh that uppercut n. n if I was as as much much excited I uP uppercut P Pt a a. fellow tellow In a Chicago bout kt bout and threw his head back ck so eo hard hard it t tore his 1 It throat just as If it It had hadi n I h hed a d with t a razor Since c that 1 Ive I've bore to been een care careful ul about using it r i Jess won three or tour four Ur small tl U Em fights In Indiana and through the middle Western states and 9 then under nCI the manse g m nt of ot Went ent Cutler t the wrestler to New ew York lork Here Her Cutler tried wouldn't t to give e Je Jess egg to toKI Tom om but stand for tor the transfer because c l- l Insisted to per cent ot of KI his earnings Jess waited icu upon getting around un broke sore sire Bore neatly nearl disgusted sorry gusted with being a n white while ho hope p e at all 11 until he he fell in its In law with Bill Billy x Heckler Ho of Bill Billy Gibson How his ls f for fortunes unes fn Madison 0 Square Garden and achieved changed and he fought i 11 1110 W will be e told In the next chapter of oC this m much tale fame a and d a record purse ot of |