|ring. Jim Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Kid McCoy, and |
|John L. Sullivan all stood together and shook hands.|
|The reception to John L. must have made the |
|white-haired old man's heart warm, for the old |
|timers in the crowd who remembered when he could |
|beat anything in the ring cheered him until they |
|were hoarse. |
| |
|In the champion's corner were Tom Jones, Walter |
|Monahan, and Jack Hemple. In Moran's corner were |
|Willie Lewis, Bill McKinnon, and Frank Kendall. |
|Willard's weight was a big surprise. When he |
|stripped off his green bathrobe the champion weighed|
|259 pounds, which was ten pounds more than his |
|handlers said he weighed and twenty pounds more than|
|when he defeated Johnson in Cuba. It was just 9:55 |
|when "Old Eagle Eye" Charley White called the men to|
|the center of the ring and said, "Be good, boys, and|
|break when I tell you." ... |
| |
| =THE FIGHT BY ROUNDS= |
| |
| =First Round= |
| |
|The men met in the center of the ring. Willard |
|blocked Moran's left to the head and they clinched. |
|Willard missed a right and left that slid off |
|Moran's shoulder. Willard landed lightly with the |
|left to Moran's face and followed with two more. A |
|left jab was all that Willard used in the first few |
|moments. Then Moran landed a left to Willard's |
|chest, and rushing in close tried to get to his jaw |
|with two blows, but failed. Moran was wary and |
|covered up as he came in on Willard. He also missed |
|a left swing that was wild by several inches. |
|Willard sent a left to Moran's head that jarred the |
|challenger, and he tried to come back with blows to |
|Willard's head, but failed. Moran could not reach |
|the jaw of the champion. Willard missed a right |
|lead, Moran stepping in close and evading the blow. |
|One blow that Willard landed clean, a left to the |
|head, made Moran wary. Moran coul