Jess Willard vs Fred Fulton

Could go either way honestly, wasn't Fulton a bit chinny?

 

Am looking forward to reading responses in this thread. Intriguing subject, what can you guys tell me of Fulton?

 

Cheers pal.

Stopping Langford is enough reason for me to delve deeper.

 

Willard would probably have won, simply because as the champion he would have dictated the rule set.

Over a distance of saqy 15 rounds Fulton would probably have outpointed Willard quite handily if he did not get caught. Willard would have known this and would have therfore dictated the longest duration possible.

 

Fulton was a very good fighter. Underrated these days. He was one of the best HW's of the era, white or black. I think a 15 round bout could go either way, 20 or more rounds and the difference in durablity becomes a bigger factor and grants the edge to Willard.

 

That's right. Jess had the power to take Fulton out if he connected, but not the temperament to pull the trigger on a fully loaded weapon. Fred would have taken any newspaper decision, but knocking out Jess would have been the necessary challenge. Even a peaking Dempsey exerting himself frantically wasn't able to put Willard down for the count, and that first knockdown came courtesy of perhaps the most powerfully executed hook ever captured on film. At 41 years of age, Jess took everything Firpo could throw at him for several rounds, and it looked like he made a choice to take the count at the end.

It also should be considered that Willard might have taken Fulton seriously enough to whip himself into Havana like physical condition, particularly when taking into account Fulton's youth. Dempsey was able to catch Jess by surprise. Fulton would have no such advantage after what happened between them in Rochester. In addition to a solid chin, Jess had some defensive skills, as he showed when ducking and blocking Moran's lefts and rights while against the ropes. All Willard had to do to retain the title was finish on his feet, yet he took the newspaper decisions over Moran handily while considerably in less than top condition. That competition would have kept him sharp for Fulton in 1917. (After more than two years of inactivity, rust becomes more of a factor at a relatively advanced age. Even then, he would have been better prepared for Fulton than Dempsey in 1919.)

 

Willard was tall and had power and was conditioned and tough, but he didn't fight like a giant of the era should have. He was too slow and awkward. So was Fulton, but Fred was more the animal than Willard was. Unfortunately, it comes down to this: Dempsey kayoed Fulton in 15 seconds, and it took Dempsey 7 knock downs and three rounds to stop Jess Willard. Fulton may have decisioned Langford once, but Willard defeated Johnson. In the end, its apparent, that Willard was built to last. The Pottawotamie Giant would have defeated Fulton, Morris, and other giants of the era. The lone exception, would have been Luther McCarthy, who was the superior boxer/tactician.

 

Except that Jess had already squared off with McCarty in a match the NY Times called in favor of Willard.

 

Then why is it that McCarthy ended up being the 'White Heavyweight' champion instead of Willard? McCarthy got the shot at Pazer not Big Jess. Had McCarthy not have died, it was garunteed he would have met both Bombardier Billy Wells and then Jack Johnson. Instead, it was Fireman Jim Flynn who got the shot at Johnson.

 

It was my understanding that Jess and his syndicate wasn't interested in the White Championship, but was after Johnson directly, and got him. A McCarty-Willard rematch would have been interesting with the added experience each was getting later in 1912 and 1913.

 

According to the historical society where I live, it paints a different story. McCarthy's manager said Luther was superior to Willard and those "other no-decision demons". WIth his win over Al Pazer in 19 rounds, it was written into contract following McCarthy's bout with the Canadian Arthur Pelkey that he would get British white hope Bombardier Billy Wells and then Jack Johnson. However, McCarthy died during the match, evidentially from complications from a previous back and neck injury during a rodeo stunt. Its of my opinion he would have defeated Pelkey, Wells, and then Johnson. However, I think McCarthy would have eventually been stopped by Dempsey who was rising up the ranks.