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Show WAR PUTS JESS OUT OFLIMELIGHT Willard's Fight Career as Good as Ended Until After War. By Jack Veiock NEW YORK, Aug. 3 Jess Wlllard is as good as retired from tho ring for all time. It Is a five-to-onp shot right now that the lumbering cowboy will never again draw on the padded mittens In a championship fight, for the effect of tho war on boxing has put Jess out of the running altogether. By the time there Is public demand for another heavyweight championship champion-ship battle Wlllard will be unable to do justice to himself in trying a. comeback. come-back. He must be satisfied to go down in the fistic annals as an undefeated un-defeated and retired champion and one of the most Inactive holders of a boxing championship who ever had a towel swung in his corner. There will be a new order of things in boxing circles by the time the Kaiser throws his last fit. Many of the boxers who stand out prominently today will find an oncoming generation genera-tion of huskies ready t,o step into their shoes. This may be sdid of Willard right now, and It also goes for O'Dowd, Kllbano and' Ted Lowis. Benny Leonard's future as bolder of the lightweight championship is problematical. He is far abovo any lightweight topnotchcr or prospect of today. Should tho war end within a reasonable length of time he will no doubt continue his triumphs for some time. None of the star mlttment of today can afford to remain Inactive and expect ex-pect to keep their class. . A boxer has to havo a good stiff battle every so often to keep his level. Johnny Evers' has asked John McGraw Mc-Graw to take a team to France this fall. Evers wants the Giant manager to collect the best club available and take it across the pond In timo to play a series of games with soldier teams on the other side, which will be under the personal directions of the little Trojan himself. McGraw may accept, for there is but little doubt that ho would like-nothing better than a chance to get as close to the firing line as possible It's Mac's way. |