Not the best quality but it's rare footage: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FMCc6JW3Hs[/ame] Another upload by RareBoxing. It doesn't show the stoppage though.
He looks pretty good to my eyes, mobile with quickish hands,and, aggressively,ripping in uppercuts and right crosses.
Keep in mind that he was well over 40 years old at this point. Not bad all things considering, unfortunately the knockout wasn't included. This content is protected I have Willard vs Firpo from the same year and Willard shows his age there. He couldn't hold off the younger, stronger and faster Luis Firpo.
I was just going to ask if you have that footage ? Is it on YOutube ? If not, is it possible for you to post it sometime ? I have only seen it once and have been keeping an eye out for some time ...
Hard to believe this is a 40-something year old fighter we're looking at. And Johnson was no piece of cake either; he was a legit contender coming off a good string of wins. Just goes to show what genuine skill and potential Willard really had. Too bad his heart was never really in the sport.
Great footage, GreatA. I had no idea thios existed. Please post the Willard-Firpo if at all possible. :good Willard was coming off a four-year layoff following the Dempsey defeat (and that fight had followed a three-year layoff), so he did well to beat a decent young contender like Floyd Johnson, especially considering his age. It makes me wonder how Willard could have been had he stayed a bit more active.
