Johnson Willard: Dive or KO

l have seen the fight and willard is totally dominated by Johnson,he took a dive in my opinion.

 

The more closely you look at it,

Nothing more than a young big guy wearing down an older smaller guy.
Jess Willard was specifically picked for this fight, because of his size and stamina,
not neccessarily boxing ability.

 

NO dive

Why would he fight that many rounds in the heat to just quit

he could have just taken the first real good Willard bomb and fold inside of 10 why did he go that long to just dive

 

I think some people need to rewatch this fight. Willard is doing well over the last few rounds. He is manhandling Johnson and landing some nice shots. It was not a shutout to the end and in the end Johnson did not spring up as some suggest.

One a side note, is there some equestrian competition going on in the background?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhY7RxtML_4[/ame]

 

that was a long mean ****ing right hand he ate their...not sure if many men could have gotten up from that.

 

Don't think it was a dive in the sense that he took money to lay down - I think he just basically knew he wasn't going to make it - and he knew he didn't have the energy left to KO Jess Willard anymore (and maybe he was sick of everything that was being done to him - maybe he didn't want that life anymore?) I think he was standing still just waiting for Willard to throw a really big shot at him - to make it look genuine and then he just went down (the fall didn't look genuine to me - similar to the Ketchel fight he just seemed to bend his knee and just let himself tilt over and down in that direction) and I have never ever seen anyone genuinely go down like that from a one shot and when clearly not out cold lay absolutely motionless with his arms (also held completely motionless) over his face - when fighters go down even when badly hurt there is some movement at the very least a bit of stirring - with Johnson nothing until the ring was invaded - then he was up and out - it doesn't resemble any other knockdown and countout I've ever seen - but I think it was a decision he made there and then - he just couldn't be bothered with it anymore so he went out on his own doing coz he had to much of an ego to let himself get knocked out by anyone in front of all those people

 

Johnson was dazed when he got up he was assisted out of the ring by Sam McVey who said Johnson did not know where he was for a minute.Willard could really hit with his right hand.

 

Johnson knew he did not have the strength left to stop Willard, and he was exhausted.The right hand was a terrific punch from a known hitter.
Personally , given the circumstances, I think Johnson put up a courageous fight.
It's the Havana Race Track atsch

 

Yes, but did they have to have equestrian events the day of a heavyweight title fight? Can you imagine a little football going on at Wembley Stadium while Tyson and Bruno slugged it out?

 

Did anybody else notice what happens at 8:50, just after the round ends, and before they return to their respective corners? Big Jess pats his left arm across Jack's shoulders, and turns back to Johnson momentarily as Lil' Artha' pivots to his seconds in what appears to be a gesture of sportsmanlike camaraderie and respect. If this perception is correct, then it's a remarkable public display on film, considering the biracial pressure and stakes involved. When Welch raises his hand, he immediately attempts to leave the ring, rather than exhibit any celebratory display, but is rushed and intercepted before he can exit. These are intriguing demonstrations of Willard's temperament.

 

Willard was a big young boy and that was quite a right hand

 

Actually, not all that young at age 33. (Sullivan was 33 when Corbett knocked him out.) For both men to do what they did at the ages they were at, in 110 degree heat with around 100% humidity, for over 25 rounds, is one of the remarkable achievements in heavyweight history.

 

D, So, So true.In that scorching heat in the blazing sun in Havana, to get to the 26th round is remarkable in itself.This fight fortifies my belief that our
ancestors,were a tougher and better conditioned group of fighters then today.
imagine todays bloated dreadnought's going 15, let alone 26 rounds,as the 37 year old Johnson and Willard did in 1915.! Boggles the mind, I say.
The old adage still holds true : Tough times, make TUFF Fighters...:good

 

i was trying to explain to one of my sons the other week how much tougher physically and mentally that the fighters were years back than to how they are today . could you imagine battlino or a nelson for example quitting in a tittle fight the way alexander did against bradley.but sadly all my son could see from his point of view is that a modern fighter is superior due to advances in training and nutrition techniques

 

Who's saying 33 is old,,,,,,,,,

Did you ever see Barabara Eden in 'I Dream of Jeannie'