And you can take THAT to the bank, Jim! LOL. KEITH
Posts from Hawkswill in thread „Jess Willard“
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Nice job, Ethan. Keith
Hopefully, Jim can add pictures from the movies if John can get them.
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Yep, Russ, as I said......don't know which thread it is in now, LOL.....if you watch the fight on Youtube....whole 3 rounds with Jess not coming out in the 4th, you will see the ref allowing Dempsey to hit Jess WAY too early before he even straightens up. Don't know the rules then, but he never even stopped him to check him to see if the fight should go on. The Ref might not have even been there for all he did. KEITH
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Well, thought I would let Jim tell all about that, but, hopefully he will relate the other movie he was in. I believe Jess began as a cowboy, but not sure. I am trying to track down the two movies for Jim through my film historian friend here in NC. KEITH Jim has pictures and videos that I hope he will share with us also.....what say, Jim? KEITH
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I think Jim may be being a bit modest here. His grandfather, for some of you who might not be died in the wool boxing fans, was 6'6 1/2" Jess Willard, World Heavyweight Boxing Champ 1915-1919. He lost the title to a much smaller, great deal shorter reach, man you may remember hearing of, Jack Dempsey. The fight still has tinges of wrong doing, and to watch it is painful, as Dempsey usually didn't even let Jess get fully standing before he unmercifully attacked continually again. Looks to me very much like the ref did not do his job very well. But, I am by no means a boxing expert. Just like what the fight looked like to me. It is on YouTube, but be prepared for a brutal assault and what looks like an unfair fight. Hope Jim will share more of his Grandfather's history....you may be surprised. KEITH
Here's a couple of pictures of McLaglen in his boxing years. My grandfather, Jess Willard, boxed him in an exhibition bout in 1911.... Around about the time my dad was dating my mother (1933, 1934), he was asked by my grandmother Willard to drive to a certain place and pick up my grandfather, along with McLaglen, from some bar or other drinking place (?) and take them home. My dad remebered the incidant - having to get squashed in the front seat between my grandfather and McLaglen all the way home.
